- UFC Tackles Long Term Growth Issues - The last five pay-per-view events have produced three of the company's top ten events according to Dave Meltzer. UFC 79, 81, and 83 all drew between 525,000-650,000 buys and at $44.95. UFC 79 and 83 also produced the second and third largest gates in company history.
- Golden Boy Sticking to Boxing - Oscar de La Hoya recently said that Golden Boy will stick to boxing when asked about MMA.
- Viacom CEO Praises Iron Ring - Q1 profits for Viacom were up 33%. CEO Philippe Dauman said, "content creation is our central mission and our ongoing investments in programming are paying off as we see our television ratings continue to improve. Successful new programming across our networks during the first quarter included MTV's Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew, TV Land's High School Reunion and BET's Iron Ring among others, which joined new seasons of several proven audience favorites."
- Another Affliction Deal Falls Through - Negotiations with HDNet have reportedly fallen through. The promotion is now less than two months from its proposed first show and without a venue or television partner.
- UFC Targets Show for Latino Audience - El Octagono will debut on Galavision as the UFC attempts to expand MMA's demographic reach outside of 18-34 white males.
- WWE Q1 Results - Wrestlemania XXIV produced $31.3 million in revenue and $7.1 million in profits ($4.6 million net). The event drew 1,058,000 buys (including international).
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
May 7, 2008
News Wrap
Counter Programming
In case you were wondering whether or not the UFC believes that a rising tide lifts all ships:
On Saturday, May 31, the best mixed martial arts programming on television will be on Spike TV, as the network presents a special night dedicated to UFC® superstar Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell. The homage to Liddell will feature two Spike TV premiere events not to be missed by true UFC fans.
At 9:00pm ET/PT, Spike presents the world television premiere of "Ultimate Iceman: Chuck Liddell," an hour-long documentary which chronicles the life of one of the sport’s true titans, in and out of the Octagon™.
Spike debuts a special, "Liddell vs. Silva: UFC® Unleashed™-Special Edition" at 10:00pm ET/PT featuring the never-before-seen on cable battle between Liddell and Wanderlei Silva, which was fought last December at UFC 79: NEMESIS.
May 1, 2008
Top TV Execs Criticize CBS's Decision to Air MMA
The most high profile push back against EliteXC on CBS was launched this week by Sumner Redstone, the highly influential and respected chairman of CBS and Viacom. According to a report by the The Hollywood Reporter:
"Les usually asks my opinion," Sumner Redstone said Wednesday when asked about the four mixed-martial arts fights that will begin airing soon on CBS. This time, the Viacom and CBS chairman said, Moonves did not.The comments were made during a panel discussion on the sports industry at the Milken Institute Global Conference. Redstone and Moonves have had a rocky relationship in the past, so perhaps some of Redstone's criticism can be attribute to their personal conflict. However, Ed Goren, President of FOX Sports, was also critical of MMA on network television, telling the audience "we don't need money that badly."
Redstone said the deal, struck with Elite Xtreme Combat, probably was a mistake, not because CBS won't turn a profit from it but because it is not "socially responsible" to air the typically bloody bouts on free, broadcast TV.
"I'm a lover not a fighter," Redstone said. "I don't like the sport."
It is important to note that the UFC's rumored negotiations with FOX are with the entertainment division and not Goren's sports division.
April 29, 2008
Opportunity Knocks?: The Rising Cost of Original Programming on Cable TV
The May 5 edition of BusinessWeek features an article entitled Spending Like Mad Men on Cable TV. The article notes the growing cost of original programming on cable television which is up to $1 million per episode for one-hour scripted dramas on basic cable and $3 million per episode on premium television. The run-up is threatening to begin eating into profit margins at the networks.
In theory, depending on the success of EliteXC's debut on CBS in May, this trend could create increasing interest in MMA programming. The product is relatively cheap to produce in comparison to other original programming options (at least from the networks' prospective) and has demonstrated an ability to draw viewers and sell subscriptions. The key factor that would seem to be holding back expanded MMA coverage on cable is the lack of mainstream acceptance and success for anyone outside of the UFC, two things that could change on May 31.
One particularly interesting potential development in the television industry that could affect MMA is prospect of a new premium television station started by Paramount, MGM, and Lionsgate. On April 21, the studios announced they will leave Showtime to start their own network in 2009. Such a network could easily be in the market for cheap, attractive programming.
