Should the UFC just stack all foreign fight night cards and PPV's for PPV buys?

[Bobbybackpack]

There's a UFC fight night card in Germany next week and the card is shit. I feel like this is a wasted opportunity to bring in PPV buys. This is because when there's an event in the US, it's hard for Europeans to buy PPV's because you'd have to stay up from like 1 am to 5 am to watch fights if you buy the PPV, you HAVE TO see it live.

When they finally have a fight card in Europe or Asia, they usually don't put any big names on it and a lot of fans won't buy PPV for a shit card. Even when it rarely comes to their region.

Stack all foreign cards, even fight nights.

 

[SuperNerd]

TS has been spoiled.

 

[MaKaSo]

If you buy the ppv you do not have to see it live, I watch it every sunday with my morning coffee and breakfast. It also only costs 17 dollars/euros (cant remember which) and anything above would not sell I believe because in particular ppv's are not the norm atleast in my country. Doubtful putting any event on ppv outside the US and not in primetime US time would sell well and make a good profit over a fight night, especially if cable companies take a huge piece of the pie

 

[FrankieNYC]

There's a UFC fight night card in Germany next week and the card is shit. I feel like this is a wasted opportunity to bring in PPV buys. This is because when there's an event in the US, it's hard for Europeans to buy PPV's because you'd have to stay up from like 1 am to 5 am to watch fights if you buy the PPV, you HAVE TO see it live.

When they finally have a fight card in Europe or Asia, they usually don't put any big names on it and a lot of fans won't buy PPV for a shit card. Even when it rarely comes to their region.

Stack all foreign cards, even fight nights.

Most of Europe does not have PPV anyway
it is very very minimal

 

[Grijswaarde]

We Europeans stream the shit out of the internet.

 

[charknicks]

https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2018/7/...hy-doesnt-the-ufc-get-rid-of-ppv-mma-business

Very good article on UFC and PPVs, as to if the UFC should get rid of PPVs or not.

Cliff notes:
-The writer assumes that the UFC gets about $32/PPV buy. Off of that, if the UFC sells 400,000 PPVs, they make $13 million.
-Off the new ESPN deal, the UFC is getting about $10 million per event. ($300 million per year for 30 events). Doesnt take into account other shows like Contender Series, etc.
-Assume that the UFC will make about $7 million per event.
-13 of past 20 PPV events sold more then the 219,000 buys needed for UFC to make $7 million in event.

Overall, very good written article. Def should read.

 

[FrankieNYC]

-The writer assumes that the UFC gets about $32/PPV buy.

That is a bad assumption

They get about 55% from traditional PPV, so about $36 per
They get a much higher % from streaming buys & get almost all of it from their in-house (UFC.com & Fight pass)
More & more are buying PPV away from traditional TV

 

[notsojollyrogerRIP]

The days of UFC buying out organizations for their talent pool are over. The Strikeforce-Pride-WEC import days are a thing of the past, dude.

 

[Bobbybackpack]

TS has been spoiled.

How? I've never bought a PPV in my life.

 

[Bobbybackpack]

If you buy the ppv you do not have to see it live, I watch it every sunday with my morning coffee and breakfast. It also only costs 17 dollars/euros (cant remember which) and anything above would not sell I believe because in particular ppv's are not the norm atleast in my country. Doubtful putting any event on ppv outside the US and not in primetime US time would sell well and make a good profit over a fight night, especially if cable companies take a huge piece of the pie

For a single fight or the entire card ir just main card

 

[Bobbybackpack]

Most of Europe does not have PPV anyway
it is very very minimal

But what about those that do?

 

[FrankieNYC]

But what about those that do?

Like i said it is very minimal?

They make so little off non-domestic PPV that it doesn't even become a line item in their reports.

 

[Mmmmmmma1234]

How? I've never bought a PPV in my life.

Well it's easy to see why the ufc doesn't cater to your demographic then.

 

[MaKaSo]

For a single fight or the entire card ir just main card

Just main card https://www.ufc.tv/events
Not sure about prelims tbh, if i'm home I usually catch that live streaming the same night. Or find it someplace else

 

[charknicks]

That is a bad assumption

They get about 55% from traditional PPV, so about $36 per
They get a much higher % from streaming buys & get almost all of it from their in-house (UFC.com & Fight pass)
More & more are buying PPV away from traditional TV

Maybe. I guess he is throwing in there that some people (for some reason) still order in SD. Also, who knows what cut they get from other subscriber sources.

 

[FrankieNYC]

Maybe. I guess he is throwing in there that some people (for some reason) still order in SD. Also, who knows what cut they get from other subscriber sources.

They get a lot more than 50% from other sources.
Nash is a great reporter, but he is just repeating the "50%" line that PPV used to be for UFC.
Not every reporter gets everything correct & he is a great resource on the actual business of MMA.
But I was just pointing out they get a lot more money off each PPV than mentioned and more and more are using the non traditional way to order PPV and UFC makes more on those.

 

[SeattleFightFan]

it's like this.

more events on TV earn more money. period.

they're making these extra events because it makes the company more money. period.

fan enjoyment of stacked cards is not their #1 concern. so if that is your #1 criteria on why Zuffa should (insert action here), then you are not thinking critically.

there is some debate among fans about whether a "watering down" - more events for more profit - will in the long term be detrimental to fan stickiness. e.g. kill the sport. but here we are 18 years into this experiment (13 years after TUF) and the people with the actual metrics on this topic continue having large numbers of unstacked cards and earning a ton of profit. clearly their analysis has not shown what sherdogger fans (who don't have any metrics) keep trying to argue.

 

[LouisBolanos]

We Europeans stream the shit out of the internet.

That's all of us hardcores on Sherdog not just Europeans

 

[Bobbybackpack]

Well it's easy to see why the ufc doesn't cater to your demographic then.

Because its not easy since I work in Sunday mornings so I have to stream when I come back.

 

[FrankieNYC]

it's like this.

more events on TV earn more money. period.

they're making these extra events because it makes the company more money. period.

fan enjoyment of stacked cards is not their #1 concern. so if that is your #1 criteria on why Zuffa should (insert action here), then you are not thinking critically.

there is some debate among fans about whether a "watering down" - more events for more profit - will in the long term be detrimental to fan stickiness. e.g. kill the sport. but here we are 18 years into this experiment (13 years after TUF) and the people with the actual metrics on this topic continue having large numbers of unstacked cards and earning a ton of profit. clearly their analysis has not shown what sherdogger fans (who don't have any metrics) keep trying to argue.

Interesting post as usual.

What some don't understand is the shift from being a typical "promotion" to now being a "content provider".
These days with so many viewing options available, content distributors are paying huge money for content.
ESPN+ will not make the money back that they paid UFC for by MMA fans alone, but if they want to make the OTT service an entity they need constant programming.

WME are selling UFC as a content provider & that is why they are making more money than ever & the company has gone up in worth since the sale.

Business has changed.