MMA Enters Mobile Apps and Social Media Gaming World
September 7, 2010
As Mixed Martial Arts continues to grow, it’s entrance into different markets and media will be key to its future success. One media platform booming right now are mobile apps and social networking games being developed for the iPhone/iPad, Android devices, and Facebook.
Affordable mobile personal devices have finally arrived to the mainstream, and MMA’s ability to adapt to the technology could payout greatly in the long run. Look for Apple’s portable devices iPhone/iPad to rule the market in the near future, but social media giant Facebook and Google’s Android Operating System will be unveiling a number of portable devices by the end of the year, just in time for the holiday season. I have gathered some of the most popular MMA mobile apps and social games as of date to prepare MMA fans for this new digital frontier:
MMAFighting (by AOL):
DESCRIPTION:
MMAFighting.com is a premier destination for MMA fans looking for breaking news, provocative commentary and extensive event coverage that reflects our love of MMA — and yours. Home to an elite staff of journalists, MMAFighting.com is a true force in mixed martial arts.
KEY FEATURES:
- Latest MMAFighting stories, navigable by organization, fighter and hot topics
- UFC, Strikeforce, WEC results
- MMA schedules
- Fighter rankings by weight class
- Integrated sharing for articles via Email, Facebook, Twitter
- Photo galleries in landscape and portrait
- Saving Feature to bookmark articles and view offline
- Integrated Mini Web Browser for viewing web content without leaving the app.
Website: http://www.mmafighting.com/
MMAJunkie (by Handmark, Inc):
DESCRIPTION:
Get the latest MMA news, interviews, rumors and event info for the UFC, WEC, Strikeforce, Bellator, DREAM, Sengoku and other promotions from MMAjunkie.com, the 2008 and 2009 World Mixed Martial Arts Awards “Best Media Outlet” winner.
MMAjunkie.com, an official MMA partner site of Yahoo! Sports, provides your mobile device instant access to all our content, including on-site event reports, the latest MMA business dealings, and industry-leading features on the top fighters and prospects in the sport today. You can also get up-to-the-minute scoring from live shows, rumored fight cards and past MMA event results.
Website: http://mmajunkie.com/
The Underground MMA (by Internet Commerce Company, LLC):
DESCRIPTION:
Looking for the latest breaking news and rumors in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)?
Get the latest UFC and MMA news 7 days a week. Follow event results and search our database of over 250,000 fighters. Find breaking rumors and behind the scenes information from the famous Underground Forum, frequented by Dana White, Joe Rogan, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, among numerous other MMA and UFC stars on a regular basis.
This application is brought to you by the internet leader in MMA information, MixedMartialArts.com.
Features:
- Breaking MMA and UFC news
- Fighters record search. Search over 250,000 fighters for full fight history and detailed information.
- Upcoming event information and event results from the largest database of events in the world.
- Access the Underground (UG) Forum, Otherground (OG) Forum and 28 others.
- Posting to threads and subscriptions for ALL members.
Website: http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/
UFC (by MobiTV) :
DESCRIPTION:
The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) The fastest growing sports organization in history, and the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion, is now offering the official, action–packed application featuring fighter pages, videos, news, highlights, Octagon™ Girl photos, and the ability to watch LIVE pre-fight weigh-ins and Pay-Per-View fights.
NEW! Think you know the official UFC app? Think again. We’re introducing major improvements including: New Fighter page, alerts, improved navigation, look & feel, live weigh-ins, more Octagon Girls, and exclusive access to Fighter Videos, where you can watch full-length fights, training and candid interviews leading up to the upcoming title event.
Pay-Per-View: Experience LIVE Pay-Per-View fights on your iPhone and iPad. Be one of the first to capture LIVE UFC events over 3G or Wi-Fi on the go. Upgrade directly through this app to access live fights via Pay-Per-View for $44.99/event.
UFC® subscribers can watch ALL live and video on demand videos on Wi-Fi, 3G and Edge networks*.
The new and improved UFC app now includes:
- More Highlights! Both video on demand and stories focused on fighters, UFC® events, breaking news, weigh-ins and interviews
- New Fighter Pages! Search through more than 200 UFC fighters! Get tons of stats, fight info and photos for each fighter….even follow their Twitter feed!
- Events: Take the FULL schedule for all upcoming pay-per-view UFC® events with you on the road! Plus you can purchase future UFC PPV events, all from a single app!
- LIVE fights: Purchase each UFC® event for an additional $44.99 to watch them LIVE.
- Octagon Girls: Get even more information and photos
- New! UFC® Fight Videos: Featuring exclusive fighter coverage; Includes video highlights, past fights, candid interviews, grueling training sessions and more! Upgrade within the app for $5.99 to gain exclusive access through the upcoming title event.
