UFC 161: Payout Perspective
June 17, 2013
Welcome to another edition of Payout Perspective. This time we take a look at UFC 161 from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada where Rashad Evans took on Dan Henderson in the main event.
Evans edges Henderson
In what was an entertaining fight, Rashad Evans regained some career momentum with a split decision victory over Hendo. The result could have gone either way with each fighter having their moments. Hendo was visibly upset after the result and took a jab in the post-fight Octagon interview at Lyoto Machida stating that “at least Rashad fought him.” For Hendo, its his second straight split decision loss. This is definitely not what he wanted after he had to back out of his title shot against Jon Jones in September.
For Evans, the speculation is that Glover Texeira would be next. Gatekeeper or another shot at making a run for the title? We will see.
Stipe stops Nelson
Stipe Miocic upset Roy Nelson in the co-main event of the evening. Despite fighting just six weeks prior, Nelson looked sluggish and lacking cardio. Miocic looked crisp compared to Nelson who desperately needed a first round KO to win the fight.
Miocic gets a quality win under his resume and can continue to build it. In fact, he’s cracked the UFC Heavyweight rankings. For Nelson, the fight represented his last under his current Zuffa contract. It was a risky proposition for Nelson to take the fight on short notice even if his fight with Cheick Kongo ended in the first round. Now, with a disappointing loss and at 36 years old, Nelson has little bargaining power in negotiating a new contract with the UFC or any other organization. Nelson turned down an extension earlier this year and another offer prior to 161. This and we didn’t even touch upon his “Uncle Tom” comments this week during the pre-fight press conference.
Attendance and Gate
As we reported, attendance was 14,754 for a gate of $3.15 million (not sure if Canadian or US dollars – regardless a good gate). According to Dana White, it was the best gate for the venue and outdid The Rolling Stones at the same venue.
Bonuses
The UFC debut of James Krause was memorable as he not only pulled out a submission in the last seconds of his fight with Sam Stout, he received an additional $100,000 in bonuses for his work. Each received $50,000 each.
Fight of the Night: Krause-Stout
Submission of the Night: Krause.
KO of the Night: Shawn Jordan
Sponsorships
UFC official sponsor Alienware was the presenting sponsor for UFC 161. It had signage on the mat and had the fighter “prep point” at the event. The octagon had its usual sponsors including Prestone, Harley Davidson, TapouT, Xyience, Musclepharm, Dodge, SafeAuto Insurance, UFCFit.com and Bud Light with the center Octagon. Also, Disney’s The Lone Ranger was a sponsor on the mat and ring posts. Disney sponsoring the UFC? Not too surprised considering that it fits within the demo for the movie.
Roy Nelson just signed a deal with Affliction. Probably not the best signing for the clothing company.
Evans wore a Jaco track suit to the Octagon. He also wore a “Refuse to Be Ordinary” Jaco shirt.
Notable sponsor of the night: Alexis Davis was sponsored by Purchase Green – an artificial grass manufacturer. Davis had other sponsors but the Purchase Green logo stood out due to the motto on the back of the shirt – Kickin’ Grass.
Other notable sponsors: Roland Delorme represented Winnipeg Academy of Mixed Martial Arts. Delorme’s opponent Edwin Figueroa was sponsored by River City Ink and Steel. Sean Pierson was sponsored by Cookin’ Greens – a company focused on helping people eat healthier with fresh, frozen greens.
Post-UFC161 Headlines
- Status of Bantamweight Division. With its original champion, Dominick Cruz out indefinitely and its interim champion, Renan Barao, injured – what to do with the division? There have been some good fights in the division but there needs to be a title defense soon so that fans don’t forget about it.
- What happens with Roy? It was a gamble and Roy lost. Now, with a loss and heading into free agency, what will Nelson do?
- What will Hendo do? 2 losses by split decision is not the kind of resume to ask for a title shot unless your Chael Sonnen. Hendo is not at the cliff of his career but there can’t be too much time left.
Odds and ends
- “City on Steroids” was the headline in the print edition of the Winnipeg Free Press. Obvious poor choice for this sport. Yet, Winnipeg Press gave good reviews of the fight night.
- The UFC 162 preview with Jay Z’s music was the second best commercial featuring Jay Z this weekend. The first of course was the Samsung commercial during The Finals Sunday night (IMO I think Rick Rubin was the key).
- I wondered why Tyron Woodley v. Jake Shields was not on the main card. I watched the fight and realized why.
