What we now know about the Fox deal

[twillytb]

Not a fan to be honest. Biggest issue is it waters down the PPV product with less star power. If I'm paying $60 for a PPV I would like all 5 fights on the PPV to be stars. Too many PPV's now where I only care about the main and co main event. I have to say UFC 170-172 do look good right now.

I couldn't agree more. That's my kinda thinking

 

[Emjay]

If I'm paying $60 for a PPV I would like all 5 fights on the PPV to be stars.

And Ariel Helwani is too WWE for MMA...

 

[theheater]

1. The UFC sold the most PPV's in the history of MMA in 2013 and they will sell more in 2014 due to having more cards.

2. There is a huge demographic that has been exposed to MMA due to the fox deal (most people don't ever watch Spike) and the way people view MMA has completely changed. People used to look down on you for liking cage fighting as though it was the same as pro wrestling. Now most people know the term MMA and recognize it as a real sport. Fox took the UFC mainstream.

Lots of posters want to pretend the UFC is somehow not doing well when they're doing better than ever by a huge margin.

i mostly agree but im not so confident in 2014 ppv sales. with gsp and anderson likely out all year thats pretty much the top two ppv stars of 2013 out. these aldo and barao cards are getting like 200k buys.

I think in a perfect world they'd love to be able too put most cards on FOX and Foxsports. Then hold like 4 PPV's a year that are stacked and will do a million plus buys. But until the FOX deal pays more I'm not sure that would happen.

yeah ive said it before but i think the ufc is putting on too many ppv. im not sure how the fox deal works but i would think if its profitable to put on decent cards on fox that they should do that instead of these 200k ppv's. it looks like the ufc is trying to build ppv stars out of guys who arent ready. they need to be built not labeled as a ppv star

aldos headlined 3 ppv for a total of 725k ppv. he was bumped to co main on this latest ppv wich probably did similar numbers to the previous 3. instead of building aldo buy having viewers see him fight hes headlining these ppv with poor viewership. how is that going to build him up? if aldo was fighting on free tv or as a co main under bigger ppv headliners then people would see him fight and then you could assess if hes actually going to get some ppv buys as a headliner. im not sure if these 200k ppv events are bad for business but im sure theyre slowing the growth down vs more free content

imo the ufc should be putting on ppv cards that get 600k+ buys. if they can put together a bunch of cards that do those numbers then go for it but otherwise put the cards on free tv and build stars that can do those numbers. right now the ufc pretty much has cain and jones as solid ppv headliners (they lost gsp and anderson in 2013). weidman will likely be a third solid ppv headliner because hes going to face vitor next and with a win it really will build a following. thats like 6 solid ppv's for 2014 with those guys. add in aldo, barao, bj, rashad, faber and you have enough star power to stack another 2 cards and get 8 decent ppv. minus injuries. the ufc has been putting on like 14 ppv a year so if they increase that this year theyre going to be pumping out like 6+ cards that kind of tank. i think thats a bad idea

 

[DickNiaz1]

i mostly agree but im not so confident in 2014 ppv sales. with gsp and anderson likely out all year thats pretty much the top two ppv stars of 2013 out. these aldo and barao cards are getting like 200k buys.

yeah ive said it before but i think the ufc is putting on too many ppv. im not sure how the fox deal works but i would think if its profitable to put on decent cards on fox that they should do that instead of these 200k ppv's. it looks like the ufc is trying to build ppv stars out of guys who arent ready. they need to be built not labeled as a ppv star

aldos headlined 3 ppv for a total of 725k ppv. he was bumped to co main on this latest ppv wich probably did similar numbers to the previous 3. instead of building aldo buy having viewers see him fight hes headlining these ppv with poor viewership. how is that going to build him up? if aldo was fighting on free tv or as a co main under bigger ppv headliners then people would see him fight and then you could assess if hes actually going to get some ppv buys as a headliner. im not sure if these 200k ppv events are bad for business but im sure theyre slowing the growth down vs more free content