*The EDGE video performance is not ideal, so it is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED the iPhone stream live video when on Wi-Fi.
Website: http://www.ufc.com/
Tapout (by Internet Commerce Company, LLC):
DESCRIPTION:
Access exclusive iPhone only TapouT deals, latest products, photo galleries, MMA news and TapouT Live Radio. This iPhone app brings you the best of TapouT and MMA in the palm of your hand.
Special Features:
- Full store including iPhone specials
- Store accepts Credit Card and PayPal
- Use your existing TapouT account to purchase
- Photo galleries from Bikini contests, shows and fighter signings
- TapouT news and events feed
- TapouT iPhone background artwork gallery
- Catch the latest TapouT Live Radio Show
Website: http://www.tapout.com/
Showtime / Strikeforce (by Showtime Networks Inc):
DESCRIPTION:
Stay connected with Showtime’s original series, movies and sports…on the go, anytime, anywhere with the Showtime app for iPhone and iPod Touch.
View sample full episodes and previews of your favorite Showtime series. Watch hundreds of video clips anytime over wifi, 3G or Edge. Check the schedule for what’s on tonight, tomorrow or next week. Subscribe to podcasts, download full episodes and games, and touch to call and order Showtime – all directly from your mobile device!
Redesigned and easier-to-use, the Showtime app has a new interface giving you even more access to your favorite programs, and features including:
- Detailed episode guides
- Video for all Showtime original series
- Plot synopses and trailers for movies airing on all channels
- Two weeks of schedule information for all channels
- Direct links to purchase and download additional episodes and related apps in iTunes
- Ability to share content from the app via email, Facebook and Twitter
Don’t miss a beat. The Showtime iPhone app is the mobile hub for all your favorite series:
• Nurse Jackie
• United States of Tara
• The Tudors
• Dexter
• Weeds
• Californication
• Inside the NFL
• Inside NASCAR
• Championship Boxing
• Mixed Martial Arts (Strikeforce)
and more!
Website: http://sports.sho.com/
The Fight Network (by Mobilefringe):
DESCRIPTION:
The Fight Network is pumped to launch our iPhone app for our amazing viewers. Always stay connected to what is happening and how we see it going down in the world of MMA, boxing, wrestling and more.
We will deliver to your hand the Hottest News with specific sections for MMA, Boxing and Wrestling. A detailed show listing to our great lineup. We even have our twitter account connected to chat things up.
The Fight Network is a multi-platform, sports and entertainment company providing its content to fight fans on digital television, VOD, radio, mobile and online. The Fight Network covers all combat sports, including Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Boxing, Wrestling, Kickboxing and theme-related entertainment, through its 24/7 dedication to the fight genre
In addition to our steady slate of live and tape-delayed events, such as K-1 Kickboxing, Hennessy Boxing, DREAM, Affliction and Maximum Fighting Championships, The Fight Network is the leading source of televised combat sports news content through shows such as Fight News, which offers extensive previews, recaps and features for the biggest events in the world. We also produce original, fight-related reality and entertainment series’ (such as the Wai-In and Wrestling Reality) and radio content (Live Audio Wrestling), as well as broadcasting the best available third party produced combat sports content with partners such as iBN Sports, MMA FanHouse, Affliction Entertainment and more.
Website: http://thefightnetwork.com/
MMA Applications Inc:
DESCRIPTION:
Founded in 2009, MMA Applications is revolutionizing the way people learn Mixed Martial Arts around the world. With team members having backgrounds in mixed martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, wrestling, kickboxing, strength and conditioning training, and Karate, our focus is to give you the best MMA instruction in the palm of your hand. Our goal is to create a cool and realistic user experience. MMA Applications aims to improve your skills one app at a time.
iPhone Apps Available:
Passing the Guard, Strength and Conditioning, MMA Strikes, Ankle Locks, The Guard, Guard Flow, and NoGi.
Website: http://mmaapplications.com/iphone-apps/
MMA Pro Fighter on Facebook (by Digital Chocolate, Inc):
DESCRIPTION:
Raw, intense and all-out brawl, challenge friends in MMA Pro Fighter and dominate the ring! Take down opponents in MMA Pro Fighter and experience the most lethal fighting game on Facebook! Customize your fighter with an array of options including items, backgrounds and fighting moves. Choose between 7 unique fighting styles from Kick-Boxing, Muay Thai to Brazilian. Apply your fatal submission hold and pummel your opponent until their blood is on the floor. Pain is temporary, glory is forever!