- Shawn Jordan’s backflip may have been more impressive than his KO of Pat Barry.
- It’s good to see that Rashad went back to BDP for his entrance music. Evans’ walkout music wins best of the night although Alexis Davis’ “Its Tricky” by Run DMC runs a close second.
- Anyone else notice the octagon side camera view near the cage in the Sexton-Davis match during the end of the second round? I don’t believe I’ve seen it before but it definitely is an added view to what is going on with fighters grappling on the ground.
- MetroPCS ran a new Cain Velasquez commercial during the Prelims. It seemed like a little more focus on his Mexican roots in this commercial..
- Worst weekend? Jon Fitch or Roy Nelson. Have to go with Fitch here. Not only was he portrayed as a malcontent by his former employer, he lost in under a minute and was paid half the amount of his former salary ($30K).
Conclusion
Although it was received well by the local fans, the overall PPV buys will not be good. Even if the Renan Barao and Eddie Wineland interim championship match and the Shogun Rua-Lyota Machida fight took place, it would not have moved the dial too much. If there’s anything that can be seen as a positive from this weekend’s event is that it appears that based on the attendance figures and local press, the UFC has grabbed another Canadian city it could rely on if it returned to the area. Notwithstanding this, a PPV buy rate of 250,000 would be good.
Pretorian Hard Sports No Longer Approved UFC Sponsor
May 31, 2013
The UFC decided MMA equipment company Pretorian Hard Sports will no longer be an approved sponsor of the UFC. John Morgan of MMA Junkie revealed the news via his twitter this week. A memo was circulated to agents of fighters but no reason was given for the sudden development.
The move comes as a surprise of sorts for those of us not in tune with the brand or the UFC’s motives. It has sponsored many of the Brazilian fighters as well as fighters at the top of cards. In addition, it had signage in the Octagon at many UFC events. With the steady diet of cards in Brazil, one would have believed that the company would be one of the mainstays for the UFC.
In January of last year, MMA Junkie featured the brand in a nice writeup as it was talking about global expansion. The MMA equipment company was an idea of businessman Ruy Drever. The company expanded within Brazil and looked to do so globally. He also took pride in the company’s commitment to social good as the company was involved in numerous community projects. Last year, it had 170 employees and 170% revenue growth in 2011.
Payout Perspective:
Notably, its web site still has it as a UFC Official Sponsor. We will follow this story as it continues but this move is surprising considering the position of the brand and its heavy involvement in sponsoring UFC fighters in addition to being an official sponsor. Whether its a financial issue, a strategic issue or a personality issue between companies, the announcement hurts fighters that received sponsor money from the brand. Its not clear whether the company will sponsor athletes outside of the UFC but time will tell.
UFC 159: Payout Perspective
April 30, 2013
Welcome to another edition of Payout Perspective. This time we take a look at UFC 159 from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey where Jon Jones defended his Light Heavyweight title against Chael Sonnen.
Jones takes care of Sonnen, now must heal toe
It was the outcome that most had expected. Despite Sonnen’s promos, Jones did what was needed to stop Sonnen with a few seconds left in Round 1. It was a good thing, because if he didn’t, it would have been interesting what may have happened for Round 2. Jones could not have gone out there with his toe pointed in an opposite direction.
Now, the question is how long will Jones be out and who will be next for him. Anderson Silva? Lyoto Machida? Alexander Gustafsson? We will see.
For the “Gangster,” I hope to see him in a suit as an analyst.
Nelson KOs Kongo
Jones does what he does and Nelson does what he does – knock people out. While Nelson asked for a title shot, it’s likely he gets at least one more fight before there’s serious consideration.
Bisping beats Belcher after eye poke
Michael Bisping showed once again why he should receive a title shot. The TUF alum beat up Alan Belcher but the fight was stopped after a nasty eye poke which was the second gruesome thing on the PPV next to Jones’ toe.
Bisping must now wait in line once again for a shot.
Attendance and Gate
As reported earlier, attendance at UFC 159 placed second in terms of UFC events at the venue with Hardy vs. GSP being first. UFC 159 reported attendance of 15,227 fans for a $2.7 million gate.
Bonuses
This event’s bonuses were $65,000 each as opposed to the UFC standard of $50,000. As reported earlier the bonuses were as follows:
Fight of the Night: Healy vs. Miller
KO of the Night: Nelson
Submission of the Night: Healy
Sponsorships
-The Octagon included the usual sponsors: TapouT, MetroPCS, Toyo Tires, Xyience, UFC Gym, Harley Davidson, Dodge, MusclePharm, Alienware, UltimatePoker.net and Bud Light. It also included local sponsor Modell’s Sporting Goods.
