If you had to guess what percentage of the audience stream PPVs for free vs pays for them...

[Melas Chasma]

...what would be your best estimate?

Im asking because of all the talk about MMA dying because of the declining PPV numbers, when it might be that the sport is more popular than ever, but that more and more people just watch it for free, since it has become so easy.

 

[loisestrad]

I would expect there are surveys/statistics for that. But speaking from my own personal experience here in Denmark, it kinda feels like MMA (UFC in particular) was gaining momentum with Ronda a few years back, and Conor. But ultimately, since Ronda retired and Conor stopped fighting, that momentum has significantly decreased. Maybe Ronda and Conor were just "once in a lifetime", dunno.

 

[wilKO]

Bout tree 50%.

Most of the time now the cards are so shit I wont even stream them.

 

[D'z]

...what would be your best estimate?

Im asking because of all the talk about MMA dying because of the declining PPV numbers, when it might be that the sport is more popular than ever, but that more and more people just watch it for free, since it has become so easy.

Become?! Since the dawn of the interwebz, it's always been easy.

 

[peterparker66]

on sherdog about 90 % of the posters and probably all the posters who complain about watered down cards

 

[Otto!]

Pretty sure that a lot of streamers are the same who complain about fighter pay...

 

[Melas Chasma]

Become?! Since the dawn of the interwebz, it's always been easy.

I thought it wasn't that easy to find free HD streams back in the day, but I could be wrong. Dont know anything about illegal streaming, ofc.

 

[loisestrad]

Become?! Since the dawn of the interwebz, it's always been easy.

I doubt you were streaming UFC back in, say, 2002. Sure, you could download torrents the next day or so (same goes for Pride) - but it certainly has become easier to watch it live.

EDIT: Not that I do that, it's fucking illegal.

 

[D'z]

I doubt you were streaming UFC back in, say, 2002. Sure, you could download torrents the next day or so (same goes for Pride) - but it certainly has become easier to watch it live.

EDIT: Not that I do that, it's fucking illegal.

I doubt you were streaming UFC back in, say, 2002. Sure, you could download torrents the next day or so (same goes for Pride) - but it certainly has become easier to watch it live.

EDIT: Not that I do that, it's fucking illegal.

Wrong. Last event I paid for was PRIDE Shockwave 2000.

 

[UsernameLOL]

Well in England UFC PPV events come on regular TV.

 

[Ghost in the Dark]

Spoiler

 

[Yari]

They are ridiculously priced after all. Especially when other countries can get a package deal for 10$ or less that gets them to see every PPV.

 

[notori0us1]

I haven't paid for a PPV in 2 years instead of spending the $65 for an overpriced digital product and putting money in WME's pockets I instead spend it on bud and munchies while I stream the fights for free in HD. Feels good being a technologically literate millennial instead of a boomer.

 

[PirateTetra]

I use illegal streams for eveything but the big cards (payed for 226). I have fight pass but since most content is blacked out for EU and I don't wanna pay a shitload more money for a viaplay sub i stream or pirate most events.

i'm just making shit up, i would never do something illegal like that.

 

[quantiqus]

I'm a Romanian. We don't buy, we stream, we download, we use torrents. And that's just the way things are!

But I bought a pair of Reebok once!

Pretty sure that a lot of streamers are the same who complain about fighter pay...

Because Dana would pay them more if people bought more PPVs, right?!

 

[skylolow]

Based on how easy it is to do I'd say a good 30% to 40% stream or download the PPV's now days on average in the PPV markets.

 

[ErenJaeger_]

i have sky sports so the ppvs are included with that for now, but if they weren't i'd find a stream

i'd say under half stream vs buying

 

[Odysseus]

50%. Give us stacked cards-not these watered down ppv’s as of late- with main events that don’t get canceled last minute and watch buy rates go up.

 

[Melas Chasma]

Based on how easy it is to do I'd say a good 30% to 40% stream or download the PPV's now days on average in the PPV markets.

That sounds really low, I would say closer to 80-90%. Why would anyone pay 65d if you can find a free HD stream in less than a minute? Not that I would do such a thing, just a thought.

 

[Aberlour]

I'd say 90% of fans stream events illegally. The majority of the PPV buys will be from sports bars, restraunts etc.