FEATURES
- Customize the look, clothes, fighting style and attacks of your fighter
- Take your player through the MMA career by training and improving your skills
- Compete with friends on Facebook and publish victories to your newsfeed
- Purchase Pro Points to increase your edge and skills in the ring
- Choose between 7 fighting styles including Muay Thai, Boxing, Judo and more
- Learn up to 300 different fighting moves
- Meet the sexy ring girls – gathered from all over the world
PR RELEASE:
Digital Chocolate, a quality leader in original and high quality games on all platforms, today announced that its recently launched game MMA Pro Fighter™ is already the #1 mixed martial arts application of any kind on Facebook. This top ranking includes MMA games, news apps, fan apps, video apps, quizzes, and trivia apps on the leading social networking site. The app can be played at: http://apps.facebook.com/mmaprofighter/
“The depth and quality of MMA Pro Fighter has already made it the favorite of mixed martial arts fans on Facebook” said Trip Hawkins, CEO of Digital Chocolate. “We’re glad to bring MMA followers a whole new level of experience as they throwdown with their Facebook friends.”
Created specifically to take full advantage of Facebook, players can build and develop their fighter and compete with friends to reach the top of the ranks. Players can also customize their character’s look, gear, fighting styles and more, as well as meet the MMA Pro Fighter Ring Girls.
MMA Pro Fighter features an in-depth fighting engine that realistically simulates fights, blow by blow, using actual MMA moves and attributes. The game offers the opportunity to have your fighter learn up to 300 different bone-crushing fighting moves as you level-up in the game. MMA Pro Fighter provides stunning 3D graphics and high production values to deliver the best executed fighting game on Facebook.
Website: http://www.digitalchocolate.com/facebook/mma-pro-fighter/
CageBoss on FaceBook:
DESCRIPTION:
Create your own fighter on CageBoss. Master each of our training exercises to earn experience and level up. Take on and defeat each of our Bosses and become the world’s true CageBoss!
CageBoss awards users real-world gifts like MMA apparel, accessories and other merchandise. Play often and train hard!
Website: http://cageboss.com/
Other Notables:
MMA Game, MMA FightPicker, Ultimate Fighter, MMA Fantasy Pool, and MMA Big Show CHAMPIONS.
***
Sample List of Fighters with Apps:
MMA Apps Available on Android:
MMA Underground, iTrackMMA, MMA News.
***
FLO TV (by Qualcomm):
“FLO TV customers love having on-the-go access to live events and sports programming, and we think this programming will appeal to the passionate UFC fan base,” said Jayne Hancock, vice president of marketing for FLO TV. “Beginning with UFC 113 this Saturday night, MMA fans can now catch all the UFC Pay-Per-View action live and as it happens.”
“We are very excited to have this deal with FLO TV, giving our fans a new way to watch UFC events live and on-the-go,” said Dana White, UFC president. “Starting with Machida vs. Shogun 2 on May 8, for the first time ever, subscribers can tune in and watch a UFC event live on FLO TV.”
Website: http://www.flotv.com/
Payout Perspective
As yo can see by the list, there are only a few MMA entities that have made the transition into the mobile app world successfully. For example, MMAFighting, MMAJunkie, The Underground, and TapouT have great apps for the iPhone.
UFC’s app just received a much needed overhaul not too long ago, which greatly improved the utility of it and made the purchase of the application worthwhile, though users who have ordered PPV’s through their phones have reported issues with the streaming, so there are is still a bit more refinements needed for the app, as well as keeping the fighter records up to date, etc.
Overall, the market space here is wide open, specifically pointing at the Facebook social media games, where MMA Pro Fighter is by far the most popular MMA game. The question then becomes how to best use these apps and media games? Some are using it as a mean to increase your bottom line, while others as a tool for mass marketing and to increase brand awareness. Either way, this social and mobile platform is bound to exponentially increase in users very soon, as affordable personal mobile devices developed by big name manufacturers make their way to consumers this holiday season.
Strikeforce’s Big Fall Plans: MMA DVD Release, EA Sports MMA, & Hopeful CBS Show
August 5, 2010
Though not much has been heard from Strikeforce beyond their big upcoming shows this month which include the women’s 135 lbs GP in their Challengers 10 event from Phoenix and big card from Strikeforce Houston featuring King Mo vs Feijao Cavalcante and Tim Kennedy vs Jacare Souza for the vacant Middleweight belt, they have plans to make a huge impact in the MMA landscape in the Fall.
- Planned Early October Strikeforce Event in San Jose, CA on October 9
Strikeforce is planning an October show (October 9th at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA) which is rumored to possibly hold the first round of their MW Tournament. Highly touted Strikeforce prospect, Luke Rockhold (7-1), is looking to make his long awaited return to the cage in his hometown and could be a dark-horse.