-UFC Gym sponsored the prep point. UFC Fit was also prevalent last week at UFC on Fox 7. The move into fitness is a reason that Reebok may be a potential sponsor. Could this be one of the reasons why Dana White met with Reebok officials? Also interesting that a potential Reebok deal may happen and just a few months ago Rampage Jackson could not wear Reebok logos in the Octagon for his last fight.
-Representatives from Doritos were also present as it may have a potential interest in sponsorship.
-Ronda Rousey was featured in a MetroPCS commercial shown during the Prelims. It was also revealed that she signed a one year deal with Xyience
-Jones was sponsored by Nike and had his signature shoes released the week before the event. The shoes sold out quickly although there were limited quantities. Jones actually threw out his shoes to the weigh-in crowd on Friday. He also wore Monster headphones, another UFC official sponsor, at the weigh-ins, to the ring and even when he sat on the stool being interviewed post-fight.
-Sonnen wore a TapouT blue ring robe with a Modell’s patch on the arm. It was reminiscent of boxers or pro wrestlers and appropriate for Sonnen.
-An ironic sponsor for Sonnen was VA Mortgage Lending. As you may recall, Sonnen plead guilty to money laundering in a mortgage fraud case during his realtor days in Oregon. While Sonnen’s actions were not related to VA Mortgage Lending, its still strange that you would want to have it as a sponsor because it reminds people of what happened in the past.
-Phil Davis had a couple throwback sponsors: Affliction and Lugz
Pre-Fight Hype
When you talk about hype, Chael Sonnen comes to mind. The Ultimate Fighter was to serve as the 12 week promo piece for this fight but it was actually Sonnen’s banter the week or so after the TUF Finale that served as the real promotion for UFC 159.
I really enjoyed the UFC Countdown show this time around especially the Alan Belcher-Michael Bisping back and forth. Perhaps, Bisping can pick up the “King of MMA Smacktalk” when Chael Sonnen retires.
This card produced a couple interesting articles on the issue of race. Tim Marchman wrote an article on Deadspin and Tomas Rios wrote one for The Pacific Standard which explores the issue and whether Chael Sonnen uses race to gain fans. We explore the public relations aspects of Sonnen here. When challenged on the subject of race on ESPN’s Dan LeBatard show, Sonnen deflected the direct issue and seemed genuinely uncomfortable about talking about it. This was something unusual for Sonnen who was on in each appearance he did for the promotion of UFC 159.
Odds and Ends
- Darren Rovell sent a tweet Saturday night which stirred the pot for defenders of the UFC. Rovell indicated that the UFC may have lost its “edge” based on the fact he knew someone that purchased a ticket for $50 with a face value of $553. UFC PR’s Dave Sholler tweeted defending the UFC and its attendance indicating that it mattered and then Dana White sent a tweet professing that its numbers are improving and would prove it by sending it to the ESPN Sports Biz guy. We will see if Rovell gets that information. We’ll have more on this interesting story later.
- The card was deemed “cursed” by Joe Rogan for the various stoppages due to injury. This started with two stoppages due to injury during the Prelims and continued with Alan Belcher’s eye poke and then Jon Jones’ toe. And of course, we get a full on brawl in the stands caught on camera during Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA.” No word on the deep voiceover between rounds during Bisping-Belcher but it seemed fitting for what happened during the night.
- Sarah McMann v. Sheila Gaff was aired on the prelims twice on FX as a result of filler. But, the fight was the first women’s fight not hyped for the fact it was a women’s fight in the UFC. McMann disposed of Gaff quickly.
- Leonard Garcia-Cody McKenzie was the only fight not aired. McKenzie indicated he was going to take some time off for personal reasons. Garcia may be on his way out of the UFC.
Conclusion
The card was not as interesting on paper as last week’s UFC on Fox 7 and it played out that way in reality. Sonnen did his usual work to hype the fight but many believed that it was a mismatch from the start. The unusual issues during the card confirmed its demise as probably one of the strangest in some time. Although Nelson’s KO and Healy’s submission were highlights, the rest of the night proved so-so. A buy rate of 500K would be a success here and many probably bought it because they were fans of Sonnen and/or Jones as the supporting card lacked intriguing matchups.
