Fox getting Thursday Night Football hurting UFC negotiations?

ralphus1

ralphus1

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Got this from Peter King's MMQB article this morning about the Super Bowl:

upload_2018-2-5_13-6-45.png

Just curious about how the UFC feels about this, considering they want a huge annual increase from the current contract.
 
From what I've read the UFC wants WAY more money, several times more, and I wish I knew why they thought they were worth it. It seems like every UFC on Fox we hear about mediocre ratings.
 
UFC want like $400 million I thought
 
UFC is in a tough spot, the only people interested is FOX and they're low balling the UFC.

I think the UFC messed by setting up crappy UFC on Fox cards while at the same time trying to renegotiate their deal.
 
007 said:
UFC want like $400 million I thought
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I read the same thing, more than double the $168M Fox is paying the UFC this year. WME and debt service.

Supposedly there are multiple parties interested, which I'm sure the UFC wants everyone to believe.
 
well sir, i haven't read hundreds of posts, but you will find the various opinions here. some may even have sound logic behind them (though many i'm sure won't).

Fox opened with an increase in $ ($160m --> $200m) but keeping basically the same plan as last time (which started around $100m/yr and increased 10-20% per year). UFC countered with $450m/yr. since then, UFC has threatened to go to streaming (Hulu Plus, Amazon, etc) and Fox has threatened to buy WWE and do that instead.

so, both sides have some power in this negotiation, both sides understand each other's leverage, and both sides are playing hardball.

my guess is this TNF deal won't make a difference in the long run.
 
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The product and mismanagement is hurting the ufc more.
 
ralphus1 said:
I read the same thing, more than double the $168M Fox is paying the UFC this year. WME and debt service.

Supposedly there are multiple parties interested, which I'm sure the UFC wants everyone to believe.
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I wonder what NBC Sports and Facebook paid PFL. That deal was just made a couple weeks ago
 
If the finalize with FOX they'll end up settling for around $200M. Any other network won't even touch that number.
 
Whilst negotiating a new deal with FOX every card on the channel should have been practically PPV quality (which I appreciate is difficult whilst still trying to sell PPVs) to get the viewing figures up to try & justify their new high price. Instead they've gone in the opposite direction & still expect a huge new deal.

FOX seems the only channel that interested in showing their product which despite a very strong early growth has not become the HUGE sport that many were predicting. PPV & viewing figures are down unless its a huge star & they don't have many left of them. This can only end in tears.
 
ralphus1 said:
Got this from Peter King's MMQB article this morning about the Super Bowl:

View attachment 335163

Just curious about how the UFC feels about this, considering they want a huge annual increase from the current contract.
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Why would they care that Fox is continuing a existing agreement? It has no effect on their offers as this was money already appropriated by Fox to extend a existing deal.
 
fractal said:
If the finalize with FOX they'll end up settling for around $200M. Any other network won't even touch that number.
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Fox opened negotiations at $200M - publicly, at least. my guess is they will be willing to negotiate up a bit.
 
SeattleFightFan said:
Fox opened negotiations at $200M - publicly, at least. my guess is they will be willing to negotiate up a bit.
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Thought it was 168M as someone above posted. Either way I can't see it crossing $230-240M
 
tithas said:
Why would they care that Fox is continuing a existing agreement? It has no effect on their offers as this was money already appropriated by Fox to extend a existing deal.
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Extend an existing deal?

Nbc/cbs had the Thursday games this year.

Fox is paying far more money to have the rights for the games than NBC/CBS paid. It is a new expense.
 
fractal said:
Thought it was 168M as someone above posted. Either way I can't see it crossing $230-240M
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ya i'm not sure where Ralphus got the $168m - i thought it was $160m - but he said that's what Fox is paying the last year of the 2011 contract:

ralphus1 said:
I read the same thing, more than double the $168M Fox is paying the UFC this year.
Click to expand...

and if you google "ufc fox $200m" you'll see various reports from various outlets (some more trustworthy than others, which is why i didn't just link one - ah hell, here's a seemingly trustworthy one) that they offered $200m - which is basically similar to the 2011 deal with a similar annual escalation clause.

again, that's what they opened negotiations with.
 
Meathead Jock said:
Extend an existing deal?

Nbc/cbs had the Thursday games this year.

Fox is paying far more money to have the rights for the games than NBC/CBS paid. It is a new expense.
Click to expand...

This. Now Fox has NFL games on Sunday and Thursday. CBS and NBC have Sunday day and night respectively. ESPN still has Monday night.

Fox paid more than the previous networks for Thursday, yet no new UFC deal announced yet.
 
Meathead Jock said:
Extend an existing deal?

Nbc/cbs had the Thursday games this year.

Fox is paying far more money to have the rights for the games than NBC/CBS paid. It is a new expense.
Click to expand...
Ohhh I misunderstood the parameters of it then. I assumed it was just a add-on on to the existing Sunday deal. The UFC deal is not up until 2019 so they still got close to 11 months to iron out the details but NBC has shown interest and the UFC has shown interests in farming it out to multiple content providers for various platforms, not just traditional media.
 
SeattleFightFan said:
ya i'm not sure where Ralphus got the $168m - i thought it was $160m - but he said that's what Fox is paying the last year of the 2011 contract:



and if you google "ufc fox $200m" you'll see various reports from various outlets (some more trustworthy than others, which is why i didn't just link one - ah hell, here's a seemingly trustworthy one) that they offered $200m - which is basically similar to the 2011 deal with a similar annual escalation clause.

again, that's what they opened negotiations with.
Click to expand...

http://mmajunkie.com/2016/10/ufc-cl...bidders-in-line-when-fox-deal-expires-in-2018

Ben Fowlkes seems like a good source, but you're right, various sites show various figures. Only the UFC and IRS know for sure.
 
ralphus1 said:
http://mmajunkie.com/2016/10/ufc-cl...bidders-in-line-when-fox-deal-expires-in-2018

Ben Fowlkes seems like a good source, but you're right, various sites show various figures. Only the UFC and IRS know for sure.
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interesting. solid source. thank. here is one that says $160m. my source is newer, but i reallly don't see why an older date on your article would makes it less reliable.

so unless the escalation clause has criteria we don't know about that changes the amount, that's pretty weird.

like you said, who knows.

point being, the $200m offer is basically an extension of the old contract. maybe a slightly higher escalation clause, or a one-time 10% "bump".

we're all curious what happens :)

cheers.
 
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