However, according to BusinessWeek, some analysts believe the studios' threat is merely a negotiating ploy. Showtime was asking the studios' to accept a lower fee during negotiations for an extension. It is apparently a difficult time to launch a new network with major cable and satellite companies saving space for HD channels and other services (such as on demand video).
April 26, 2008
Dream Pulled From Prime Time in Japan; Lands HDNet Deal
In anther setback for MMA in Japan, Sherdog.com reports that dream has been pulled from prime time by TBS. The move was made following disappointing ratings for the promotion's debut event on March 15. According to the report, "TBS is now scheduled to air the forthcoming April 29 Dream card on a week's tape delay in heavily edited one-hour installments. The broadcasts will air both in afternoon and after-midnight timeslots. However, future Dream events will air live on SkyPerfecTV pay-per-view."
Yesterday, HDNet announced a partnership with the promotion. DREAM 1 and 2 will air next weekend on the network.
April 24, 2008
Update on UFC-FOX Negotiations
A quick follow-up on yesterday's story on negotiations between the UFC and FOX. MMAPayout.com has learned that the UFC is talking to FOX's entertainment division as opposed to its sports division. This was the company's same tack in negotiations with CBS and NBC. In theory, the promotion would enjoy greater editorial control as an entertainment property, which was reportedly a sticking point in its negotiations with HBO and CBS.
April 23, 2008
UFC on Network TV: Dana Says Deal Within 6 Months; FOX Rumored to be Frontrunner
Last week in an interview with the Canada's The Score, when asked about the UFC following EliteXC onto network television, UFC President Dana White said "we'll have a network television deal very soon." When pressed for a time frame, White said within six months.
MMAPayout.com has learned that FOX is now widely believed to be the leading candidate to become the UFC's network television partner. Earlier this month White met with FOX executives in Los Angeles. While a deal with FOX is not believed to be imminent, industry sources have told MMAPayout.com that they believe the companies are making progress toward a deal.
In February MMAPayout.com reported that the network was rumored to have made a bid to buy the UFC during a round of negotiations earlier this year.
Last month MMAPayout.com reported that the UFC was involved in "extensive" discussions with ESPN. Sources tell MMAPayout.com, that the network has not made a decision on whether or not to get involved in MMA.
It should be noted that this is an unconfirmed report. As a result, it should be considered rumor or informed speculation at best. It also bears mentioning that the situation is fluid and can change quickly.
April 21, 2008
Spike Profile
Media Life Magazine, a cable trade publication, ran a profile of Spike last week in anticipation of the beginning of cable upfront presentations this month.
The network ranked 11th in total primetime audience in the first quarter, up 15% from Q1 '07 to almost 1.4 million viewers. It placed in the top ten among the 18-49 and 25-54 demographics (which were relatively flat year over year), but was down 3% in the 18-34 demographic with an average of 298,00 viewers (SEE ALSO: The Ultimate Fighter Cumulative Rating Breakdown).
According to the experts, the network is in good shape heading into upfronts:
“They have to be pretty satisfied,” says Brad Adgate, senior vice president and corporate research director at Horizon Media. “They found a pretty strong niche in young men, which is a tough audience to reach because they’re doing a lot of things other than watching TV.”
...
On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being excellent: 3.5.Spike TV is in pretty good shape going into the upfront. Its focus on young men has been getting clearer and it’s been adding shows that fit well into its brand. It’s also a top-12 network in every major demographic with mostly improving ratings.
April 16, 2008
The Ultimate Fighter 7 Rating Analysis
The Ultimate Fighter Cumulative Ratings:
| Season | Overall | % Change | M18-34 | % Change | ||||
| 1 | 1.6 | --- | 2.2 | --- | ||||
| 2 | 1.4 | -12.5% | 2.5 | 13.6% | ||||
| 3 | 1.69 | 20.7% | 2.9 | 15.6% | ||||
| 4 | 1.24 | -26.6% | 2.0 | -30.1% | ||||
| 5 | 1.18 | -4.8% | 1.6 | -20.3% | ||||
| 6 | 1.12 | -5.1% | 1.5 | -4.3% | ||||
| Average | 1.37 | -5.55% | 2.13 | -5.1% | ||||
The Ultimate Fighter is dying and everyone knows it. That's not a knock on anyone, diminishing returns is the reality of television--particularly reality television. The UFC and Spike know it, that's why they're readying its replacement, a live weekly fight series which is scheduled to debut in 2010. However, under terms of the contract extension signed last year, the series is scheduled to continue through 2011 with five more seasons.