This show could also host a rumored bout between Dan Henderson and Babalu Sobral, which would most likely be a co-main event. Strikeforce is also in talks with CBS to broadcast an event around the fall, and is hopeful that they can rebound nicely from their April CBS event which was marred by uninspiring ratings and the brawl at the end of the telecast. Both October and November have been discussed as possible months to host the event. Scott Coker talks to the Las Vegas Sun about the possible LHW bouts:
“Dan Henderson and I had a conversation after LA and he wants to move up to 205,” Coker said. “That led us to think the next fight for Dan will be either Babalu or Gegard Mousasi.
“Calvacante just had an impressive win over Antwain Britt so he deserves the shot. I think the winner of Dan and Babalu or Dan and Gegard could face the winner of that title fight.”
As a main event, Strikeforce is in dialogue with Fedor’s management (M-1) and is also in talks with Strikeforce HW champ Alistair Overeem, but a matchup involving both fighters is not yet certain. What we do know is that Fabricio Werdum will not be able to compete until early 2011, so that leaves match-ups with the rising HW out of the picture for the rest of the year. Herschel Walker and fighters such as Mayhem Miller, Matt Lindland, Nick Diaz, and other MW tourney hopefuls are expected for the show.
- Strikeforce MMA DVD Estimated Release Set for October 12
Strikeforce fans who have been patiently wondering when Strikeforce would be releasing their events or non-televised bouts to their fans will soon get their opportunity. Amazon.com and BestBuy is now accepting pre-orders for and upcoming 2 disc DVD release titled “Strikeforce MMA”, at the moment starring Alistair Overeem and Jake Shields and will contain 6 hours of content produced by Showtime Entertainment. The listing price is $20.99 and will be releasing on October 12, which is just a few days after their October event is rumored to take place.
Here is what Strikeforce said about the release:
It will be particular fights from 2010 and some added never before seen footage that our hard-core fans will enjoy.
- EA Sports MMA Release Set for October 19
The release of the EA Sports MMA video game is something that both EA and Strikeforce have been anticipating for quite some time. The excitement and synergy between both groups was apparent during E3, and both have high hopes for their video game release, hoping that it could be as influential and monumental as UFC Undisputed 2009 was for the UFC and THQ. The game is set for release on October 19th on both the XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 platforms. Pre-orders of the game, which gives fans exclusive content like Herschel Walker, can now be placed at GameStop, Amazon.com, Walmart, and Best Buy.
EA Sports has slowly announced fighters in their video game roster for months, leading up to their release date which is now only a couple months away and around the time of a planned CBS event, which should create buzz for the title release. Here is their latest announcement regarding complete roster reveal dates leading up to the release date:
Complete roster reveal by weight class starts 8/9 with heavyweights at easports.com/mma…..new update each Monday in August.
MMAPayout Perspective:
October will be a huge month for Strikeforce’s future, pulling all their big guns and hoping to make a permanent mark in the MMA landscape. The release of DVD set, a video game, and working for their return to CBS prime-time programming is all crucial in terms of their relevance in the MMA landscape, increasing brand awareness, and creating stars in their roster.
Strikeforce signing a deal with Collective Licensing International (CLI), which is now the manager of the Strikeforce brand and provides the rights to license and produce merchandising like footwear, apparel, accessories, and equipment will also be a key component to their growth. It will be interesting to see how that partnership benefits Strikeforce in the upcoming year and beyond, along with their other partners.
UFC and Social Media
June 10, 2010
Greg Ferenstein over at Mashable.com has written a very interesting piece detailing how the UFC uses social media, in particular Twitter, to communicate directly with its fans. He covers everything from the UFC’s social media boot camp, to Dana White’s rather candid approach to tweeting, and the unquantifiable power of Twitter.
Payout Perspective:
Most people are aware that Dana White has a Twitter (the UFC plugs this fact on every show), but few people understand exactly how he uses the account. He’s not just posting quick news hits, but also interacting with the fans: he’s answering their questions, giving away tickets, and occasionally telling people to get lost.
I tend to believe that one of the reasons why Twitter meshes so well with the MMA demographic is the nature of the 140 character messages lends itself well to the attention span and need for instant feedback that characterizes these fans. It’s a simple and efficient medium, but also flexible enough to afford a degree of creativity.
I’m not sure that Dana necessarily knew what he was getting into when he started Twitter, but I do think he and the UFC deserve credit for their willingness to explore every potential communicate medium possible. The company is doing its best to help fans consume content, regardless of the medium:
- Youtube
- UltimateFighter.com
- UFC Vault
- UFC on Demand
- Flo TV
- Roku
- UFClive.com (Germany)
- Sohu.com (China)
Perhaps the most interesting part of Ferenstein’s piece was the section that detailed Zuffa’s effort to push its fighters towards Twitter. The fighter summits are a good idea even just from a company culture and regulatory standpoint, but they become even more effective when you can leverage the meetings to begin teaching the fighters how to better market themselves and manage their daily lives outside of the cage (PR classes, personal wealth management seminars, etc.).
