TheNatural
My Member!
Not bad, probably not what they wanted, but I think any number in the several millions on broadcast TV is good for MMA.
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MMA |OT2| - Thread of Athletes, Fighters, Personalities, and Sports Entertainment
- Thread starter yacobod
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Not bad, probably not what they wanted, but I think any number in the several millions on broadcast TV is good for MMA.
Dana and Joe Silva need to be mindful of putting on booking exciting style match-ups for the free cards, plus they need star power to be huge rating hits.
The UFC on Fox 2 card was pretty awful from either standpoint. The first UFC Card on Fox could have been a lot better had they actually put the Maynard Bendo fight on tv.
If Dana was smart he would have guys like Frankie Edgar, Jose Aldo, Nick and Nate Diaz, and other light weight guys with high work rates, exciting styles, and skills on the free cards. Frankie and Jose are some of the best fighters in the sport, but they don't exactly sell pay-per-views at this point in their careers. Putting them on free cards makes the most sense to build their brand better for PPV.
Chris Lytle would have been a king of the free televised card. They could have trotted him out there to open every free show to scrap.
The UFC on Fox 2 card was pretty awful from either standpoint. The first UFC Card on Fox could have been a lot better had they actually put the Maynard Bendo fight on tv.
If Dana was smart he would have guys like Frankie Edgar, Jose Aldo, Nick and Nate Diaz, and other light weight guys with high work rates, exciting styles, and skills on the free cards. Frankie and Jose are some of the best fighters in the sport, but they don't exactly sell pay-per-views at this point in their careers. Putting them on free cards makes the most sense to build their brand better for PPV.
Chris Lytle would have been a king of the free televised card. They could have trotted him out there to open every free show to scrap.
Yep. I have no idea what their strategy has been for the Fox cards. I know Jones-Machida was an important fight, but in terms of fireworks and increasing exposure for the sport, why not put someone like Bones on at least one free card? I swear that despite the Fox stuff, UFC's #1 focus is still on milking their hardcore fanbase dry rather than actually making a real effort at broadening the appeal of the sport. How else can you explain the horrible Fox 2 card? Everyone who knew anything about MMA knew that was a fucking terrible lineup to use to sell the sport to casuals.
TheNatural
My Member!
The easiest thing to do was just put the Aldo card on FOX and get him some much needed exposure and an exciting finish. Put the past card on PPV or whatever combined with some other fights.
They have it all reversed, but I think in general that people overestimate what just being on FOX does. I like seeing the millions part after the number, but lets be real, people are going to like what they like, not like what they don't like, and casually like certain things. It's not like the UFC was in a cave that no one could find it in, most people have Spike, and it was an option just as much as anything else.
It's great to give the sport more people to watch it, as long as they don't expect PPV buyrates to jump in response or ratings to be ridiculous great, because that's just not realistic. You can't control everything.
I don't disagree, but I'd like to think they would have a better strategy for expanding the brand and building new stars. But like Astro said, they probably are more concerned with nickel and diming the hardcore fans with 16 pay-per-views per year.
Like if I was Dana and company, I would put the Rashad/JBJ fight on free TV. It might be a short term loss for them to lose a chance to do 800k ppvs, but they have an opportunity to turn JBJ into the first true crossover star in the sport. Chuck and GSP have both crossed over to a certain degree, but I'm talking about on a much bigger scale.
No way the JBJ fight will be boring, and most likely we will see him spectacularly ether Rashad on free tv would be pure dynamite. Get these fuckers on the shows and promote the fuck out of it.
Like if I was Dana and company, I would put the Rashad/JBJ fight on free TV. It might be a short term loss for them to lose a chance to do 800k ppvs, but they have an opportunity to turn JBJ into the first true crossover star in the sport. Chuck and GSP have both crossed over to a certain degree, but I'm talking about on a much bigger scale.
No way the JBJ fight will be boring, and most likely we will see him spectacularly ether Rashad on free tv would be pure dynamite. Get these fuckers on the shows and promote the fuck out of it.
