UFC Becomes ExcLusive to ESPN

[gimp0]

Correct. As of last night we still thought that FOX was going to get the TV rights, but ESPN bought everything.

Damn, that's crazy. Glad to see that, hated FOX.

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

just more money out of the fans pockets. i wont subscribe.

 

[Mesos]

I'm trying to figure out why ESPN stepped up last minute to bid/sign for ESPN Network.
It came out of left field.
It certainly wasn't there 2 weeks ago, because they would not have press released the ESPN+ deal.

Change in management? Vaguely remember reading something about ESPN getting new management

 

[tithas]

just more money out of the fans pockets. i wont subscribe.

How is this more money out the fans pockets?

 

[maxi diablo]

Shut up and take my money. Only fighters I see exclusive to ppv are Conor, Jon Jones, GSP, and Khabib.

 

[fermaPY]

And what about Fight Pass, they should give the subscribers at least 5 full fight nights to still relevant

 

[Timurd123]

I’ll be streaming from the same place so it really doesn’t change much for me

Announcing team will be different ?

 

[method115]

1.5 billion? That's crazy.

I thought it was surreal hearing that Fox was willing to pay 1 billion for WWE programming over a five year period, and they get better ratings in general than the UFC does. ESPN willing to shell out 1.5 billion for the UFC, though? And I thought WME-IMG got conned. <45>

UFC makes more money then the WWE.

 

[tithas]

And what about Fight Pass, they should give the subscribers at least 5 full fight nights to still relevant

They have the option of continuing fight nights on fight pass. Personally FP is worth the price to me for all the third party combat sports they broadcast. There is a three day MT tourney being broadcast on it right now.

 

[LockardTheGOAT]

UFC makes more money then the WWE.

Because WWE spends much more as well. They're still a more popular brand overall than the UFC, I'd think that'd be a huge factor in the whole thing.

 

[method115]

Because WWE spends much more as well. They're still a more popular brand overall than the UFC, I'd think that'd be a huge factor in the whole thing.

I think the difference is the potential of the UFC. Another Connor Mcgregor is likely to happen with the UFC eventually like Ronda. WWE will never see one of their stars become so big. I can't remember a WWE star ever becoming so big solely based on the WWE.

 

[Mob69]

With the UFC controlling its own production, and Helwani doing pre- and post-fight shows, does this make Ariel a UFC employee again? Please be true.

 

[dim_]

Ah right nice one buddy I'm sorted either way!

i think this could be great news for uk fans.

the biggest issue over here is the time zone, watching at stupid times in the mornig.

ppv's are fine.. start at 3am but they have a good pace, fight, fight, fight..

fox cards are a nightmare.. even if every fight finishes in a 1st round knockout the card still goes on till 6am, with hours of padding and filler

the fact that the espn+ cards are aimed at streamers, its already been said they wont be filled out, can underrun if fights end quickly.. if those cards are shown as expected on either fight pass or bt, its great news for europeans. fight cards going at a decent pace

 

[dim_]

What sort of investments..?

the main investor in "performance inspired" - the official UFC supplement sponsor is WME/IMG

the new official UFC drink, "bodyarmor", third biggest shareholder, Kobe Bryant, a WME client.. and several other WME clients amongst the shareholders

 

[HectorG]

I think the difference is the potential of the UFC. Another Connor Mcgregor is likely to happen with the UFC eventually like Ronda. WWE will never see one of their stars become so big. I can't remember a WWE star ever becoming so big solely based on the WWE.

Austin? Hulk hogan?

 

[FrankieNYC]

Change in management? Vaguely remember reading something about ESPN getting new management

James Pitaro is the new man in charge, but he was there since March.
He is really big on ESPN+becoming a player

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/05/esp...w-president-and-co-chair-of-disney-media.html

 

[The Adder]

I agree with you guys, and in theory it should. But this strategy doesn't allow the sport to have the same feel to it that it used to have imo. Like Mark Cuban said "hogs get fat and greedy, and hogs get slaughtered".

I think running such a high amount of content risks two negative scenarios happening...

A. Over saturated marketplace with too much low quality content.

B. Less stacked cards result in less talk and buzz generated about mma in general, making it even more difficult to find others interested in the sport.

The sport will continue to decline in viewership(die) even though the business side of things does well. You might say, More money milked from a smaller fan base is the future of mma.

 

[FrankieNYC]

Meltzer:
According to Sports Business Journal and other industry sources, FOX was wanting exclusivity for UFC, although was willing to accept a joint offer, but not at the $10 million per show price tag, although that figure is a little misleading because there is a lot of other programming involved. FOX told WME IMG last week that they were pulling their offer off the table, which clearly coincided with using that $200 million budgeted and offered to sign WWE. It’s notable that they, in making the choice, felt 52 weeks of Smackdown on Friday nights was more valuable than 20 UFC shows combined with the ancillary programming that to a degree carried FS 1 and dominated programming on FS 2, which will now have hundreds of hours that would be needed to fill. FS 1 does consider ESPN its prime rival, so UFC going to ESPN may have changed the dynamic as compared if they had gone with NBC or Turner.

--

So it seems that the bigger offer from Fox ($250m) was for exclusivity for TV content
They dropped it to $200 if UFC were going to split rights, but balked at the content being only 20 shows & the other network possibly being ESPN

Basically they get 104 smackdown hrs for that price

 

[SuperNerd]

Anyone else read ExcLusive and this starts in their head?

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

How is this more money out the fans pockets?

its on a new channel ESPN+ which we have to pay for monthly streaming. I ain't paying for it. I already pay for enough