To their credit, the powers that be at the UFC and Spike shook things up this year with the new win and you're in the house twist, resulting in the first two episodes featuring 8 fights each. The fight quarter hour is always the highest rated quarter of the show and the conventional thinking is/was that more fights equal better ratings.
That hasn't been borne out this season, with the wall to wall action of the first two episodes drawing a 1.3 and 1.2 respectively. The season premiere's 1.3 rating is the lowest in the series' history. The 1.2 rating for episode two is the second worst rated week two in series history, despite featuring eight qualifying fights.
Those early returns don't seem to bode well for the ratings for season seven. On average, there is a 32.1% decline in the overall rating from episode one to episode twelve. If that pattern holds true this season, the rating for episode twelve would be in the 0.9 range, which would tie the series' worst rated episode (episode twelve of season two which aired outside of its regular time slot).
Of course it should be noted that in looking at the weekly ratings from the past six seasons, it is clear that if TUF were a stock it would have strong support at the 1.0 rating. The critical question this season is will that baseline number hold? If it does, the series can continue as a status quo success. If it doesn't, we may be witnessing the beginning of the end of the TUF era.
CBS-EXC Announce 5/31 Lineup
Today CBS and EliteXC officially announced the lineup for the first edition of Saturday Night Fights. The broadcast will air live from 9-11PM EST from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey:
"In terms of recognition and perception, I believe May 31 is the biggest and single most important MMA fight card ever. It will forever change the landscape of the sport and how it is perceived," said Gary Shaw, EliteXC Live Events President.The lineup:
- Kimbo Slice v. James "Colossus" Thompson
- EliteXC Middleweight Title: "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler v. Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith
- Gina "Conviction" Carano v. Kaitlin Young
- Phil Baroni v. Murilo "Ninja" Rua
- Brett "The Grim" Rogers v. Jon Murphy
April 15, 2008
EXC on CBS: Second Date Announced; Rating Expectations
CBS has announced July 26 as the date of the second EliteXC prime time special. The first special is set to air on May 31. The announcement of a second date is of course no guarantee it will actually take place, the television industry is nothing if not a show me business with the ratings of the first special crucial to the actual broadcast of a second event.
There was some gnashing of teeth about EliteXC's chance of success in light of CBS's quick cancellation of Secret Talents of the Stars last week. The program got the axe despite finishing third in its time slot (Wednesday Night at 10PM) and drawing 4.6 million viewers.
However, it is important to remember that was a very expensive reality TV production, footed entirely by CBS. In contrast, EliteXC is very inexpensive programming, costing only a relatively small licensing fee. Expensive programming has high expectations and has to perform out of the gate. Inexpensive programs, particularly those that the network believes in, generally have lower pressure to deliver out of the gate. Given CBS's significant financial commitment to the company, and the brand's seeming importance to Showtime, it is not unreasonable to expect that EXC will be given every chance to succeed.
The results will be measured against "comp" ratings, i.e. comparable ratings from the same time slot and time of year. In that light, the bar becomes much lower with the bench mark being Saturday night during the summer, a traditional dumping ground for network television. Very early speculation around the industry suggests that anything approaching three million viewers would be considered a success.
April 8, 2008
SUN-FSN TV Partnership
From the press release:
SUN Sports & Entertainment Inc. announced today that the Dallas-based Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) production and promotion company has signed an Agreement with Fox Sports Net (FSN) to telecast SUN's new innovative, MMA TV series: "GI Vs. Pro."SUN's "Art of War" division will produce a series of nine MMA events that will air as one-hour specials Saturday nights at midnight on FSN, beginning July 19th, 2008 and concluding on September 13th, 2008.
"GI Vs. Pro" will pit current and former MMA-trained armed services members against professional mixed martial arts fighters from around the country. All fights will be scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds. "GI Vs. Pro" action will be fought inside a circular cage -- a first on FSN.
FSN announcer Jay Glazer and analyst Frank Trigg, who worked as the commentary team for the Pride Fighting Championships on the network, will also team up on the "GI Vs. Pro" telecasts.
April 3, 2008
CBS-NBC Politics
The already testy relationship between EliteXC and Strikeforce has grown even more complicated thanks to the politics of each promotion's respective network television deal. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, fighters will be unable to appear on both networks. In theory, Frank Shamrock would be the fighter most affected by the restriction.
EliteXC and Strikeforce will co-promote Shamrock's next fight, however, at that point his Strikeforce contract will expire, while his EliteXC deal reportedly runs through the end of 2009. That would seem to indicate that Shamrock will become exclusive to EliteXC later this year. Shamrock is also under consideration as part of CBS's announce team.