Rampage-Rashad Feud Gone Too Far?
May 20, 2010
Damon Martin of MMAWeekly helps to transcribe part of this week’s UFC 114 media conference call with Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson that, at several points, became quite heated. Martin then poses the following question:
When does trash talk become political talk become social commentary become hate speech? Were Evans and Jackson over the line with the way they went after each other in a public forum?
That’s a question that’s left to be answered by the public, but it would seem that the side show has diluted a great fight into a hate filled, anger ridden, controversy between two fighters who obviously do not like one another.
Payout Perspective:
Sports are a reflection of society – a reflection that can closely mirror many of the challenges that we all face in our daily lives and provide a platform for us to meet and address those challenges.
Thus, I have no issue with Rampage and Rashad’s escalating war of words. This feud, in many ways, embodies the real life tensions that our world faces today: issues of race, socio-demographics, sexual orientation, and sportsmanship (or lack thereof). These are not things to hide from, nor should they be eschewed to some dark corner of the sports world.
This is a fight sport, but it’s more than just a battle inside the cage – it’s an expression and embodiment of the issues above. Better to have those issues out in the open and this conflict channeled properly than to have it fester beneath the surface and explored in a less controlled environment.
—-
Regardless of what you think about the feud, it’s tough to deny that this will be a boon for UFC business. This fight will sell like gangbusters – impressive considering it’s not a title fight – and the winner of this fight walks away with a new level of popularity that he can take into his title shot to make that a massive event as well.
Fighters Only Inks Time Warner Deal
April 19, 2010
Fighters Only Magazine has announced the signing of a new distribution deal with Time Warner that will help expand the magazine’s presence throughout its UK and North American markets.
New York, NY (USA) – Fighters Only Magazine, the world’s biggest Mixed Martial Arts magazine, is set to dramatically expand its readership by signing an exclusive distribution deal with media powerhouse Time Warner. The partnership will allow Fighters Only to be represented at retail by a major force within the publishing industry. Time Warner Retail currently handles such titles as People Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Fortune and Time Magazine.
“We have found our home in Time Warner, alongside some of the biggest and best known magazines in the world” said Rob Hewitt President and CEO. “Fighters Only will benefit greatly from a powerful partner who will be able to fast track our publication into the hands of MMA fans everywhere by making sure it is seen and available for sale where others are not. Gone are the days we when had to batter down doors of retailers to get them to accept our product and its subject matter. This partnership is arguably one of the defining moments of our company’s history to date and will give us the ability to spread the word of MMA to a far greater audience.”
Dale Oehler, Senior Vice President of Time Warner Retail said, “Fighters Only is a quality publication of the highest standards and MMA is a sport on the ascendancy. Time Warner Retail is both proud and excited to enter into the combat sports arena with a company so dedicated to its product and more so the sport it represents. The passion of the Publisher has been infectious, so much so that our whole team are now fans of MMA! ”
Payout Perspective:
This is obviously great news for Fighters Only Magazine, especially after there was some concern earlier this year that MMA magazines were facing increasing financial pressure as the result of the slow decline of the print media industry (e.g., MMA Ultd). Not the case with Fighters Only.
The magazine held a very popular awards show in Las Vegas last year and just launched domestic versions of the magazine in the U.S., Canada, Germany, and South Africa last year.
UFC Theater Partnership Pays Dividends
April 5, 2010
UFC 111 marked the debut of the organization on the big screen as it partnered with NCM Fathom to broadcast the PPV live and in high definition across 309 theaters in the United States. We won’t receive any word on the success of the in-theater event for at least another week, but MMAPayout.com has learned that the extent to which NCM Fathom helped to promote UFC 111 within its theaters – something that highlights the value of partnerships like this one for the UFC.
In partnering with Fathom, the UFC reached audiences in 775 theaters (7,500+ screens) with a digital trailer running on the in-theater ad network and lobby entertainment network for a total of 31 million in-theater impressions. Movie-goers also saw posters in their local theaters as well as larger-than-life standees in 309 theaters that featured Georges St-Pierre and Dan Hardy in an 8-foot standee.
Fathom also developed a toolkit for fans to interact with the brand and each other over social networks like Facebook and Twitter. The kit enabled fans to view online trailers, download virtual badges, find links to UFC content and pages, and to sign up for web/newsletters.
