Illegal streams of UFC PPVs potentially costing fighters millions in payouts per PPV

[Mohawk Banditó]

Stealing from the tip jar at Starbucks is really putting a hole in the wallet of those migrant workers picking coffee beans

 

[StonedLemur]

That thought has been around a while. I'm a bit ambivalent about it tbh.
The initial idea isn't bad obviously, I'm just not sure it's realistic in any capacity.
Organising strikes would be immensely difficult due to nature of fight cards and fighters acting only on behalf of individual interest plus the leverage the UFC has for punishing striking fighters.
In believe in the US the general situation is biased pretty heavily towards employer-rights and not employee-rights. That, the fact that fighters aren't even employee's, but contractors, and the complexity of the relationship between the UFC and It's fighters would, as far as I've thought about it, make a union essentially pointless.

It would make it difficult but certainly not pointless sir.
Either way they should be allowed the sponsorships, and they should be allowed to express themselves.

Chuck was known for his blue shorts, Tito his ghey flame shorts etc etc etc.

Now you can't tell one from another, almost always the same colored shorts, and they get fuck all from the crypto deal, the draft kings deal, and make peanuts for wearing the awful uniform.

There's a lot that can be done to tip the scales a little but the UFC is greedy cunts sir.

Im not getting down on you, the situation just irritates me.

 

[StonedLemur]

The fighters can have sponsors, just that the UFC controls what sponsorsd can eb shown on their product and televised events. I may not agree completely, but understand why. It is thier event, and they can 100% say what products are advertised on there.

Saying that I disagree they should have got rid of sponsors in cage etc, maybe tighten it up or have some standards, but doing away with I can't get behind

Right, might as well not have the option to have sponsors if you can't use them to their potential sir.

 

[Dogshare]

Eh, it's also not just fighter pay that's the issue. Basically people who stream illegally are just leeching and parasites off of fans that will purchase the PPV. If no one purchased PPVs, there won't even be a UFC to watch, only reason illegal streamers even have something to stream is because some fans will pay for it.

You are really hurting the feelings of the people that stream. Not only do the fighters (those few champs that get a part of ppv) get less money because of them but also they are also "leaching and parasites" off of the real fans.

 

[Youtried]

The pirates aren't buying ppv anyway dude. Crazy to think that the fucking Napster debate is still going on.

 

[HollaBack]

ya ufc has a problem they need to figure out there, dana feels he being robbed ed and the fighter get to feel it more

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

I don't know how many people illegally stream PPVs but there is a estimate that 100 million+ people illegally watched Mayweather vs McGregor. Mayweather-McGregor fight most pirated in history (yahoo.com)

Given, that the amount of PPV buys for Mayweather McGregor did around 5 million, you could try to apply a 20X multiple to amount of illegal streams.

That's a lot of money left off the table, even if UFC fighters are only getting 15%-20% of revenue, having revenue jump by increasing PPV buys by that much would substantially increase PPV buy.

Obviously, not all illegal streamers will buy the PPV, so it's hard to determine how many will pay, but I'd bet it'd be enough people to make a dent in fighter pay.

How much do you think illegal streams are costing fighters in terms of their share of the revenue?

If all illegal streams stopped, do you think fighters would at least double their pay?

Streamers compensate their guilt by making threads about fighters's pay on tai chi blogs.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

You know what would pay fighters even if PPVs were streamed? Sponsorship and ads.
Instead the UFC bans them from doing so while turning PPVs into giant adverts for the latest dogshit movie, scammy crypto scheme, and hideous fight kits that make fighters look like fast food employees. And doesn't give most of that money to fighters.

Pwahaha fast food employees. This is spot on. Will re-use and pretend it's mine and never give credit to you.

 

[honzo]

Sherdoggers are like politicians. They scream very loudly about fighters' pay but are not willing to spend an extra dollar to support them.

You're like a politician, you have no idea what you're talking about.

 

[Pechan]

Honestly, anyone that supports this PPV bullshit is part of the problem, hell the UFC even airs fucking ads during the paid portion of the event, fuck off.

 

[Sean_wongster_wongmastter]

Honestly, anyone that supports this PPV bullshit is part of the problem, hell the UFC even airs fucking ads during the paid portion of the event, fuck off.

