Update: Meltzer estimates PPV buys for UFC 225 at 250k

[billharford]

Great card for MMA fans, just no real star power. Still, that number surprises me.

 

[Credo]

But but, Greg Hardy will change this!

 

[Joseph_McBride]

Ppv model is dying for mma unless Conor or GSP are headlining.

They shouldve negotiated all of their ppvs to be on ESPN/abc going forward. Because is 225 only does sub-150k, 226 isnt doing more than 250k.

 

[JonesBones]

I wonder if promoting more than just the loud mouth/arrogant fighters (typically of similar demographics) would help them sell more.


UFC conned UFC

WWE is having a great year. Going in the opposite direction of the UFC. Their stock price:

The 4 horsewomen conned the UFC. Left a sinking ship. Props to them. Smarter than I thought.

 

[Weidman]

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

cm punk drawing power

 

[EmbraceTheGrind]

>UFC is dying!111
>Signs biggest TV deal in combat sports history

 

[brian]

This just shows that having a stacked card doesn't matter with regards to ppv #'s. The only thing that matters is the headlining act. I expect the stars of the sport to demand way more $ & the mid tier guys to get less as they have no bargaining power.

 

[EnterTheNinja]

These numbers don’t surprise me. It doesn’t mean UFC is dying. Or this fighter or that fighter doesn’t draw. What is dying though, is the PPV model.

This happened in the music industry when torrent sites came around. It happened in the movie industry. It happened to cable. Now it’s happening to PPV’s.

People aren’t going to dish out $65 for something they can get for free. It’s got nothing to do with being poor, it’s just common sense. It’s not like it used to be where you sacrificed HD quality and watched lagging and buffering streams. You can pay $5 a month for perfect HD streaming. . Or so I’ve heard, from a friend of a friend of a friend, who isn’t me.

 

[Warehouse]

It may be a rumor at the moment, but I find those estimates to be totally believable.

 

[RogerD]

Cm Punk is no McGregor

 

[Johnny_Knuckles]

I’d be more interested in knowing how many people streamed it. Though obviously that’s impossible to know.

The PPV format has long gone.

 

[FrankieNYC]

>UFC is dying!111
>Signs biggest TV deal in combat sports history

Well popularity/interest is certainly down a lot - that cannot be argued, but hard to be dying when they had their biggest profit year in history BEFORE the TV deal.

But ya know how SD is

 

[VinceArch]

Damn shame. No finishes on the main card but real good fights.

 

[Anomonis]

I'm sure the UFC can cut a few actual fighters and pay the rest a few thousand less should they need to.

 

[IloveTHIS]

Horrible if true, it was a fantastic card except for the cm pitiful fight

 

[PabloMEX]

If the next ppv tanks, UFC is turning into a work.

 

[kabanos]

this is what you get, Dana, for placing CM Punk on the main card.

 

[Alpha_T83]

The UFC are just thirsting over Greg Hardy even more now. He's already a big name athlete that looks like he can actually fight. Within 1-2 fights I expect him to be headlining cards and drawing big numbers.

 

[moogie101]

If true just shocking when you consider the ppv had punk, Holm, two title fights.

Looks like colbys mcgregor tribute act hasn't caught the fans imagination like many on here would have you believe