On the PR side, Fathom also arranged to have several UFC and WEC personalities – approximately 20 in total – attend the event at their local movie theaters for a meet & greet session that involved pictures and autographs prior to the event viewing itself.
Payout Perspective:
Even if the results are somewhat modest in terms of the number of people that attended the live screening, the UFC has still come out far ahead on this deal. The company has found yet another distribution medium that offers a unique and captivating experience for fans. Perhaps more importantly, it’s also tapped into another advertising avenue that reaches a slightly different demographic than what they’d typically get from Spike or Versus.
The price point was the most criticized part of the deal – $25 is admittedly pretty steep – but I have a feeling the UFC and Fathom may look to re-evaluate the price depending on the results of this first event. You’ve got to think a product of this nature is going to be pretty price elastic; meaning that an increase in price will greatly reduce quantity sold. Typically, when that’s the case, it’s better for an organization to lower the price and increase quantity sold because the number of additional units moved exceeds the loss in revenue per unit, which ultimately leads to a greater profit.
Moreover, there are additional exposure effects to consider here – it’s not always about the short-term. If the UFC were to cut prices by $5-$10 on these tickets, the increase in the number of people attending would have positive future effects on the company’s awareness.
A live event is without question the best conversion tool this business has, but it might be the case that the in-theater experience becomes a close second. At that point, if you’re the UFC, you want to drive as many people to this theater experience as possible.
Integrated Marketing: Building the Next UFC 100
April 5, 2010
UFC 100 remains the most successful event in UFC history. The show sold over 1.62 million buys in North America and did a live gate of $5.1 million in the middle of what many financial pundits described as the worst recession in twenty years. Impressive, indeed.
However, since the Summer of 2009, the UFC hasn’t come close to repeating the PPV or live gate results enjoyed at UFC 100. Which begs the question: what exactly will it take to create another UFC 100? The answer: the same sort of massive integrated marketing effort that was employed the first time around.
In building UFC 100, the company established a strong foundation of interest and awareness with a solid product offering in the first half of the year – a series of very strong PPV cards built upon brilliant matchmaking and headline fights. Those PPV cards were then supplemented with a variety of free programming on the cable network Spike TV, a UFC video game in May, a superb marketing campaign, and an all-out PR blitz which fostered an unprecedented amount of media coverage.
The following is a summary of the integrated marketing pieces the UFC used to drive interest and awareness in the overall UFC brand, as well as direct interest in UFC 100:
PPV Fight Cards:
- UFC 91 (15/11/08): Couture vs. Lesnar, 900,000 buys
- UFC 92 (29/12/08): Griffin vs. Evans, 1,050,000 buys
- UFC 94: (31/1/09): St-Pierre vs. Penn II, 920,000 buys
- UFC 97: (18/4/09): Silva vs. Leites, 650,000 buys
- UFC 98: (23/05/09): Evans vs. Machida, 635,000 buys
All were exceptionally strong cards that compared very favorably to the UFC’s average event buyrate of 520,000 over the previous three years. By July, the UFC was up 62% year-to-date from 2008 in its buyrate total (it would end the year having increased total PPV sales by 30%).
Free Spike TV Content:
The UFC supplemented its tremendous PPV cards with a laundry list of free programming that gave MMA fans all they could watch; new and old.
In fact, a major component of the success of these PPV cards was the free corollary content that pushed viewers to the PPV by featuring behind the scenes footage of the fighters in their daily lives, training for fights. Countdown to UFC and UFC Primetime are the two shows designed to mimic HBO’s popular 24/7 series.
The Video Game, UFC Undisputed 2009:
The UFC partnered with esteemed action video game producer, THQ, to introduce its first video game in seven years with the release of UFC Undisputed 2009 for the Xbox 360 and PS3 on May 16th. The game sold 1.5 million copies in its first month and 3.5 million copies by December 2009.
UFC Undisputed 2009 served as a major cog in the UFC’s promotional wheel because it generated interest and awareness in millions of gamers by teaching them the sport and helping to familiarize them with the stars. These gamers, most aged 18-34, were all in the UFC’s demographic wheelhouse.
Moreover, at the time of the game’s release, the UFC was in the midst of trying to promote its “biggest event ever,” and received a big boost from THQ’s own advertising of the video game; which essentially doubled as UFC promotion.
Social Media Marketing:
There are few sports leagues in the world that use social media more effectively than the UFC; Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube have all become powerful tools for promoting the brand and its fighters.
The UFC’s President, Dana White, used Twitter to announce fights, contests, and to give away tickets. Not surprisingly, his account surpassed one million followers by June of 2009. His following on Youtube is no less impressive as his video logs – 8-10 minute video clips that capture his daily routine in the days leading up to an event – often garner more than 1 million views each.