Nike releasing Jon Jones shoes, shirts on Friday
April 18, 2013
FighterXFashion reports that Nike will be releasing shoes and shirts for UFC Light Heavyweight Champion John “Bones” Jones this Friday. Shoes will be released in limited quantities at select NikeTowns in New York and Las Vegas and online at Nike.com.
Jones is one of three UFC fighters with a Nike contract and is the only fighter to have his gear released for public consumption.
via FighterXFashion
Payout Perspective:
It will be interesting to see how sales of Jones gear will do and whether the sales will determine if the swoosh will look to other UFC athletes to sponsor for future retail opportunities. The hope for Nike is to gain some momentum for Jones’ upcoming title defense so fans will be wearing those t-shirts in the crowd at UFC 159.
RYU bows out of UFC sponsorship
April 8, 2013
RYU formally announced that it is no longer a sponsor of the UFC. In its recent Form 10K (page 5) filed this April, it stated that it no longer will cater to the MMA Marketplace.
Despite an initial positive outlook for the company, it failed to find an adequate financial return on its investment in the sport of MMA.
RYUentered the MMA landscape at the beginning of 2012 as an official sponsor and was a part of UFC broadcasts and PPV. It also opened a store and training facility in Las Vegas. It boasted several former Nike executives which brought an instant credibility to the brand. The brand received good PR including glowing articles about the prospects of the brand.
RYU sponsored fighters with former UFC vet Jon Fitch as its main fighter. RYU aspired to be a lifestyle clothing brand for MMA fans however it did not pan out. As noted in a July 2012 Sports Business Journal article (via MMA Payout), the success depended on the consumers:
While RYU is getting some good buzz, SBJ notes that its success will depend on how well the products sell. A selling point for the brand is that the clothing uses natural materials as it prides itself on being “95% sustainable” and stresses the newest performance technology. Compared with the likes of Nike and TapouT, RYU clothing is much more expensive than it competitors. The question is whether consumers would be willing to spend more on this new brand.
It turns out, consumers did not.
A director resigned although the release did not state that it was related to the financial results of the company. It has moved its headquarters from Las Vegas back to Portland, Oregon where it originally had offices.
On page 9 of its Form 10K, RYU noted a gross loss of $1,115,157 which it attributed to its product development and a write off. It also showed a bigger net loss related to selling and marketing expenses, production creations costs and administrative costs which amounted to $9,868,603.
The company notes that the company will “need to raise substantial additional equity” in 2013 in order to continue RYU as planned.
It goes on to state that 2012 sales fell short of expectations and management cites its UFC partnership in which it tried to position the brand as a “premium performance apparel brand.” The company suffered losses as a result of lower than expected sales from its sponsorship of the UFC.
RYU is undergoing a rebranding strategy which will appeal to a broader base of consumers according to its filing.
Payout Perspective:
RYU’s demise in MMA might be attributed to an assortment of factors. It did go into the endeavor with both feet as it became an official sponsor, opened up a training facility in Las Vegas and sponsored fighters. However, it failed to sell its product as it had envisioned. This could be attributed to the higher price point on its apparel. As we indicated early on, the question was going to be whether consumers would buy a hoodie that was priced $10-$20 higher than a competing brand. Further, the Jon Fitch sponsorship did not work out as Fitch lost his first bout as a RYU sponsored fighter in seconds to Johny Hendricks.
We will see if the RYU brand will continue on without MMA. But, RYU’s story in MMA reflects the fact that despite the best plans, it all depends on the consumers.
Hayabusa, GSP apologize for “Rising Sun” Gi
March 31, 2013
Last week Georges St. Pierre came under criticism for wearing a gi with the Rising Sun flag inspired by Imperial Japan. The Korean Zombie Chang Sun Jung wrote an open letter to GSP on KZ’s Facebook page criticizing his apparel.
In response, Hayabusa has taken the product off the market and GSP added a personal apology for those it may have offended.
KZ compared the Rising Sun flag similar to the German Hakenkreuzflagge.
The Rising Sun Flag and symbol was used by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. It is a symbol of oppression for many Koreans as expressed in KZ’s letter.
This may not be just a publicity stunt but a legitimate issue. As Maggie Hendricks of Cagewriter points out, some South Koreans took offense to a Rising-Sun inspired uniform worn by Japanese gymnasts at the 2012 London Summer Olympics.