TheNatural
My Member!
Meh, if people don't know who Jones is now or not willing to pay to see him after last year, and the hype for this fight in general, then they never will. I think it's overrated what broadcast TV can actually do. It would be ridiculous for UFC to give up probably their best buyrate PPV of the year for free, especially with the shape some of the recent PPV's have put them in.
I dunno, UFC strategy has been pretty much in line with your suggestions and that doesn't seem to be working out so great for them.
EDIT: I don't buy that the market is anywhere near tapped out. There are so many fight fans that have been given very little reason to follow MMA (no, fucking TUF and all its associated bullshit don't count, nor do most of the terribad free cards including the two fox cards). And yet more or less invisible to the general public (who would be interested in this if it was presented to them the right way) you have this awesome sport and all these amazing, exciting athletes. There is just no plausible excuse for the fox 2 card even if you want to hold on to all your PPV attractions. It's almost like that card was a big fuck you to the idea of presenting MMA as an exciting sport to the network-viewing audience.
TheNatural
My Member!
Semantics. Bones-Evans would be one of the top ones if not the top, it's still a lot of money they're not going to give up. It would be up there with a GSP or Silva fight. I just don't think the names matter that much on broadcast as much as just getting people acclimated with decent fights. But like I said, there's only so many people going to watch no matter what happens. Combat sports just aren't going to do anywhere close to the big three sports, no matter what Dana says, it's unrealistic.
TheNatural
My Member!
Well what is considered great? I think they're doing fine with the numbers on these shows and if they or anyone expected more, they're out of touch with reality. 3 boring fights doesn't help much, and I'm sure they'll change that in the future, but I don't know how much different the ratings would be in there was Benderson-Edgar, Aldo-whoever, and so on on these cards.
parrotbeak
Member
It would have been better if less people had seen the Fox 2 card. I told friends not to watch it because I want people to watch Diaz Conduit with me, and I knew this card would make them less likely to want to watch a ppv the next weekend.
Ninja Scooter
Member
I know hindsight is 20/20, but the Diaz-Conduit fight would have been great to have on this past weeks free card as a co-headliner. Maybe I'm wrong, but that doesn't scream big PPV draw to me anyway, and you get a chance to build up GSP's next opponent to a national network audience.
TheNatural
My Member!
Kept up my bargain here in the Ville, and it shows. Damn Hawaiians with their Bad MMA bringing down the average.
Host Samurai
Member
I think if Overeem wins the title than hes the guy they want on FOX for his first defense. He can be the cross over star the UFC has been looking for. He has more appeal than Jones and he already has exposure on a world wide scale AND is a seasoned MMA veteran.
ArisenDragon
Member
Can't wait for the ppv this weekend Diaz vs Condit should be an amazing matchup.
They need to hold to their promise of more title fights on free tv. When this deal was announced I thought the Fox cards would be treated like mega events for MMA fans. Imagine Silva/Sonnen 2 in front of 100k live fans in a soccer stadium on national television. It would be a true spectacle.
TheNatural
My Member!
Under Gracie-Sakuraba rules - to a finish!
What are some potential match ups you'd like to see in 2012? Let's keep GSP/Silva and Silva/Bones off the table.
GSP vs. Nick
Aldo vs. Edgar
Barnett vs. Mir
Alvarez vs. Chandler II
Bendo vs. Pettis II
Benavidez vs. Johnson
Barboza vs. Guillard
Melendez vs. UFC Top Tenner
Bibiano Fernandes vs. UFC Top Tenner
GSP vs. Nick
Aldo vs. Edgar
Barnett vs. Mir
Alvarez vs. Chandler II
Bendo vs. Pettis II
Benavidez vs. Johnson
Barboza vs. Guillard
Melendez vs. UFC Top Tenner
Bibiano Fernandes vs. UFC Top Tenner
Fedor vs. Lesnar
i've always thought a TV Title belt was a good idea. the old NWA had that, where anytime that dude fought on TV, his belt was on the line.
a guy like Diego Sanchez would be a perfect fit. just keep throwing cans at him and have millions of fans watch him "goldberg" his way to wins.
a guy like Diego Sanchez would be a perfect fit. just keep throwing cans at him and have millions of fans watch him "goldberg" his way to wins.