April 1, 2008
Marshall's Law (Extended Version)
Yesterday MMAPayout.com featured an exert of an interview with Zuffa's Marshall Zelaznik. Bellow the interview is reprinted in full with the permission of Fighting Spirit Magazine. Specal thanks to Editor James Denton.
MARSHALL'S LAW
The head of the UFC’s
FSM: First of all, tell us a little bit about your role and your responsibilities within the UFC.
Marshall Zelaznik: I’m the president of the UK division of the UFC’s parent company. We’re a British company, called Zuffa UK Limited, and I’m a director of that company, having relocated my family here. Our responsibilities in this office are to continue to push forward the UFC brand, to work on putting events together in the UK, and also to work with our TV partners and media outlets here.
Another element that a lot of people don’t know about is that we’re also responsible for the international deployment of the UFC beyond the UK and US. So when it comes to Asia or the Middle East or Continental Europe, we’re the ones out there talking to media partners and meeting with venues and putting UFC programming on television in those territories.
So those are the main objectives of this office, and then day-to-day a lot of our focus is getting the ticket sales together for events such as the O2 Arena in June, working on PR and dealing with foreign television rights holders, getting them all the information on our shows… so there’s a lot of administrative stuff behind the scenes that isn’t so sexy, but there’s a lot of sexy stuff that we get involved with as well!
FSM: You mentioned relocating to the UK from the US. How long have you been over here?
MZ: I joined the company in September 2006 after spending three years with a television and pay-per-view company in the States, called InDemand, which is how I got to know Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta. My official start date was September 12 2006 and I was on a red-eye flight on September 11, of all days, flying to the UK to start my job.
So from my first day on the job in September 2006 I was here for a few weeks at a time, then back home for a week, just trying to get the office put together so we could hit the ground running last year, and I’ve been here permanently since January 2007.
FSM: As someone who’s still relatively new to the country, how have you found the difference between how British viewers consume television product as compared to Americans?
MZ: I think if you just look at sport, over here it’s football first and then it’s everything else. When I was in college in San Francisco, the American football team there is the 49ers and at the time they were winning every Superbowl and doing very well. And you would turn on the news there and there could have been a major assassination in the world, but the first story in San Francisco was always the 49ers.
It’s sort of that way here; if there’s a big story in the world of football, the news will open up with that. So I wasn’t quite ready for that. I always knew it was big, because I used to license European football in the States, but that was the one thing that really jumped out at me, and I always try to explain to my friends back home what it’s like here in terms of sport!
The other thing I’ve noticed is that TV consumption here, while there are some programmes that appear to be ‘appointment viewing’ – which means, “I’m going to be at home at eight o’clock on Sunday to watch Top Gear” – a lot of networks here ‘strip’ their programming. So if they like something, they give it to you every day and make sure you have it available to you, and then it might disappear for a while.
So the way they programme television here is a little bit different, and the appetite for sport and the way the news covers it is a bit different, certainly as it relates to football. But I don’t think there are that many significant differences in how viewers here consume television because if they like it, they want it, they can’t get enough of it. And we can see that on our website with the consistent traffic that our UK fans generate.
FSM: Obviously in the States, the UFC model is geared towards PPV consumption, whereas here the viewer is less inclined to pay for content on an individual basis, but more agreeable to paying for subscription-based content. How have you reconciled that difference between the markets?
MZ: It’s funny that you mention that, because if you speak to television executives in America, which I was doing for three years, they’ll you that PPV is dying. They were saying that from the day I first started until the day I left. Yet every year in the States, PPV revenue keeps going up and up – be it PPV movies, video-on-demand or one-off events like UFC and WWE. But you’re right, there’s a big difference.
You don’t know what came first in this, the chicken or the egg, but the UFC in the States was a PPV product because no one else would touch it, so it had nowhere else to go. But the irony is that the programme that made the UFC the beast it is now was The Ultimate Fighter, which is on free television. So the paradigm has been completely switched here, because we have a lot of free television partners that want the UFC, which we didn’t have in the States, yet there isn’t a great outlet for PPV here in terms of consumers willing to buy.
Which in a sense leaves us to create our own future here. Like you said, we think people will have an appetite to pay monthly, because they’re going to get more product than a one-off show. They’re going to get better value for money, which is one of the reasons we went to Setanta and the subscription model, and we think we can deliver good product that way.