Fortunately, Hayabusa and GSP acted swiftly and issued an apology in pulling the gi off the market. Via Hayabusa Facebook:
Since Georges St-Pierre wore our walkout gi at UFC 158 we have received attention surrounding the negative connotation of the rising sun graphic used. The last thing we want is to offend or alienate anyone with the choice of design on our products.
We at Hayabusa have the utmost respect for culture and history and appreciate all of our customers worldwide. As such, we accept full responsibility for this design and are taking all complaints and comments very seriously.
The gi worn by GSP will not be brought to market. In addition, we will be very conscious of this specific design element when developing future communication materials and products.
Please accept our sincerest apology for any offence this has caused. If you have any questions or comments regarding this matter, please feel free to discuss it with us at customerservice@hayabusafightwear.com. One of our representatives will be happy to assist you.
Sincerely,
Craig Clement
Co-President
Hayabusa Fightwear Inc.
GSP also issued a public apology on his Facebook page: ” I’d like to also personally apologize to anyone who was offended by this. I am very sorry, that was never my intention.”
Payout Perspective:
It was a good move by Hayabusa and GSP to act swiftly to avoid further conflict. Certainly Hayabusa realizes its market and it does not want to offend those in it especially after the origins of the design have been highlighted as a symbol of oppression. Which begs the question, why didn’t research and development for Hayabusa realize the negative connotations of the Rising Sun design. The Rising Sun design was worn by GSP in his last fight vs Carlos Condit (although the Rising Sun design was black on his gi). So, this was not a new design for UFC 158; just a different color.
KZ’s letter was pointed, articulate and argued his point of view without being confrontational. Obviously, one might also think his letter as a way to garner some press on the heels of one of the bigger PPVs in over a year. Still, if KZ honestly believed that the Rising Sun flag is a sign of oppression that he felt deeply about he should be applauded for taking a stand and pointing out a wrong.
There are many designs and logos that are culturally and racially insensitive that go by without being noticed because no one complains or the complaints fall on deaf ears. Certainly pulling the gis from sale is a business hit for Hayabusa but it immediately saw that the PR hit would outweigh the economic benefit. In the end, all involved handled the issue without it getting bigger than it could be.
Cormier signs with Cage Fighter
January 6, 2013
Strikeforce Heavyweight Daniel Cormier, has signed with the Cage Fighter Athletic Brand. The surprising winner of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, Cormier should have a shirt, shorts and banner representing the brand on Saturday night.
Undefeated in MMA, the former Olympic wrestler was sponsored by Cage Fighter in 2008. According to the Cage Fighter web site, Lutte Licensing Group (which owns Cage Fighter) signed an exclusive licensing, sponsoring and marketing agreement with Cormier.
(H/t: Fighterxfashion)
Payout Perspective:
Its a multi-fight deal for Cormier and we should see him wearing the “Embrace the Grind” motto for the brand Saturday night in the last Strikeforce event ever. Cormier appears to be an affable guy (based on watching “The Fight Factory”) with a good background in amateur wrestling and should be an asset for the brand. Depending on where he lands in weight class, he could be a force in the UFC.
Top 10 of 2012: No 6 Nike sponsors Silva, Jones and dos Santos
December 29, 2012
MMA Payout’s No. 6 business story of 2012 is the Nike sponsorship of UFC fighters. Anderson Silva, Jon Jones and Junior dos Santos are all sponsored by the sportswear company.
Jon Jones received a global sponsorship with the company which may include a signature clothing line. Jones wore a “Bones Knows” t-shirt wherever he went in leading up to his fight at UFC 152 with Vitor Belfort. Prior to that, Jones was sponsored by the UFC when he faced Rashad Evans in April. The Nike deal showed that it was interested in Jones and his DUI did not alter Nike’s plans with Jones.
The Anderson Silva sponsorship with Nike is limited to Brazil although Silva made a visit to the Beaverton, Oregon campus.
Junior dos Santos is the third and most recent Nike signing from the UFC. JDS has been wearing a shirt with his last name and swoosh in promoting UFC 155. The deal is officially with Nike Brasil.
The deals show that Nike is interested in MMA and has decided to sponsor fighters to get its brand out to MMA fans. There could be a market for its “Nike Combat” gear and other athletic workout wear. It will be interesting to see how sales will go for a Jones or Silva line of clothing. Although the deal could be seen as opening the door for other MMA fighters, Nike’s strategy is focusing on UFC champions. So, the investment in a fighter is relatively low risk considering Silva, Jones and dos Santos are guaranteed to headline the event they appear. Thus, the visibility of the Swoosh would be at a maximum. Still, the sponsorships are key in the move for blue chip sponsors in the sport.
