UFC Overexposure?

[FieldingMellish]

This is something I've touched on before but was wondering what other people think. Looking at the UFC schedule for April they've got:

5th - Fight Night with, quite frankly, a shitty looking card
5th - premiere of TUF5 on Spike TV
7th - UFC 69 in Houston
21st - UFC 70 in Manchester

Now, admittedly thats a somewhat unusually busy month but from what I've heard that's how things will be most of the time very soon. Throw in the 86 million shows a week on Spike TV and the HBO deal (supposedly the Manchester show will air on HBO) and there's a HUGE amount of UFC product out there.

Question is, is this going to harm them or not? Are they getting greedy (they certainly LOVE those astronomical ticket prices) because they're so hot these days? UFC 67 and 68 seem to have something of a pattern, essentially a pair of shows to set up later shows rather than blow-away events in their own right. To me the main strength of UFC was the ultra-competitiveness of practically all the fights. Doesn't quite seem the same at the moment though.

They've obviously realised the danger of running too often in Vegas and going to different markets is a great idea.

And perhaps the flood of UFC shows is a brilliant, if risky strategy. It could be they're ensuring anyone who wants to watch MMA never has to wait long to see some UFC, thereby ensuring they don't have to bother watching the likes of BodogFIGHT, IFL, Elite XC or Pride.

[kenponh]

And perhaps the flood of UFC shows is a brilliant, if risky strategy. It could be they're ensuring anyone who wants to watch MMA never has to wait long to see some UFC, thereby ensuring they don't have to bother watching the likes of BodogFIGHT, IFL, Elite XC or Pride.

DING DING

I know I will be watching all the ufc events. Look at it this way, too much MMA is better than no MMA

[Body_Shots]

And perhaps the flood of UFC shows is a brilliant, if risky strategy. It could be they're ensuring anyone who wants to watch MMA never has to wait long to see some UFC, thereby ensuring they don't have to bother watching the likes of BodogFIGHT, IFL, Elite XC or Pride.

I think that's exactly what they are doing, It was sort of like their strategy to run 10 ppvs last year. lol I believe Jeff Thaler called it 'sucking the life' out of MMA, there wasn't a month where another organization could promote without competing against the UFC.

A couple months ago I thought that the MMA boom in the U.S. had peaked with Liddell vs. Ortiz II, but it seems like it's only growing. Look at the shows the UFC has/is going to run in the first quarter of this year.

1/25 UFC Fight Night: Rashad Evans vs. Sean Salmon

The show sold out and did a 1.7 (overall) rating. A sellout and a good rating for a card lacking star power and a strong main event.

2/3 UFC 67: Anderson Silva vs. Travis Lutter

According to post fight reports the show was 214 short of a sellout and the gate was $2.7 million(US). A sellout for a show where the main attraction is 2 fighters the UFC audience isn't familar with and Anderson Silva vs. Travis Lutter (a Brazilian who speaks no english against a guy everyone thinks he's going to kill easily).

3/3 UFC 68: Couture vs. Sylvia

Sold out for weeks, according to reports Zuffa sold over 17 thousand tickets and the show could end up breaking attendance and gate records for North American MMA.

4/7 UFC 69: St. Pierre vs. Serra

6,400 tickets were sold the first day they went on sale at the Toyota Center (about a 18,000 seat venue). As of today, the most expensive floor seats and upper/lower level cheap seats are gone.

4/21 or 4/28: UK Card

What I've been told is that the UFC is popular in the U.K. and it won't have the trouble PRIDE has breaking into the U.S. market, it might even be the most popular MMA event in the UK. I know as of right now Cage Rage is the biggest show out there and they've attributed a lot of their success to the success of the UFC, so it'll be interesting how it'll turn out.

I think it was Dana White who described the MMA boom as 'a train, that nobody is running'. I believe last year it was Zuffa's marketing of compelling main events that helped them sell tickets/ppvs, this year I think the momentum of 2006 is carrying over and the demand is so high that compelling main events are starting to matter less.

You think about it, in the US real major news outlets didn't start covering MMA/UFC until about late spring/early summer of 2006. By the Winter, the Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Herald, 60 minutes, L.A. Times, Fox Sports and NBC sports etc. had all done pieces on MMA, many of them now have sections devoted to the sport.

ESPN seems like they'll be jumping on board soon with UFC 68 which will create even more buzz (which means newer fans), I think this year or next year MMA will peak (in the US) and it'll stabilize soon after. But right now it's like a gold rush.

They've obviously realised the danger of running too often in Vegas and going to different markets is a great idea.

They're definetly taking the UFC on the road this year, Ratner thinks they'll only do 4 shows in Vegas in '07. He's also actively trying to get MMA sanctioned in Pennsylvania, Illlinois, Michigan and New York

[Shiruba]

It's too much imo, I think people will get tired of it if there is too much.

[Dormath]

in japan there events are so big many ppl can go ufc venues are not the bigiest and there are alwas ppl wanting to go so i think it provides more chances. and look at boxing a main ppv twice a month and then a few no name cards but they still get ratings.

[Grant Ellis]

Well, it's like this:

We need the buildup fights to prevent "Arlovski vs. Eilers" as a main event.
Ultra-competitive fights wear the fighters out and we don't always want to see the two best against each other as it leads to rematch city.

Six years ago fighters complained about not having the possibility to fight every month, which is what they wanted, and now many of them have it.

I also think all the competition is running strong, and people are watching those events too.

Overexposure? Maybe, but there is always Photoshop.

[RedHawk]

I've been a MMA fan since UFC I. Yes, I really am that old. Too much of a good thing is not a good thing. Eventually the popularity will fade and people will burn out on it. You want to leave them craving for more, not choke them with it.

[( o Y o )]

K-1 went through a period of having a fair number of shows, many of which were crap and the level seriously dropped. They have cut them and seem to be climbing again. I think they realised fewer quality shows will bring in more than heaps of crap (with the exception of Dynamite).

Having said that, K-1 did not have several other orgs waiting to pick up their leftovers and one rival networks muscling in on their hard earnt base. UFC seem to be between a rock and a hard place right now in that if they don`t keep up with the number of shows, people might just tune in elsewhere.

[TheDude]

"Tickets for UFC® Fight Night™ are $150.00, $250.00 and $350.00"

150 bucks for a show that is on free TV? Shit...

[( o Y o )]

interesting. HERO's tickets are (US$ = 110yen rougly) $55, $140 (ring side), $210 (super ring side).

[migo]

That's pretty good pricing.