FSM: How sympathetic are Dana and the guys back in the States when you try to convey that difference – are they sympathetic to the change in trends or are they still, “Gotta drive the PPVs, gotta drive the PPVs”?
MZ: I’m lucky because I have some television experience, so if I have a reaction or a feeling in the TV sphere, their reaction is usually to say, “Okay, we understand.” But that doesn’t mean we don’t have some good discussions about the best things to do with the UFC brand in the UK – and I don’t subscribe yet to the fact that it isn’t a PPV product here. We’re still getting people used to the idea of paying for the UFC, because for years they’ve had it free on Bravo.
But by doing the UK events, which have a special appeal, I think over time that the UFC will become a PPV product in this market, and the revenue will be substantial. Ultimately the decisions we make here and back in the States are made by Dana and Lorenzo, but they’re more or less willing to take my recommendation on what I think is best for the product. So I’m lucky that way, but maybe not so lucky, because if the shit hits the fan, I’m the only guy there holding it! But I’m okay with that.
FSM: If you look at WWE, for the last 15 years PPV broadcasts have aired here as part of the standard subscription package. But in the last few years, pay delivery has gradually been introduced and WWE has moved shows towards that model. Initially fans were resistant but, gradually, it’s become accepted and you’ve got shows like WrestleMania and the Ricky Hatton fight doing big buyrates.
MZ: Definitely. You’ve got to develop a desire, because we’re in a generation now where people are used to paying for what they want. Think about ringtones and internet content; people are willing to pay for what they want, now. And what we’re trying to do is educate the fans so they have a better appreciation for the sport, and then when we decide that we’re going to be on PPV again, people say, “I have to have this!” They won’t be offended at having to pay for it because the culture these days is to pay for what you want, when you want it – it’s very much an on-demand culture.
FSM: Dana infamously said last year: “I don’t think there’s anything profitable about the European market right now. We’re getting our ass kicked over there… But for this sport to grow, we need to move out to Europe.” How does that relate to what you’re doing – are there strict targets or deadlines, or things that have to happen for this expansion to be considered a success, or is it more organic?
MZ: It’s really organic. If you were to read through all the emails and documents on my computer, you’d never find one that said, “Your revenue goals are X,” or “your ticket goals are Y.” This is a product that lives and breathes with every day. When we launched in the UK we had a business plan that, at the end of the year, looked nothing like what we actually did this past year, in terms of the kinds of shows we put on, how we marketed them and the fighters we expected to bring over.
We’d done some forward planning but, at the end of the day, we made decisions kind of from the hip, which ended up putting us in the situation that Dana refers to. But there’s no arguing with selling out events, breaking merchandise records, having good ratings on television, doing good numbers on PPV, having enough success that just about every significant network in the UK wanted to licence our rights.
So while the overall profits may not have met the desired goals, I think the amount of revenue we created in this office is about where we thought it would be – it’s just that we spent more money! And we did that because we could see the upside of the market pretty early, based on how UFC 70 tickets were going, so we started spending to make sure we hit it out of the park.
That was an investment that will come back in the next few years, but overall there are no targeted goals here – it’s kind of, you’ll know it when you see it. I’m so optimistic for this year in terms of the measurable things like ticket sales, merchandise sales, total revenue and profits for this office. So for me we’re ahead of targets, when you look at the five-year plan when I sat down with Dana and Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, back when we were flirting about me taking this job.
We’re ahead of the game right now and I’m very happy with the progress, and overall I think Dana and Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta are as well – otherwise we’d be all packing up and going home. Which isn’t going to happen, because my kid’s in school and I’m not taking him out!
FSM: Aside from the usual business barometers, how else do you measure the success of the UFC in this country, both as a brand and a young sport?
MZ: There’s really a lot of little pieces that make up the pie. The media acceptance is one of the more difficult ways to judge it – getting more stories in the periodicals and the daily news, and getting the news to cover us as an ‘official sport’. Once those things happen, that’s one of the best indicators of success – if we can start showing that we’re being accepted as a proper sport, that’s really what our goal is at the end of the day.
We’re lucky enough that we’re building a new sport here. It sounds kind of egotistical, but it really is; this is a new sport that’s being exposed to the world through the efforts of the UFC. In ten or twenty years, when this thing is bigger than it is now, I think all of us involved with it – who either reported on it early or were putting the shows together – will look back and say, “That was a big success, because look where it is now. It’s in every country – there’s a circuit of these shows going on, everyone wants to participate in it and no one can get enough.”
