Media Brunson wonders about NBA players' pay.

[fedoriswar37]

NBA players are expected to play 82+ games a year, some 40+ minutes a night. Not show up in a steel cage half naked for 25 minutes max.

 

[kingghidrah]

The NBA players' salaries are the way they are because of the NBA Player's Association (Union). Same with the NFL, NHL, MLB, etc.

Exactly. It's more fair to compare NBA, NFL, MLB salaries before 1970 when collective bargaining and unionizing started to take hold.

Back then lots of big-time players made chump change, just enough to make a living, similar to what we see today in the UFC.

Two things happened: tv contracts expanded revenues exponentially, and collective bargaining gave the players a much bigger share of the pie.

Neither is happening in the UFC. Revenues are basically flat, and fighters are still not even considered employees.

The other major contribution to athletes' riches has been endorsement deals, which in many cases exceeds even their huge salaries. The infamous Reebok deal pretty much kept UFC fighters from even enjoying this possiblilty over the last 5 years or so.

 

[Cold187um]

The NBA is all about stars being marketed as stars, UFC is about the UFC brand

 

[Dreyga Hates You Sherbums]

The other major contribution to athletes' riches has been endorsement deals, which in many cases exceeds even their huge salaries. The infamous Reebok deal pretty much kept UFC fighters from even enjoying this possiblilty over the last 5 years or so.

UFC fighters still get endorsement deals.

Stylebender just signed a huge deal with Puma.

 

[tripleo]

nba digged their own graves when they decide to back one political movement and ostracize half the country

also they let lebitch run the show for way too long

 

[1s1k]

A confidential report shows nearly half the NBA lost money last season. Now what? (espn.com)

There was only 4 teams that lost money after profit sharing. The small market teams are at a distinct disadvantage for sure.

 

[campbecc]

...... yeah.

most are losing money now. But even before COVID a large percentage of teams have been losing money for years. The big market teams make a lot but the small market teams lose money.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...arly-half-nba-lost-money-last-season-now-what

 

[kflo]

A lot easier to be some third rate karate fighter than be a NBA pro.
Imagine having to fight for a living. Sad.

Not as sad as negatively judging someone else’s life as you’re doing here.

 

[campbecc]

There was only 4 teams that lost money after profit sharing. The small market teams are at a distinct disadvantage for sure.

where did you get 4, it says "The nine teams that lost money, by the league's accounting for net income (which includes revenue sharing and luxury tax payments), were the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards"

 

[Eric O]

Funny how ufc salaries are comparable to wnba salaries even though the wnba doesn't make shit and is completely irrelevant

I worked at Madison Square Garden for a while and used to ask how they could afford to let the Liberty play there when they'd sell less then 250 tickets sometimes. It was explained to me that Nike subsidizes the league because they make a ton of money from selling sneakers to the children/teen girls leagues so it's worth it for them to prop up the WMBA which give young girls role models to look up to.

 

[GolovKing]

I worked at Madison Square Garden for a while and used to ask how they could afford to let the Liberty play there when they'd sell less then 250 tickets sometimes. It was explained to me that Nike subsidizes the league because they make a ton of money from selling sneakers to the children/teen girls leagues so it's worth it for them to prop up the WMBA which give young girls role models to look up to.

WNBA players are barely even role models for anyone though. Ask any female basketball player who their favorite player is that they look up to and it's usually going to be a male basketball player

 

[kflo]

Exactly. It's more fair to compare NBA, NFL, MLB salaries before 1970 when collective bargaining and unionizing started to take hold.

Back then lots of big-time players made chump change, just enough to make a living, similar to what we see today in the UFC.

Two things happened: tv contracts expanded revenues exponentially, and collective bargaining gave the players a much bigger share of the pie.

Neither is happening in the UFC. Revenues are basically flat, and fighters are still not even considered employees.

The other major contribution to athletes' riches has been endorsement deals, which in many cases exceeds even their huge salaries. The infamous Reebok deal pretty much kept UFC fighters from even enjoying this possiblilty over the last 5 years or so.

Free agency and mobility and open competition has the biggest impact. Collective bargaining helped create that. Franchises compete for talent and pay for it. People ignore that the CBA also caps individual and team salaries.

 

[kflo]

UFC fighters still get endorsement deals.

Stylebender just signed a huge deal with Puma.

They are all pimping goods on their social media accounts......

 

[kflo]

The NBA is all about stars being marketed as stars, UFC is about the UFC brand

People say this but every single event is marketed and sold around the fighters on the card.

 

[Eric O]

WNBA players are barely even role models for anyone though. Ask any female basketball player who their favorite player is that they look up to and it's usually going to be a male basketball player

That wasn't my opinion...the WNBA is essentially

WNBA players are barely even role models for anyone though. Ask any female basketball player who their favorite player is that they look up to and it's usually going to be a male basketball player

I'm sure Nike has spent the $$$ and has figured out they sell more shoes subsidizing the WNBA.

Fun fact: When the NYC kids PAL basket ball league plays games early AM at MSG, they sell more tickets than the WNBA, lol.

 

[Dreyga Hates You Sherbums]

People say this but every single event is marketed and sold around the fighters on the card.

I don't know about. Most of my friends can't name a single fighter on a UFC card but they still watch cause they like the UFC

 

[kflo]

I don't know about. Most of my friends can't name a single fighter on a UFC card but they still watch cause they like the UFC

I don’t disagree that the brand has significant power. Obviously. Just saying they market the fighters for the card.

 

[MadHouse]

Brunson is on TV fighting generating revenue (2 fights a year) for 10 minutes a year. Lebron James is on TV generating revenue (72 regular season games, ~ 24 playoff games, 2.5 hours a game) for 14,400 minutes a year. That makes a difference.

Simply put, 99% of guys aren't going to make big bucks for something they can only do 2 times a year..

its amazing how much people don't get this and expect mma fighters to be making NBA type money working 2 days a year

 

[mma_genius]

Its not all that difficult to understand.

• 82 games a season.
• Local, national, international tv, and radio revenue.
• Huge merchandising.
• NBA players are guaranteed half of the total revenue.
• UFC fighters might get 20 percent of all revenue.

The most an MMA fighter fights is probably 5 times a year, and that is rare at the UFC level.

The most famous mma fighters fight about 3 times per 2 years.

NBA players have 82 games a year.

It's not all that difficult to understand.

 

[Judge Lance Ito]

Non American here but I don't get basketball. People say it's full of "a level athletes" and maybe it is but to me they seem wasted playing a non-contact human form of pinball.