Meltzer - Info on last 3 PPV numbers

[DGT4NOW]

A snippet from Meltzer's weekly newsletter

Regarding PPV, the 5/23 show with Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort and Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony Johnson did 375,000 buys, which, as noted before, was likely held back significantly by coming three weeks after Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. The 6/13 show with Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum did about 305,000 buys. The 7/11 show with Conor McGregor vs. Chad Mendes has been almost impossible to get a number on because of such wide varieties of cable estimates. The figure going around in the cable industry last week was 950,000 buys. UFC, which never releases numbers publicly, did so for the first time, listing on its web site in a McGregor article, that the show broke the U.S. gate record with $7.2 million and listed it as doing 1 million buys on PPV. But as noted, there have been sources pegging it significantly lower as well as higher, because it seems to have been super high in some places and nothing special in others, making normal estimates difficult. I know of cable systems that did average business for the show, and others that did business that would have indicated a 1 million buy show. Most of the normal indicators were very strong, many being higher than anything since UFC 168, but the TV ratings for the prelims, which are usually a good indicator, were only average. The idea of 847,000 total TV viewers watching the prelims and 1 million homes ordering the main card immediately strikes you as something that makes no sense, which, combined with some cable numbers that simply don‟t fit into a 1 million buy pattern, make me skeptical. But if you look at almost every other indicator, it‟s the TV number that doesn‟t fit the pattern, not the PPV number.

 

[qw3rty]

375 and 305 k? Damn that's low
Dana should put McGregor in every event LOL

 

[catsforsale]

It wouldn't be that weird that the PPV got more viewers than the prelims, casuals want to see Conor, not Alex Garcia or any of the other guys on the prelims.

 

[Degen Gambler]

It wouldn't be that weird that the PPV got more viewers than the prelims, casuals want to see Conor, not Alex Garcia or any of the other guys on the prelims.

Also the prelims were boring as fuck until the Brown fight.

 

[DGT4NOW]

It wouldn't be that weird that the PPV got more viewers than the prelims, casuals want to see Conor, not Alex Garcia or any of the other guys on the prelims.

It would be since one is free & the other cost over $60 & also the history of prelim numbers (as far as ratio to PPV) say otherwise.
But as he said the prelim numbers could just be a rare wrench in the the way things usually turn out

 

[OldBoy91]

Serious question (don't take this the wrong way as I think you're one of the better posters here) but are all of your threads about Meltzer

 

[Lacet]

Dez caught it.

 

[basedworld]

Wow meltzer is now a connor hater

I bet UFC was buying PPVs to inflate their number

 

[DGT4NOW]

Serious question (don't take this the wrong way as I think you're one of the better posters here) but are all of your threads about Meltzer

Ha & thanks
I actually went & looked (lol) - my last 2 were, but not the 5 prior.

The threads are never really about him, but things he reports that most members don't have access to (I am a member of his pay site).
Plus people hear things & get a lot of the info wrong, so why not share it

Thanks again for the props

 

[Miiiiiiighty]

It would be since one is free & the other cost over $60 & also the history of prelim numbers (as far as ratio to PPV) say otherwise.
But as he said the prelim numbers could just be a rare wrench in the the way things usually turn out

Not sure depending on the people...

I would buy if I lived in the US but I probably wouldn't watch most prelims either..
Only the main card most of the time

 

[DGT4NOW]

Not sure depending on the people...

I would buy if I lived in the US but I probably wouldn't watch most prelims either..
Only the main card most of the time

I hear you, but as I said, history has shown otherwise & that was point that this seems to have bucked that trend.

It seems that the reasoning is, people get together to watch PPV & it isn't like they meet up 1 second before the PPV begins.
The pattern usually is, the will turn on the free prelims & catch a fight or 2 prior

 

[catsforsale]

It would be since one is free & the other cost over $60 & also the history of prelim numbers (as far as ratio to PPV) say otherwise.
But as he said the prelim numbers could just be a rare wrench in the the way things usually turn out

Well I'll use boxing as an example, as a casual fan I wouldn't watch an undercard with guys I don't know/barely know for free if they were on an undercard of a Mayweather fight, but I would pay for the actual Mayweather fight.

 

[DGT4NOW]

Well I'll use boxing as an example, as a casual fan I wouldn't watch an undercard with guys I don't know/barely know for free if they were on an undercard of a Mayweather fight, but I would pay for the actual Mayweather fight.

I hear you, but the discrepancy between the top Boxing PPV guys & the prelim guys is a lot bigger than UFC's are.
Also people that buy a Mayweather fight are not the same people that buy UFC & the pattern of prelim/PPV ratio that he was discussing was UFC only

 

[Toco]

Serious question (don't take this the wrong way as I think you're one of the better posters here) but are all of your threads about Meltzer

what would you say if i told you hes actually meltzer

 

[DGT4NOW]

what would you say when if i told you hes actually meltzer

 

[The Rock]

Clearly there is a variance between the TV numbers and the PPV numbers, but Meltzer is a pioneer in the MMA reporting world and I doubt that he's embellishing numbers. While the event may not have necessarily generated record PPV buys, the organization (and Conor) made a tremendous profit. Moreover, the PPV numbers will likely surpass UFC 100 when McGregor Vs Aldo takes place.

 

[DGT4NOW]

Clearly there is a variance between the TV numbers and the PPV numbers, but Meltzer is a pioneer in the MMA reporting world and I doubt that he's embellishing numbers. While the event may not have necessarily generated record PPV buys, the organization (and Conor) made a tremendous profit. Moreover, the PPV numbers will likely surpass UFC 100 when McGregor Vs Aldo takes place.

I'll add this here (this was in the newsletter also)

White this past week pushed the idea that the December PPV show would be at AT&T Stadium, and teased it would be headlined by Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor. Rumor has it if they book the stadium they‟ll book three title fights, with the Chris Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold fight and a Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit fight. While not official, there were reports that Condit would be getting the title shot ahead of former champion Johny Hendricks, even if the show is in Dallas, which is Hendricks‟ home town. Hendricks would instead face Tyron Woodley in a top contenders fight, which is weird because both Hendricks and Woodley have beaten Condit. They seem to be wanting to avoid Lawler vs. Hendricks even though the two have fought two fights, the first was a match of the year, and they are even with each having won five rounds after the two. Hendricks was at first talked about as getting the next shot, but was instead booked against Matt Brown, which he won.

 

[I Am Legion]

Its truly too expensive compared to when it was 29.95. Unless the card is blockbuster, most fans get together to watch it or go to a bar.

 

[King of Fists]

Well I for one bought the card but didn't watch the prelims except for Brown/means

 

[barehanded]

Well I'll use boxing as an example, as a casual fan I wouldn't watch an undercard with guys I don't know/barely know for free if they were on an undercard of a Mayweather fight, but I would pay for the actual Mayweather fight.

Even people in the first few rows mostly didn't watch undercard of Floyd vs Manny.