Media UFC now forcing British fans to pay PPV fee to watch certain events on BT Sport

[GSP Rush]

I was just curious what you pay across the pond. I still haven't seen a monthly breakdown for everything like I gave. I'm converting it online but my own would be like 55 pounds for basic internet, 40 pounds for a basic TV package including ESPN and ESPN 2 but no premium channels like HBO or even ESPN+ which we have to subscribe to now in order to buy the PPVs. Fight pass is another 7-8 pounds if we want to be able to watch all the prelims. Then finally about 48 pounds for every PPV ordered.

And like I said, i wasn't criticizing your view about the price increase or looking to argue but why not go to bed at a reasonable hour and set your alarm to wake up for the PPV then sleep a couple more hours after? A lot of us older fans used to do that for Pride events back in the day.

I know you're not criticising people's views (I can tell it's out of pure interest you're kindly asking) but I think these comparisons are different simply because the cost of living is different in each country so where as £50 (for example) might seem cheap to you to us it might be expensive due to how money is distributed, the cost of living etc... being worked out and it's all different.

That's why I feel these comparisons don't really work cause I know when friends from the US have come over here, they've ended up spending up really quickly simply because they expected their money to last longer and when people from here have gone to the US, they've ended up coming back with loads of money simply because they took more than they needed thinking they'd need all that to enjoy and survive with while out there, if that makes sense haha

It is completely different really as the costs of living are completely different too, it's kinda hard to compare

 

[dim_]

You mean to tell me all these years, you fuckers over there haven’t had to pay for the events?

No, Thats not the case

All events on BT Sport which costs between £10 & £40

Now numbered main cards are an additional £20 on top

 

[Etherized]

We pay 70 in the states. Used to be 35 back when I started watching.


I might buy 1-3 ppvs a year.

 

[dim_]

Americans pay considerably more for cable and ppv. You're not going to get a lot of sympathy.

BT Sport is £40, ppv is £20
Total £60 / $80

How is espn+/ppv in the us considerably more?

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Good. How does it feel?

I've been paying for UFC for 10+ years. I either paid for it or had to pay for food to watch it for free.

Between 07-15 i barely missed an event.

 

[egk]

I know you're not criticising people's views (I can tell it's out of pure interest you're kindly asking) but I think these comparisons are different simply because the cost of living is different in each country so where as £50 (for example) might seem cheap to you to us it might be expensive due to how money is distributed, the cost of living etc... being worked out and it's all different.

That's why I feel these comparisons don't really work cause I know when friends from the US have come over here, they've ended up spending up really quickly simply because they expected their money to last longer and when people from here have gone to the US, they've ended up coming back with loads of money simply because they took more than they needed thinking they'd need all that to enjoy and survive with while out there, if that makes sense haha

It is completely different really as the costs of living are completely different too, it's kinda hard to compare

That's true about the cost of living. It's interesting if the UFC charges less in poorer countries which I know they do. Mexico for instance pays way less.

The cost of living varies a LOT even from one area of the US to another whether it be a different state or city but the prices for the things we're discussing don't change with that. I live in a rural area of NY state but couldn't even imagine living in NY City with the cost of an apartment alone. All these things like internet and TV would be the same though. I imagine the UK is similar. It might be like someone living in a small village in the UK then looking at the prices in London.

 

[GSP Rush]

That's true about the cost of living. It's interesting if the UFC charges less in poorer countries which I know they do. Mexico for instance pays way less.

The cost of living varies a LOT even from one area of the US to another whether it be a different state or city but the prices for the things we're discussing don't change with that. I live in a rural area of NY state but couldn't even imagine living in NY City with the cost of an apartment alone. All these things like internet and TV would be the same though. I imagine the UK is similar. It might be like someone living in a small village in the UK then looking at the prices in London.

Yeah, that's what I mean like when reading through this thread and everyone trying to compare the prices it's really different because the cost of living is different and everything is calculated (or supposed to be) along or around the basis of that if that makes sense.

That what you mentioned about the various states and how that doesn't change, feels a bit unfair they'd do that really. I mean, of course certain parts here such as London for example may differ slightly but on a whole it's kinda all the same really, whether that's Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Norwich, Birmingham etc... they're all pretty much the same or similar. Certain places as I say such as parts of London and down South can be a little expensive and different so it kinda does have that you mentioned here to some degree but I do think (unless I'm mistaken) the US is more widespread with that and it really should be calculated to the cost of living to the area should things such as this.