TheNatural
My Member!
I'd like to see Fedor get wrestlefucked by Lashley. Should be good times.
Maybe the great Fedor can make an example of Brock's WWE friends to draw him out of retirement. Bautista can get it too, brah.
TheNatural
My Member!
One of the biggest fights in Bellator history?
Host Samurai
Member
Here is what I would like to see
Vitor vs Rampage. Makes sense at this point in Rampages career because I don't see him getting a title shot anytime soon
and its a good legacy fight for both guys.
Vitor vs Rampage. Makes sense at this point in Rampages career because I don't see him getting a title shot anytime soon
and its a good legacy fight for both guys.TheNatural
My Member!
Here is what I would like to see
Vitor vs Rampage. Makes sense at this point in Rampages career because I don't see him getting a title shot anytime soon
He just had a title shot, of course he's not getting another anytime soon. I question whether Rampage has it anymore to even make that fight exciting. His power reputation is getting pretty dusty by now.
Maklershed
Member
But that would break their whole business model.
If the uber-awesome events are on free TV, and the meh events are PPV, then fans will simply think "why would I pay $50 for this card, when in a month I get to watch a championship event for free on Fox?"
I think the idea of hyping Championship PPVs by putting #1 contender bouts on Fox is a good one, it's just that the specific fights they chose this time around were baffling.
I think no more than 2 of the 4 Fox cards in a year should involve championship fights.
ItAintEasyBeinCheesy
it's 4th of July in my asshole
Mmmmmmm that's what I was thinking. First match against a wrassler.
Yeah, this is why I thought Edgar/Henderson would have made a great main event for Fox. It's a big championship fight, should be entertaining as hell and you're probably not losing much in the way of buyrates by putting it on free tv.
parrotbeak
Member
I thought that guy was Mexican?Matches like Mirko CroCop versus masked japanese cans
dream
Member
Matches like Mirko CroCop versus masked japanese cans
Yes, my good friend. That is exactly what I was thinking. Think about the story you want to tell and book matches accordingly. Wanna push Maia as a lethal sub guy? Book him against a kickboxer that can't rassle. Want to push Aldo as a devastating striker? Book him against a BJJ guy.
parrotbeak
Member
I think the American public would eat up Bendo speaking in tongues and thanking his god for victory.
I don't know. Nobody seemed particularly pleased with Sugar Cain getting blasted in 64 seconds.
Fair point but they spent 20 minutes setting each of the fights on Saturday as well. That's another one of my issues.
Maklershed
Member
I think what would really help the broadcasts on Fox is if they had a segment where Britney demonstrated a mounted triangle choke on Arianny.
TheKaeptain
Banned
I'm down for crazy lop sided fights. Like Rory vs Diaz was mad fun because Diaz can't wrestlefuck for shit.
I really don't want to see outright squash matches in the UFC. This is what Bad MMA is for. Let the division ladder work as intended, only deviating a few rungs when an exciting match up presents itself.
Joe Silva is the best at what he does.
TheNatural
My Member!
Dana on Rogan's podcast, here it is recorded:
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/20138382
Apparently going to talk about SOPA, Anonymous, etc.
Got nothing better to do, I'll listen and post anything noteworthy and hilarious.
EDIT: 2 minutes in the guy is acting like a jackass trying to sell fleshlights. I don't know if I can make this.
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/20138382
Apparently going to talk about SOPA, Anonymous, etc.
Got nothing better to do, I'll listen and post anything noteworthy and hilarious.
EDIT: 2 minutes in the guy is acting like a jackass trying to sell fleshlights. I don't know if I can make this.
TheNatural
My Member!
Haven't scanned through it all yet but it sounds like the case. Sounds about Rogan's about to talk about Anon and SOPA though.
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