So you think everyone should illegally stream so the UFC can just go out of business? A free model with just ads would never work.

 

[Pechan]

So you think everyone should illegally stream so the UFC can just go out of business? A free model with just ads would never work.

Yet it works for other sports because they have TV deals...wait, the UFC has that! Other sports also have sponsors...wait, the UFC has that too!

 

[Crocop42]

The PPV model is so outdated. I'm a world where people are paying for so many streaming services, who want to shell out $80 to watch some of this horrible cards. You already have to pay for ESPN+. How come other sports don't rely on PPV models for their games?
This is the UFCs fault for not marketing their sport correctly. Sponsorships and advertising should be enough.
Production is exactly the same every event, nothing is surprising with the product they put out in terms of money spent.

This screams how the tip system works in America in the service industry.

 

[Sean_wongster_wongmastter]

Yet it works for other sports because they have TV deals...wait, the UFC has that! Other sports also have sponsors...wait, the UFC has that too!

UFC doesn't do the number anywhere close to a major sport. The entire UFC is almost worth as much as one NBA team, let alone being able to draw in the numbers for the entire league.

UFC would do ratings that are on par with the lowest TV shows. Remember when UFC was on Fox? They were doing insanely low TV ratings.
FOX UFC Ratings Hit New Record-Low - Sports Media Watch

UFC would be cancelled for their abysmal ratings. UFC isn't at the point where it has widespread appeal free or paid. There's a group of die hard fans that will pay, that group is small, but enough to sustain a PPV model. UFC has their TV deal because you have to pay for ESPN +, there's no way a major network would give them a TV deal with their ratings.

 

[Harlekin]

Internationally UFC has some terrible managers.
In Germany, just the biggest country in the EU they didn't even have a TV sender showing all the cards in 2019, maybe not even now.
The sound is still terrible and they put 2 shitty speakers on top of the english sound.
A proper manager would 10x their sales.

UFC just can't do sound. Some cards in 2022 had no proper sound at press conferences, like it's 1997

 

[Dbreiden83080]

The ESPN deal has done that more than illegal streaming. You took all of these different cable, and satellite providers out of the equation when you made that exclusive deal. And they raised the price like 25% since the start of the deal. I don’t illegally stream. But honestly, I have not ordered or watched, a major event since the last Dustin and Conor McGregor fight. The cards don’t particularly interest me to the tune of the price they want. You are asking me to pay 80 bucks to watch two women’s title fights as your co-and main event? No thank you.

 

[Dbreiden83080]

People who stream most likely won't pay full price for it.

Especially when they keep jacking up the rates over and over again. I go back as far as paying $25 to watch Tito fight Chuck in the 2nd fight. Now they want 80 bucks.

 

[Chael_Sonnen]

Does the NBA only use Nike?....no they don't.
You're losing steam with every word you type.

Was it a regulatory nightmare when fighters had their own sponsors?...no it wasn't.
It wasn't a problem until Dana figured out they were making real money from the sponsors (thanks to Schaubs stupid ass).


Your arguments suck sir.

Amen. Preach brother, you're on the money.

 

[wwkirk]

I don't illegally stream MMA. But due to the absurd price, I hardly ever buy PPVs any more. I expect to buy an upcoming BKFC event though (Diego vs Trout), as it's a bargain.

 

[Dbreiden83080]

It would make it difficult but certainly not pointless sir.
Either way they should be allowed the sponsorships, and they should be allowed to express themselves.

Chuck was known for his blue shorts, Tito his ghey flame shorts etc etc etc.

Now you can't tell one from another, almost always the same colored shorts, and they get fuck all from the crypto deal, the draft kings deal, and make peanuts for wearing the awful uniform.

There's a lot that can be done to tip the scales a little but the UFC is greedy cunts sir.

Im not getting down on you, the situation just irritates me.

This is something I completely 100% agree with. When the UFC took the individuality out of the equation by basically requiring a uniform, that was very frustrating for the fighters and the fans. Because, like you said you had all of these old school fighters that had a style they were known for when they got into the cage. That got tossed aside.