That said, internet is just distributed the same to wherever as is TV broadcasts so they shouldn't really make it more expensive for someone just cause they live in a more expensive area/city haha

However when it comes to different countries though it really is hard to compare and I don't think it's fair to do so, or can it be done really. Like you mentioned with Mexico and think about it like this, countries like Macedonia, France, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Japan, UK, US, Afghanistan, India, Uganda, the list is endless but as they are so different so is everything, including the cost of living so the difference between what I mentioned with the £50 example really matters because £50 to someone in the US (for example) would be different to someone in the UK because £50 in US/UK would stretch differently if you get what I mean and they're priced to go alongside that (or from the basis of that at least) when things are set and put together.

It's really completely different

 

[egk]

The issue, is that you get to choose which events you pay for. The UK we have to pay a $35 per month subscription for the channel that carries UFC PPV, regardless of whether you are interested in the card. Would the average US viewer fork out $420 annually on PPV?
.

I imagine a lot of people pay way more than that annually since the PPVs here are $65 a pop.

No, Thats not the case

All events on BT Sport which costs between £10 & £40

Now numbered main cards are an additional £20 on top

What other programming is on BT Sport? Are all the big boxing PPVs on it too? It's not just UFC events you're paying for, right? I suppose you could look at it like that if that's all you watch on it.

 

[Average_Sherbro]

And in the US if PPV was $20, most UFC fans would be thrilled to buy it. This is what being spoiled looks like.

The UFC is not very popular in the UK. That is a boxing region. They get behind local boys, but I don't think the average drunk Brit is going to bother to stay up until dawn to watch two lesbians hug each other for 25 minutes.

 

[Paladin]

All good things come to an end. Paying is the way of the future. “Adapt or don’t watch” describes how I felt when espn+ came about

 

[IDGETKTFO]

UFC: Americans will now have to purchase an ESPN+ subscription and then also purchase the PPVs.

Americans: This is bullshit. We have to buy ESPN+ just to get the chance to buy the PPVs? I'll just stream.

Brits: Fucking Americans are too cheap to support the fighters and the sport. Pieces of shit streamers. Act like grown ups and follow the rules. Buy the PPVs!

UFC: Brits will now have to purchase a subscription and also buy the PPVs, much like the Americans.

Brits: What?? We have to pay twice?? This is fucking bullshit and I won't do it. Where are the streams??

Americans:

I don't do likes, but consider this quote a like.

 

[IDGETKTFO]

When you have a job and family then yes. Staying up until 6am to watch UFC is a fair trade for not paying for PPVs. We do still pay around £60 A month for the channel that UFC is on. UFC would die in a year if you Americans had to stay up to 6am and pay subscription for every card.

I am on est and i would rather main cards start earlier. Its hard staying up till 1am drunk. At one point the UFC tried starting the main card ppv at 9pm which was a little better but 7pm would be better for probably everyone including UK.

 

[Bowel-forged Stool]

I knew we’d get the British back for those outlandish taxes

 

[IDGETKTFO]

Y’all should just watch Bellator then

Bellator has been solely on DAZN for months. I used to watch Bellator when it was on spike/paramount but i havent watched a live bellator event since my dazn free trial expired.

 

[SiEdmondson]

Americans pay considerably more for cable and ppv. You're not going to get a lot of sympathy.

yeah, we don't get it for free either!

i pay £100 a month for cable, then £30 on top for BT sport (which i only get for the UFC), now they want another £20 per PPV, so in a roundabout way, £50 just for BT, your talking the equiv of say $60-$65 dollars a month for UFC

 

[IDGETKTFO]

No, it's just that the costs are much more even now and the folks complaining about their price increase are the same ones who criticized us for complaining about costs before. It's pretty damned funny, actually.

I'm not sure which was worse, the Brits who got every ppv in a monthly subscription telling us to stop complaining, or the american shills telling us $60/ppv is nothing and we shouldnt watch if we are too poor to pay $60/ppv every month.

 

[GueseGuy]

Bellator has been solely on DAZN for months. I used to watch Bellator when it was on spike/paramount but i havent watched a live bellator event since my dazn free trial expired.

Where are you? Bellator is on Skysports in the UK

 

[blaseblah]

BT Sport is £40, ppv is £20
Total £60 / $80

How is espn+/ppv in the us considerably more?

Americans have to pay upwards of 100 a month just to watch basic fight nights. 65 for each PPV. You guys have had it easy.

 

[IDGETKTFO]

plot twist: Americans don't pay for the PPVs. they watch some Euro who streams it.

I am actually curious how this is going to affect streams since most of them were from BT sport channels.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

I am actually curious how this is going to affect streams since most of them were from BT sport channels.

i think that's probably the real reason they're doing it like that.

you never see a stream that is from an American PPV, it's always a BTSports/SkySports stream.

or at least ....that's what i hear, anyway haha