That’s the grand way to look at success, but for us I think it’s making sure that we’re perceived as a proper sport and that people will continue to buy tickets over time. We’re going to be in London again in June – are we going to be as successful as last time? All indications are that we will, but you never know. So it’s going to take a couple of years of having the success we’ve had, to know that we’ve been a success.
FSM: Getting acceptance from the press is an ongoing battle both here and in the US. How have you found the general reaction thus far from the mainstream media in the UK – does the “human cockfighting” mentality still pervade?
MZ: Well, anyone in the press or anywhere else that’s willing to close their mouth and open their eyes and ears can’t really argue with the statistics. But I do think the human cockfighting hangover still exists here, because every time you see a story written by a new journalist in a daily, inevitably that comment gets put in there – even though it was made in 1993.
I get it – it’s sensational. But I think the acceptance of the sport here is far behind where it is in the States. And we’re far from mainstream in the US, even though we have great success there. And while we have what I feel is great success here, we have more work to do and there’s a lot more education we can do. And that’s why we put our events throughout the region here, so that everybody in the media can get a chance to look at it, and our fans can see it up close and personal.
If you come to a show and you’re not a fan of it, that’s okay. It’s not for everybody – it’s just a matter of opinion and taste. But if you’re not a fan for the wrong reasons, then shame on you. Don’t dislike us because of some misconception, especially a comment that was made 15 years ago!
FSM: While it isn’t quite mainstream, the UFC has had extraordinary growth here. A big part of that has been the partnership with Bravo, which is an edgy, laddish, adult-focused channel. In July UFC programming moves to Setanta, which is a dedicated pure sports network. That’s a big step towards the legitimisation of the UFC.
MZ: It is, definitely. You asked about success, and part of our feeling about that deal was that it’s not just about money; it’s having people perceive us as a true sport. In the States we’re on Spike TV, which is very similar to what Bravo is; if we got a deal with a sports network in the US, it might do something to take us to the next level there. You never know, and we’re very happy with our relationship with Spike.
But here, we had Sky and we had Setanta and we had a couple of terrestrials all bidding for us. And it was flattering but, for me and for the group back home, the ability to be perceived with Setanta – which we felt was a hard-charging, young upstart – was a good fit for us, and it helps give us that sports legitimacy we’re looking for.
FSM: Okay, how big is it for the UK division to get Chuck Liddell fighting at UFC 85, on 7 June at the O2 Arena?
MZ: For us it’s massive and, for me, I’ve just got a huge smile on my face. I have a six-year-old son and he’s always wanted a chance to meet “The Iceman”, but because we’re here now and not in the States, it’s harder for me to get him the opportunity. So when I told him a few weeks ago that, “Hey, The Iceman is coming!” he was just so jakked! But for me as a fan, and as someone who’s pushing and shepherding the UFC brand, to be able to have arguably the biggest MMA star come and help us in our endeavour – I just couldn’t ask for anything more.
FSM: There was huge interest in the rumour that Brock Lesnar would be on that card, though his next fight is against Mark Coleman in August. But that interest and the WWE parallels we discussed earlier are representative of the crossover between pro wrestling and mixed martial arts. There seems to be a natural progression with many wrestling fans transitioning into MMA fans – what’s your take on that cross-pollination?
MS: I’m a believer in that, as I think all of us in the UFC are. I think there comes a point when a majority of WWE fans, as they get older, while they may continue to be WWE fans, they want something maybe a little more real. And they’ll ‘graduate’, which is one of the terms we use, to the UFC from WWE.
For us it’s great. Those fans are loyal – the WWE fan is a loyal, hardcore fan. And they know all the ins and outs of the wrestlers they like – what they’re doing, what their background story is, and they love the nuance of the sport and the entertainment factor. And so those are the kinds of fans that, for all the same reasons, are the core fans of the UFC – they can follow their fighters, they can see how they’re progressing as they get older, and they see how good they really are.
The other thing that’s good is that WWE fans are consumers in the biggest sense of the word – they’ll reach into their pocket to get their product, be it pay-per-view, merchandise or whatever. So for us, because we’re driven by a similar model, they’ve graduated to us and that means they’re used to paying for it on television, they’re used to looking online for information, they’re used to buying a t-shirt, so there isn’t a whole lot of re-education that has to happen.
So I do believe that there’s something to the WWE fan graduating to the UFC. But we’re lucky because we know that we’ll not only get some of the matriculating WWE fans, we have the ability to draw other sports fans – certainly combat sports fans and likely boxing fans.
