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Streaming has always been a controversial issue amongst MMA fans. I remember there was a time when most people on MMA forums seemed to be against it. And when you look at the PPV numbers from the first few years after TUF 1, it was clear that MMA fans were enthusiastic buyers of PPV cards.
But obviously things have changed. Whenever a thread about streaming pops up, the responses I see are almost predictable. Stuff like:
"Who cares, Dana takes all the money Anway."
"If they paid the fighters more maybe I would consider buying."
"You can't stop streams, welcome to the internet."
"UFC should be free anyway, just put it on network TV and collect ad dollars."
"PPV is dead. UFC should find a new model."
And so on.
But the truth is that all of it is a cop out. As much as I despise Dana he is right on the streaming issue.
Streaming takes money away from the fighters. As much as we don't like to admit it, fighters make more money when there is a large upward shift in revenue. Fighters got paid pennies before TUF 1. But after PPV buys when up dramatically fighters started making millions of dollars. If all the people who streamed the event bought it Instead, there's no doubt in my mind that fighter pay would nearly double. So yes, you ARE absolutely robbing the fighters.
And it's not just purses that take a hit. If the UFC had double the revenue, they could put it towards benefits for fighters, like post-career healthcare, pensions, and larger bonuses.
Oh, and what about the watered down cards? Have you noticed that the cards got watered down when PPV buys started slipping? Well of course! The UFC got smart. They didn't see any need to stack a card when millions of people would just steal it anyway. So if you are a part of the streaming community then you should be the last person complaining about watered down cards. YOU ARE THE REASON why we only usually get two anticipated fights on a PPV card nowadays.
If you are a fan of this sport, and want to see better cards, and want fighters to be taken care of then BUY THE FUCKIN CARDS. I buy the cards because I'm a fan of this sport and I want to continue to see it grow. 30 years from now I want to be an old man who can still sit down and watch a good UFC card. And the way I can assure that happens is buy voting with my money for UFC/MMA to stay in business. And if you love this sport and the fighters then you should too.
Godspeed me friends!
But obviously things have changed. Whenever a thread about streaming pops up, the responses I see are almost predictable. Stuff like:
"Who cares, Dana takes all the money Anway."
"If they paid the fighters more maybe I would consider buying."
"You can't stop streams, welcome to the internet."
"UFC should be free anyway, just put it on network TV and collect ad dollars."
"PPV is dead. UFC should find a new model."
And so on.
But the truth is that all of it is a cop out. As much as I despise Dana he is right on the streaming issue.
Streaming takes money away from the fighters. As much as we don't like to admit it, fighters make more money when there is a large upward shift in revenue. Fighters got paid pennies before TUF 1. But after PPV buys when up dramatically fighters started making millions of dollars. If all the people who streamed the event bought it Instead, there's no doubt in my mind that fighter pay would nearly double. So yes, you ARE absolutely robbing the fighters.
And it's not just purses that take a hit. If the UFC had double the revenue, they could put it towards benefits for fighters, like post-career healthcare, pensions, and larger bonuses.
Oh, and what about the watered down cards? Have you noticed that the cards got watered down when PPV buys started slipping? Well of course! The UFC got smart. They didn't see any need to stack a card when millions of people would just steal it anyway. So if you are a part of the streaming community then you should be the last person complaining about watered down cards. YOU ARE THE REASON why we only usually get two anticipated fights on a PPV card nowadays.
If you are a fan of this sport, and want to see better cards, and want fighters to be taken care of then BUY THE FUCKIN CARDS. I buy the cards because I'm a fan of this sport and I want to continue to see it grow. 30 years from now I want to be an old man who can still sit down and watch a good UFC card. And the way I can assure that happens is buy voting with my money for UFC/MMA to stay in business. And if you love this sport and the fighters then you should too.
Godspeed me friends!