The social media efforts only added to the regular marketing methods such as commercial spots on television programs with similar demographics, print ads in magazines such as SI and SI Swimsuit, and mega billboards in high traffic metropolitan areas throughout the United States.
PR Blitz:
Perhaps the strongest competency of the UFC is its public relations department; the organization truly gets it where PR is concerned, and it played as big a role in building the UFC 100 weekend as it did in building the UFC brand that we know today.
The UFC managed to cultivate major and unprecedented coverage of its events throughout the early part of 2009, including frequent ESPN coverage (SC, PTI, and ESPN Magazine, and ESPN’s various local radio stations) and USA Today. It seemed like Dana White and many of the fighters were in the news every two or three days; even with many traditional print outlets like the NY Times, LA Times, and Wall Street Journal.
The PR team was very effective at getting word to the press, and then having the press disseminate its message; this added another layer of legitimacy to the UFC and its 100th event. Perhaps most telling was that UFC 100 had more than 30 traditional outlet reporters in press row for the fight; compared to the average of 5 or 10 for any given regular fight.
UFC 100 Weekend:
The UFC also put together a fight card worthy of its centennial show by featuring its two brightest stars: Brock Lesnar and George St-Pierre. Both had worked to headline massive PPVs in the previous six months and were generating substantial interest online (google searches, UFC web hits, etc.)
The UFC also held its First Annual UFC Expo during UFC 100 weekend to further motivate UFC fans to make the trip down to Vegas for the centennial show. The Expo was billed as a celebration of MMA; and featured a tradeshow, world-class jiu-jitsu competitions, and a chance for fans to interact with the brand and its personalities.
Conclusion
The UFC didn’t just put a couple of great fighters on the card and hope that its centennial show would do the rest; the company actively utilized every inch of its marketing mix capacity to push this fight. They used creative corollary television programming, a superb PR blitz, social networking sites that were received quite well by its young audience, and a video game, all to generate the perfect storm of buzz for the event. Integrated marketing at its best.
Building the Next UFC 100
Can the UFC once again achieve the same sort of success it enjoyed with UFC 100? Absolutely.
If you look closely, you can see the same sort of elements aligning in the UFC’s marketing mix for UFC 116 that were present during the build to UFC 100. Brock Lesnar will once again be the catalyst, which isn’t surprising because his polarizing nature is exactly the type of casual draw that a massive integrated marketing effort can feed on. But, the event will also benefit from a series of strong fight cards have been put into place:
- UFC 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy, Carwin vs. Mir
- UFC 112: Silva vs. Maia, Penn vs. Edgar
- UFC 113: Machida vs. Rua II, Koscheck vs. Daley, and Kimbo
- UFC 114: Evans vs. Jackson, Nogueira vs. Griffin (Memorial Day Weekend and 2nd Annual UFC Expo)
- UFC 115: Liddell vs. Ortiz, Franklin vs. Couture (basically legend’s night)
The UFC will supplement these cards with a host of free content like TUF 11, Countdown to UFC, and perhaps even another UFC Primetime (Lesnar vs. Carwin, anyone?). The organization will also release the newest version of the video game on May 25th; again, strongly targeting its male 18-34 year-old demographic.
Where the media is concerned, UFC 116 looks to also benefit from more unprecedented coverage. MMA Live will move to ESPN 2 and TSN during the month of May on a trial basis – ESPN will also air two live pre-shows prior to UFC 113 and 114 – and I’m willing to bet that agreement will at least be extended through July and UFC 116, if not indefinitely. The network will undoubtedly want to cover Lesnar’s return to the octagon.
More press coverage will follow in the footsteps of ESPN and USA Today, because of the aforementioned momentum generated by numerous events and content. The organization’s rapid global expansion and fight for legalization in key regions will also benefit UFC 116. New and developing markets like Philadelphia, Vancouver, and Boston will perhaps show more interest than even what UFC 100 was able to generate – regions like New York and Ontario will also be watching closely.
Note that I haven’t even got into what the UFC will likely do or spend on the marketing side of things in the lead-up to this event.
I think you all get the point: UFC 116 has a legitimate shot to leverage a strong series of PPV events, another video game, unprecedented media coverage, and numerous fight story lines to make this event the biggest or second biggest event in UFC history.
TIME's Most Influential List: Dana White?
April 1, 2010
UFC President Dana White is currently amongst the 200 candidates eligible to be selected for TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People issue, which is to be released later this year. Here’s what the magazine had to say about him in his bio:
The sport White champions is officially called mixed martial arts, but he and his partners successfully branded it Ultimate Fighting, the name of their outfit, and that’s how it’s almost universally known — to the chagrin of other MMA organizers. By doing so, he has revived a spectacle that had fallen into such disrepute that it was once described as “human cockfighting.” Now professional boxing wishes it were Ultimate Fighting. White is the UFC’s public face, most pugnacious booster, No. 1 tweeter and most irrepressible fan — the ruler of Fight Club.