FSM: Another parallel would be WWE’s long relationship with the international market – Europe and the UK in particular. Not only have overseas territories become as valuable, day-to-day, as the US market, when business is down domestically WWE has relied on its international business to compensate.
MZ: And it’s not just in sport and sports entertainment – it’s just about every product. Whether it’s Coca Cola or Kleenex, they all rely on these different markets, sort of a diversification of their US stock portfolio. Dana, Lorenzo and Frank are smart guys – they know that in order to be secure, they need to be pulling from every possible market, because inevitably you’ll have a downturn somewhere.
You’re right, WWE has mastered this, and we’d be crazy if we weren’t looking at that company’s success. And having worked with WWE when I was in PPV, they’re trailblazers in this field. Obviously our product is a little different, and we can pull from a wider demo, but Europe and the success WWE has had here is definitely on our mind, and we’d love to obtain that kind of success.
FSM: What other territories are you looking at in the near future?
MZ: Germany is high on the list, as is Italy, and of course France with its recent legalisation of MMA – those are the big three. Holland would make great sense for us with its great K-1 history, and then we’re looking at moving into Eastern Europe is part of our strategy, as well as the Middle East. But in the short term it’s Germany, Italy and France that are our top three targets.
FSM: A big part of your UK success has been Michael Bisping. If he hadn’t done so well on The Ultimate Fighter or in his first fight at UFC 66, would this expansion have been possible without him?
MZ: While he was ultimately a big part of it, I know from having been in the discussions that no one ever said, “Let’s go into the UK because we have Michael Bisping. And I think our instincts were right, because when we held UFC 62 in Belfast, the applause that Forrest Griffin got and the way he was received really confirmed that our fans here want to see the UFC fighters.
This is what’s unique, and Dana always says it: in boxing you’ll have such nationalism for a fighter that comes from your country, but the UFC – and again, it’s similar to WWE – they want to see the big stars and the best fighters. So not having Bisping probably wouldn’t have affected our rollout here – his success certainly made it a lot easier, but it was by no means the reason we came here. Of course, we’re lucky that he is the fighter he is and we’re glad we can rely on him!
FSM: Finally, There was talk last year of doing a season of TUF in the UK or possibly having some sort of UK-based TV magazine show. Has there been any movement in that direction, and where do you see the UFC here in a year or two’s time?
MZ: A TV product isn’t on the front burner right now, but it’s definitely something that we expect to do. It won’t happen this year, but my suspicion is that sometime in 2009, something like that will happen. Whether it’s a TUF or a UK Fight Night series, something is going to break so that we have what would truly be perceived as a UK product, as opposed to a product made in the US that can be exported to the UK.
In a couple of years? My belief is that we’ll be running four to six shows in the UK. We’ll be out in Europe running a couple or more shows a year. And, most importantly, that we’ll become an accepted part of the landscape of the UK sports scene.
March 31, 2008
UFC-ESPN Strategic Parternship?
MMAPayout.com has received an unconfirmed report that the UFC and ESPN are discussing a potential strategic partnership. Representatives from each company reportedly met for what were described as extensive discussions last week in New York and Bristol, Connecticut. While Spike is the official cable home of the UFC, there is no longer an ABC Sports division, only ESPN on ABC, leading to speculation that such a partnership could lead to live events on ABC.
It should be noted that this is an unconfirmed report. As a result, it should be considered rumor or informed speculation at best.
March 27, 2008
Strikeforce-NBC Deal Officially Announced
After months of speculation the long rumored Strikeforce-NBC deal was finally announced today. MMAPayout.com became the first media outlet to report the potential deal on January 15. "Strikeforce on NBC" will premiere the night of April 12 from 2-2:30 AM EST.
March 25, 2008
Iron Ring Rating
MMAPayout.com has learned that Iron Ring was the fourth highest rated series premiere in BET history. Despite an 11:00PM post prime time slot, the program posted a 20% increase in viewers over its lead-in. As a result, BET has moved the series to 10:30PM starting with tonight's episode. The series will now follow BET's highest rated series, College Hill.
Tonight's half hour episode features three fights.
March 24, 2008
IFL-FSN Set to Extend Partnership
MMAPayout.com has confirmed that tomorrow the IFL will announce an extension of its partnership with Fox Sports Net. Season three of the IFL's weekly one-hour "Fight Night" program will air consistently on Saturday night at midnight local time across FSN's affiliates. The new season will debut on April 19 featuring the IFL World Grand Prix Finals from 12/29.