imo the ufc should be putting on ppv cards that get 600k+ buys. if they can put together a bunch of cards that do those numbers then go for it but otherwise put the cards on free tv and build stars that can do those numbers. right now the ufc pretty much has cain and jones as solid ppv headliners (they lost gsp and anderson in 2013). weidman will likely be a third solid ppv headliner because hes going to face vitor next and with a win it really will build a following. thats like 6 solid ppv's for 2014 with those guys. add in aldo, barao, bj, rashad, faber and you have enough star power to stack another 2 cards and get 8 decent ppv. minus injuries. the ufc has been putting on like 14 ppv a year so if they increase that this year theyre going to be pumping out like 6+ cards that kind of tank. i think thats a bad idea

In 2014 the UFC will sell the most PPVs in MMA history. Single fighters have very little affect on the UFC. GSP fought once a year. His PPVs had around 200 to 300 thousand more buys than your average PPV. Anderson was not much of a draw, his opponents were and the MW title fights this year will do better than Anderson's. There will be at least 2 WW title fights this year, probably 3 which overall will do close to double what GSPs 1 card would sell and they won't have to stack those cards like GSPs because of the inevitable snoozefest. Plus there will be 3 more PPVs this year. The UFC will do close to 1 million more PPVs in 2014 than 2013, not to mention gate sales and a shitload more TV revenue

 

[TFanatic]

People get way too obsessed with individual event PPV numbers without considering how much less they cost the UFC than they used to. Sure, putting several big names on a PPV UFC 100 style will get a ton of viewers, but between all the stars on that card, how much did they have to pay everyone considering at least 5 fighters had PPV points on that card.

 

[DickNiaz1]

People get way too obsessed with individual event PPV numbers without considering how much less they cost the UFC than they used to. Sure, putting several big names on a PPV UFC 100 style will get a ton of viewers, but between all the stars on that card, how much did they have to pay everyone considering at least 5 fighters had PPV points on that card.

Brock, Mir, GSP and possibly Hendo but no one else had points. Very few fighters get points on cards. Pretty much only champs and former champs who are draws. It's highly unlikely that Aldo or Barao had points on the last card, but possible that Faber did.

 

[ben236]

Don't see how the FOX deal is a negative for either party. They kill it in the key demographic on Saturday nights and UFC is basically the highest rated programming on FS1.

Not sure how TUF 19 is going to do but I think TUF 20 is going to do really well.

 

[CinemaKingdom]

That's pretty much it. Heck, I watch less ufc now than I used to because the watered down cards are terrible.

 

[wellsdj1]

In 2014 the UFC will sell the most PPVs in MMA history. Single fighters have very little affect on the UFC. GSP fought once a year. His PPVs had around 200 to 300 thousand more buys than your average PPV. Anderson was not much of a draw, his opponents were and the MW title fights this year will do better than Anderson's. There will be at least 2 WW title fights this year, probably 3 which overall will do close to double what GSPs 1 card would sell and they won't have to stack those cards like GSPs because of the inevitable snoozefest. Plus there will be 3 more PPVs this year. The UFC will do close to 1 million more PPVs in 2014 than 2013, not to mention gate sales and a shitload more TV revenue

Has it been confirmed that there will be 3 more PPV's this year?

 

[Swiftmayhem]

Pros-

-More "free" cards equals more cards with watered down star power

This is the biggest effect of the deal. People and me used to get so excited for every pay per view, every few cards were stacked top to bottom. Now I can't even remember the last great card. Most have 1 or 2 good fights and thats it. People get less excited for watered down cards.

 

[wellsdj1]

This is the biggest effect of the deal. People and me used to get so excited for every pay per view, every few cards were stacked top to bottom. Now I can't even remember the last great card. Most have 1 or 2 good fights and thats it. People get less excited for watered down cards.