After layoff, Fitch talks about financial impact
October 11, 2012
Jon Fitch was a number 1 contender to Georges St. Pierre not too long ago. But, his lack of fights have slowed him down and he talked about the financial impact it has had on him.
In speaking with MMA Junkie, Fitch discussed the economic condition of MMA. When not assigned a fight, Fitch noted that it’s harder to produce revenue for yourself. Fitch indicated sponsors are tighter with their money and appearance fees are not what it used to be. As a result, he’s “very careful” with his money.
To supplement his income, he also advocated for more fights.
Via MMA Junkie:
“I would love for us to be able to fight three times a year,” he said. “I think that’s more than realistic. … But we’re pretty lucky to get three in a year. If you get three, that’s ideal. But when you get one or two, it can be difficult. If I still lived in Indiana, it wouldn’t be such as much an issue, but I live in California, and it’s expensive. Even the cost of food at the store is more expensive.”
Fitch had been dealing with injuries and lost his last fight in 12 seconds to Johnny Hendricks.
Payout Perspective:
Its worthy to note that Fitch is still sponsored by athletic sportswear maker RYU. The brand is also an official UFC sponsor. So, we may assume that he’s supplied with at least workout gear for training and potential appearance opportunities for the sponsor.
However, for up and coming fighters on the prelim cards, earning money in between fights is a reality. With sponsors having to pay the UFC fee, sponsors may be more selective with fighters. Without big sponsors to foot the bill, these fighters would have to find other means to earn an income in between fights.
Does anyone find Fitch’s comments surprising considering the amount of injuries that have occurred on UFC cards this year, let alone the number of cards? He states that he’d like to fight three times a year but finds it difficult to do so. Prior to a draw with BJ Penn and a knockout to Hendricks, Fitch’s only UFC loss was a title fight to GSP. Otherwise he was on an 8 fight UFC win streak before GSP and then ran off another 5 after GSP before Penn. If healthy, Fitch should be someone the UFC could utilize.
The Wrestling Post: Lawler, Hulu and the color Pink
September 26, 2012
Welcome to another edition of The Wrestling Post. We talk about Jerry Lawler’s new t-shirts, a new WWE partnership and the color Pink.
“Long Live the King” T-Shirts emerge after near tragedy
A week after a near tragedy on live television, WWE capitalized on the situation by selling Jerry Lawler T-shirts. Lawler suffered a heart attack at the announce table on Monday Night Raw. Fortunately, aid teams were on the spot and saved his life. Lawler was taken to the hospital and is now back home resting. He actually made an appearance on Raw this past week.
The WWE debuted new Lawler t-shirts on its web page. Michael Cole, Lawler’s announcing partner wore the shirt which read, “Long Live the King.” The shirt sells $25-30 according to the web site.
Payout Take: Is it poor taste for the WWE to take advantage of the situation or business savvy? If Lawler gets a portion of the shirt revenue, then I’m shirt the King is all for it. The WWE could have made a PR move here by announcing that portions of the shirt sales would be donated to charities assisting those with heart conditions (maybe tying in that sales go to “a Hart Foundation”).
WWE announces Hulu Plus Partnership
WWE announced a partnership with Hulu Plus which will allow fans to access WWE content the next day. Hulu Plus has more than 2 million paying subscribers who spend $7.99 a month to access its programming.
The multiyear deal allows subscribers of Hulu paid services the ability to watch WWE shows including “Monday Night Raw,” “Friday Night Smackdown,” “WWE Superstars,” and more. The partnership allows the WWE to monetize its library of programming online.
Payout Take: This deal allows the WWE to leverage its bulk of content for the internet. It gives the WWE another platform for its product and gets the WWE in front of “cord cutters,” individuals that have cancelled their television cable programming. It’s a good deal and shows that the WWE continues to embrace online users as its YouTube channel has been very successful.
WWE going Pink
The WWE announced a partnership with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. John Cena will be wearing Pink branded gear which he will wear through the month of October. The WWE will donate 100 percent of its profits of sales of pink-branded gear to the breast cancer foundation.
Payout Take: Similar to what the NFL does in October, you will see Pink worn by the WWE’s most visible star. In addition, the WWE had pink ring ropes for Monday Night Raw. The foundation has made the color synonymous with its cause through its tie-ins with the NFL and now the WWE. It’s a noteworthy cause and this partnership should reach out to many women fans of the WWE.
