UFC in UK / Europe??

UFC 70 will be held in the UK and we in America are getting it aired for free on Spike (tape delay)... I am assuming this is because of the time differences...

So, after I heard that Frankiln was slated to take on Kampmann in Ireland, it got me wondering... Can we expect to see this UFC for free as well? And could this be a trend for fight cards that are being held over seas?

Or maybe could this have something to do with the possible UFC / HBO TV deal?

Just wondering what ya'all think?

I read or heard something with Dana saying that the reason UFC 70 is free is

a) they couldn't reach a deal with HBO in time

and

b) the time delay would either mean that it wouldn' t be live or that we would have to watch the ppv live airing in the middle of the day (or morning for those on the Pacific coast.)


I am assuming that this is the only one we'll get to see free, but you never know

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Posted by Rush

I am assuming that this is the only one we'll get to see free, but you never know

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I've been wondering for a while, at what point it becomes more lucrative to air a sports event on ad-driven television than as a PPV. I imagine the NFL and MLB would lose a ton of money if they aired the Super Bowl and World Series as $40 PPVs, for instance. I actually wonder if this UFC event - and it's stacked card - isn't meant as a kind of "beta test" for cable networks that might be looking at picking up UFC events, and advertisers who might think about buying airtime during UFC events.

p.s. So if you have any friends who are curious about MMA or the UFC, make 'em watch UFC 70 so it gets fantastic ratings!

See the ANSWER here

Makes sense, so maybe we will se more free Europe based events.

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Posted by Mayo



See the ANSWER here

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Very good, that's the answer for what is happening with UFC 70, but I am wondering if anyone has thoughts on how they will work it out in the future seeing that the UFC is moving to a more global market.

So if I understand correctly all overseas fightcards will be aired for free on tape delay becasuse of broadcasting costs?

What impact does this have on future PPV's if the 'primetime' slot makes a shitload of cash (high ratings)?

Just looking for some opinions or maybe someone with some inside info, etc

It's my guess that there will only be like one free ppv per year. The time zones are not an issue because look how Pride has been doing ppv. The only reason time zones came into play this time is because it's being televised so they want the best time slot for tv. Future ppv could be tape delayed if necessary but there's no way they'll have tons of free ppv because they won't make as much money. I have a feeling now that UFC and Pride have merged, Dana White will have more clout with HBO and force them to sign a deal under his terms. So far HBO demanded to use their own staff for announcing, filming, and even commentating. If the HBO deal works out then there might be a bunch of ppv shown on there "for free" so long as you have HBO.

i dont care why its free really just as long as its a halfway decent card

The reason 70 wasn't on PPV in America after the deal with HBO fell through is there wasn't enough time to do all the steps needed to be on "indemand." At that point the only possible way to get it to their fans with out a 2-3 week delay was via Spike and free tv. Don't expect this to happen again.

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Posted by johny_rotten

The reason 70 wasn't on PPV in America after the deal with HBO fell through is there wasn't enough time to do all the steps needed to be on "indemand." At that point the only possible way to get it to their fans with out a 2-3 week delay was via Spike and free tv. Don't expect this to happen again.

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What do you think would happen if they could make comparable amounts of revenue through marketing spots etc as they do through PPV buys?

With such a strong following in America and a lot of the fans mulling around on the web, I don't know how tape delayed PPV's would sit with American fans... I know that we have to deal with it for Pride, but who knows...

From what I hear, in England, UFC PPV's are shown for free the day after the fight... Maybe someone in the UK can confirm this...

I don't think it's too rediculous of an idea that the converse might happen as well... you're right, it's probably wishful thinking, but meh...

If comparable money could be made via tv then all of the major Boxing matches would be free on tv.