While not as sexy as recently announced network television deals, the new consistent time slot is a significant upgrade for the company on FSN. Previously, the program was hard to find due to scheduling differences and preemptions across the network's various regional affiliates. With a defined national time slot, the company can now promote its FSN programming more effectively. The Midnight Saturday night slot is also considered attractive because of its appeal to the 18-34 year old male demographic which is the key component of MMA viewership and the lack of competition from other sports programming.
Sources close to the deal have told MMAPayout.com that unlike speculation about other recent television deals, the IFL-FSN partnership is not a time buy, but rather a revenue sharing agreement. In comparison, NBC is reportedly offering a time buy at 2:00 AM on Saturday night for $2 million.
The IFL is also expected to add several more international clearances to its television portfolio later this week. The company's programming currently airs in over 70 countries world wide.
March 20, 2008
EliteXC's CBS Debut Takes Shape
Today EliteXC officially announced the first details of its CBS debut. The first broadcast will air on Saturday May 31 from 9-11PM EST live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Kimbo Slice will headline the card against a yet to be named opponent with Robbie Lawler defending the EXC Middleweight Title against UFC veteran Scott Smith in the co-main event. The card will also feature Gina Carano against an opponent to be announced. Showtime Sports will handle the production.
Ken Shamrock's loss earlier this month was a major setback, but all things considered this looks like about the best show that could put together. The phenomenon that is Kimbo Slice is well documented, but don't discount the chance for Lawler and/or Carano to catch fire coming out of this show as well. Lawler has a marketable style and look and his fight with Smith promises to be a brawl. Carano on the other hand has that it factor, as evidenced by her popularity on American Gladiators, and a history of exciting fights.
March 17, 2008
Iron Ring Review
Iron Ring premiers on BET this Tuesday night at 11PM EST. The format is basically The Ultimate Fighter meets the IFL with a twist, hip hop celebrity owners. The vehicle appears to be designed as something of an introduction to MMA for BET's primarily African-American audience. The lack of diversity in the MMA demographic has been a topic of concern for some in and out of the industry.
The one hour premier episode (two thirty minute episodes combined) focuses largely on the celebrity owners and their coaches. The show has a gritty feel provided by low key production and locations as well as a strong hip hop influence. The opening scenes looks more like the rawness of fight club than the spectacle of major MMA. Whether this will be the case once the actual competition begins remains to be seen, but the product definitely has a distinctive feel, unlike any other MMA production. Street Certified may be a more appropriate title for the series than it was for EliteXC's previous offering.
The competition features six teams and takes place in three weight classes, Lightweight (170lbs for purposes of the show), Middleweight , and Heavyweight. There was no sign of a cage in week one with all the action taking place in a ring. Rashon Kahn plays the Dana White role as "arbitrator" of the competition and motivational speaker, although I seriously doubt Kahn can live up to Dana's "do you want to be a fighter" speech.
The first thirty minutes offer no fights or fighters, focusing exclusively on the owners and coaches of the teams. The only two coaches familiar to MMA fans are Krazy Horse Bennett and Shonie Carter. The second half of the premier episode focuses on the tryout process, one TUF style workout followed by a win and you're in type exhibition tryout.
Team Luda and Dipset are announced on the show with the tease for the following week built around a cut fighter trying to fight his way back onto the show. The complete team rosters are:
- MONEY MAYWEATHER BOYS
- Owner - Floyd Mayweather
- Coach - Roberto Traven
- LW - Andy Roberts
- MW - Dymond Jones
- HW - Abdelaziz Essafoul
- TEAM LUDA
- Owner - Ludacris
- Coach - Abdul Mutakabbir
- LW - Joe Comacho
- MW - John Fields
- MW - Franz Mendez
- HW - Joe McCall
- TEAM NELLY
- Owner - Nelly
- Coach - Jermaine Andre
- LW - Eric Marriott
- MW - Darryl Cobb
- HW - Mike Cook
- TEAM GRAND HUSTLE
- Owner - T.I.
- Coach - Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett
- LW - Josh Gaskins
- MW - Primus Moore
- MW - Jamie Yager
- HW - Joe Thomas
- TEAM DIPSET
- Owner - Dipset (Julez Santana & Jim Jones)
- Coach - Novell G. Bell
- LW - Josh Key
- MW - Daniel Akinyemi
- HW - Carlos Moreno
- HEAD BUSTERS
- Owner - Lil John
- Coach - Shonie Carter
- LW - Macrus Brimmage
- MW - Brian Rodgers
- HW - Abongo Humphrey
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