Bellator Making Smart Branding Decision For PPV

[Rasputin75]

Last night I heard a radio commercial for the upcoming Bellator PPV, and then saw another one while watching TV. I noticed that both of the commercials made the barest mention of Bellator, while basically calling the PPV - Rampage vs. King Mo. Also, when I set up the prelims to tape, the description for DirectTV also does not mention Bellator.

Reminded me of the "Aldo vs. Faber" PPV from the WEC. I think it is very smart of Bellator to brand the PPV with the fighters instead of their own name. Just thought I would call out a good decision from Bellator. I'm still expecting about 60K total buys.

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

Since when is not building your brand considered smart branding?

 

[Rasputin75]

When you are trying to make $$. Basically, the exact same reason why Zuffa did not market the WEC PPV as a WEC PPV.

 

[Rasputin75]

But I do agree, that it's basically a statement from Bellator about the inherent weakness of their brand. That they can't use it to sell a fight on PPV.

 

[Steve4192]

When you are trying to make $$. Basically, the exact same reason why Zuffa did not market the WEC PPV as a WEC PPV.

They didn't market the WEC PPV as a WEC event because they understood that the WEC brand was worthless. If they could have, they would have marketed it as a UFC event, but contractual obligations to Versus prevented them from doing that.

Aside from that, it seems odd to use that event as an example of good brand building, since it flopped on PPV and was the final nail in WEC's coffin. If anything, I would hold that event up as an example of how NOT to build a brand.

 

[Rasputin75]

They didn't market the WEC PPV as a WEC event because they understood that the WEC brand was worthless. If they could have, they would have marketed it as a UFC event, but contractual obligations to Versus prevented them from doing that.

Aside from that, it seems odd to use that event as an example of good brand building, since it flopped on PPV and was the final nail in WEC's coffin. If anything, I would hold that event up as an example of how NOT to build a brand.

I guess that's one way to view it... It did between 150,000 and 200,000 buys which to me was a huge success. I believe it was the final evidence to the UFC that it was worth absorbing the lower weight classes directly into the UFC instead of leaving them as the separate entity in the WEC.

 

[PIT FIGHTER]

They didn't market the WEC PPV as a WEC event because they understood that the WEC brand was worthless. If they could have, they would have marketed it as a UFC event, but contractual obligations to Versus prevented them from doing that.

Aside from that, it seems odd to use that event as an example of good brand building, since it flopped on PPV and was the final nail in WEC's coffin. If anything, I would hold that event up as an example of how NOT to build a brand.

WEC hardly "flopped on PPV".

Then again, perhaps the dozens of articles that came out from all the major MMA websites touting the reported 150-200k number as a success were wrong, and Steve4192 has the right idea.

 

[CC27]

Since when is not building your brand considered smart branding?

When your brand means nothing. Zuffa did the same thing with WEC cause WEC brand as great as it was carried no weight in the PPV market.

Neither does Bellator.

Yes its not a good move long term cause you arent building the brand but Bellator really doesnt want to flop on this PPV and get mocked. They need it to sell while they have one guy on the roster that has a name that can draw interest from fans.

 

[CC27]

WEC hardly "flopped on PPV".

Then again, perhaps the dozens of articles that came out from all the major MMA websites touting the reported 150-200k number as a success were wrong, and Steve4192 has the right idea.

175k for them was great, they didnt have a huge payroll for that event and that event made money.

WEC went away cause it didnt make sense to try and build two brands, they likely werent making alot of money each event and UFC needed more fighters on the roster to go global like they planned and are doing right now.

Same with SF, bought out competition, kept competitors off Showtime, killed the brand and added the fighters to the roster for global expansion.

 

[PIT FIGHTER]

Exactly.

To say WEC being absorbed into the UFC was the "final nail in the coffin" stemming from a flopped PPV is real retarded, sir.

 

[Slongkong]

Since when is not building your brand considered smart branding?

The UFC built their name before their fighters and look at all the bad it did for the sport. Now we got people out there "do you even train ufc" MMA getting exposure for being MMA is always good

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

The UFC built their name before their fighters and look at all the bad it did for the sport. Now we got people out there "do you even train ufc" MMA getting exposure for being MMA is always good

I do not think that the UFC having a strong brand has been bad for MMA at all. I think the UFC building their brand is one of the reasons they have not gone under like so many other MMA orgs have. I also do not think people confusing MMA for UFC and vice versa is a very big problem.

 

[Championstuff]

uh muh gud guise, teh bellator iz dying

 

[Bigj383]

175k for them was great, they didnt have a huge payroll for that event and that event made money.

WEC went away cause it didnt make sense to try and build two brands, they likely werent making alot of money each event and UFC needed more fighters on the roster to go global like they planned and are doing right now.

Same with SF, bought out competition, kept competitors off Showtime, killed the brand and added the fighters to the roster for global expansion.

Aldo vs Faber was budgeted to turn a profit at around 75,000 buys. The entire payroll was only about $308,500. The UFC only expected maybe 80k-100k buys. So in that case 175k is a huge success especially considering it almost got 1 million at the gate.

For the Bellator PPV it doesn't look like the gate is anywhere close to 1 million or even half that. Probably Rampage alone is pulling 6 figures as is Tito. We know Chandler will pull 6 figures with a win as well. Tito, Rampage, and Chandler all get a piece of the profits of the PPV. Budgeting of the two events is insanely different.

WEC 48 was a test to see if a PPV could be headlined by FWs and turn a profit. The experiment was a success for the UFC because they budgeted it properly. UFC also figured slapping the UFC brand on it would give it more credibility and add a few thousand buys. Which in ways it has. As the small weights have broken 200k, even 300k with the UFC brand.

Bellator is a test if a non Zuffa PPV can be profitable. The answer to that has so far been a resounding No. The reason being that the figters that the promoters think they need to make a PPV intersting outside of Zuffa typically demand a high price tag.