I used the analogy before, but the UFC PPV use to feel like the superbowl now it's just a regular season football game. I miss the days I use to really get excited for a card. Oh well time as changed.

 

[Swiftmayhem]

I used the analogy before, but the UFC PPV use to feel like the superbowl now it's just a regular season football game. I miss the days I use to really get excited for a card. Oh well time as changed.

Great analogy. I feel the exact same way. Kinda sucks. Thats why I feel they need to change it up some more and have a few "supershows" in a year.

 

[TFanatic]

Brock, Mir, GSP and possibly Hendo but no one else had points. Very few fighters get points on cards. Pretty much only champs and former champs who are draws. It's highly unlikely that Aldo or Barao had points on the last card, but possible that Faber did.

Bisping for sure has points, he's one of the highest paid non champs in the UFC. But my point stands, big names means paying big money. Cost and benefit.

 

[wellsdj1]

Great analogy. I feel the exact same way. Kinda sucks. Thats why I feel they need to change it up some more and have a few "supershows" in a year.

They try to do super shows on memorial day weekend and 4th of July weekend in Vegas. That's why the June PPV's the last several years didnt have title fights. Everytime the UFC announces a Roy Nelson vs nog type of fight on fight pass I cringe thinking that fight should be on memorial day weekend or 4th of July weekend to stack the card.

 

[Swiftmayhem]

They try to do super shows on memorial day weekend and 4th of July weekend in Vegas. That's why the June PPV's the last several years didnt have title fights. Everytime the UFC announces a Roy Nelson vs nog type of fight on fight pass I cringe thinking that fight should be on memorial day weekend or 4th of July weekend to stack the card.

Word. That fight pass shit just alienates their product. Keeps fights from getting mainstream attention and ruins the actual cards that people pay $60 for.

 

[DickNiaz1]

Bisping for sure has points, he's one of the highest paid non champs in the UFC. But my point stands, big names means paying big money. Cost and benefit.

Yes Bisbing is the most overpaid fighter in MMA history, but there's no way he has ever had points on a PPV unless he headlined which I don't think he has.

 

[theheater]

In 2014 the UFC will sell the most PPVs in MMA history. Single fighters have very little affect on the UFC. GSP fought once a year. His PPVs had around 200 to 300 thousand more buys than your average PPV. Anderson was not much of a draw, his opponents were and the MW title fights this year will do better than Anderson's. There will be at least 2 WW title fights this year, probably 3 which overall will do close to double what GSPs 1 card would sell and they won't have to stack those cards like GSPs because of the inevitable snoozefest. Plus there will be 3 more PPVs this year. The UFC will do close to 1 million more PPVs in 2014 than 2013, not to mention gate sales and a shitload more TV revenue

2013

UFC 158 GSP vs Diaz 950,000
UFC 167 GSP vs Hendricks 630,000
UFC 168 Weidman vs Silva II 1,025,000

these were the biggest ppv in 2013 by a large margin. its no accident that its gsp and silva

UFC 148 Silva vs. Sonnen II 925,000
UFC 159 Jones vs Sonnen 530,000

the numbers dont lie. gsp and anderson are far bigger ppv stars than jones. weidman might step in and do well but both hendricks and lawler will fall way short of gsp ppv buys.

i just think its going to be tough to do better ppv numbers while losing the top two ppv draws. having 3 more events will obviously help totals but its an up hill battle imo

 

[ThunderL1ps]

If the FOX Robot gets Joe Rogan fired, I'm all for it.

 

[Judo Thai Boxer]

Too many variables regarding the PPV buys going down.

The UFC's two biggest draws have since retired/taken long breaks from the sport.

If we disregard Brock and GSP I think it would tell a different story.

 

[bandicoot]

I've got all sorts of people asking about fights when they're coming up, just from seeing the promotions on Fox. I'd say they're doing a decent job of bringing in casuals.