Payout Perspective:
This news is likely to be received as another sign that MMA – or perhaps more correctly, the UFC – is on its way up and slowly gaining mainstream acceptance. How could it not; I mean, Dana White in TIME Mag??
Sadly, I really don’t think it means much. Dana may join the likes of Barack Obama, Warren Buffett, and Bill Gates on the list, but he also shares the honor with the likes of Alec Baldwin and The Creators of Lost. The issue has very much become a measure of fan dedication; more a show of which celebrity has the most loyal fan base, rather than which individual has the most influence or even the most celebrity.
This all reminds me of the 100 Greatest Canadians poll run by the Canadian Broadcast Corporation about 5 years ago in which citizens were asked to vote online for whom they felt was the greatest Canuck of all-time. To be fair, the top ten individuals were merely placed in the select grouping by alphabetical order. However, the rest were ranked according to votes cast and a local Winnipeg radio DJ by the name of Hal Anderson ran a campaign during his daily morning show that ultimately saw him placed 34th on the all-time list – ahead of many great politicians, exemplary professionals, athletes, and social pioneers.
White’s candidacy shouldn’t be over-estimated.
MMAterial Facts (03/23/10): Exclusive Strikeforce Nashville CBS Promo Plus Analysis
March 23, 2010
CBS begins ad campaign for “Strikeforce: Nashville” during NCAA tourney
CBS will air a series of five- and 10-second spots promoting “Strikeforce: Nashville,” the second Strikeforce card to air on the network, beginning today during the opening round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Kelly Kahl, senior executive vice president for CBS Primetime, said the network is banking on the wildly popular series to drive interest in the April 17 MMA event.
“As the tournament goes on, the ratings tend to get heavier, so that’s where it really counts to have some spots,” Kahl told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) Wednesday. (MMAJunkie)
***
STRIKEFORCE: APRIL 17, 2010 ON CBS
Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee
CBS Main Card:
Jake Shields (24-4-1) [SF MW Champ] vs. Dan Henderson (25-7)
Gegard Mousasi (28-2-1) [SF LHW Champ] vs. “King Mo” Lawal (6-0)
Shinya Aoki (23-4) [DREAM LW Champ] vs. Gilbert Melendez (17-2) [SF LW Champ]
Rumored Prelims:
Bobby Lashley (5-0) vs. TBA (SWING BOUT/ CBS Bout)
Cody Floyd (5-0 am, 0-0 pro) vs. Thomas Campbell (17-2-1 am, 0-0 pro)
Cale Yarbrough (6-1) vs. Josh Schockman (3-2)
Andy Uhrich (5-1) vs. Dustin West (2-2)
Ovince St. Preux (4-4) vs. Chris Hawk (3-4)
Hunter Worsham (5-1) vs. Zach Underwood (4-0)
Dustin Ortiz (1-0) vs. Justin Pennington (0-0)
* MMAPayout thanks PROMMA for information relating to the under-card.
MMAPayout Notes: Analysis of Strikeforce Nashville Promotional Efforts
It’s arguable that one of the biggest issues regarding Strikeforce is the manner in which they promote their events. Promotional and advertising material is not cheap, but it goes a long way into not only selling the fights, but also building your brand and your fanbase. We will recap the promotional efforts so far:
1) CBS, NCAA Tournament: CBS executive Kelly Kahl has assured MMA fans that CBS and Strikeforce will use the NCAA tournament as a key promotional tool for the Nashville event. Some fans expressed concern that the ad spots they saw only lasted a few seconds and were not very effective. This is a legitimate concern, though Kahl has stated that the first set of commercials were “teasers”, which are meant to catch the viewers attention. As we approach April 17th, the commercials will increase in length and be placed in key rating-heavy spots. Something that jumped out at me in the CBS promo (posted above) is the added effort to promote the Strikeforce name and brand instead of promoting the event as “Saturday Night Fights”, as they have done in the past.
2) CBS, NCIS: Los Angeles, CBS and Strikeforce have scheduled Strikeforce fighters to appear on the CBS hit NCIS: Los Angeles. Strikeforce fighters Dan Henderson, Frank Shamrock, K.J. Noons, Cung Le, Josh Thomson, and Gilbert Melendez are all scheduled to appear on the show. The episode is set to air on Tuesday, April 6th at 9:00 PM EST/PST on CBS, 11 days before the 4/17 event.
3) MTV: Strikeforce and CBS scheduled their fighters to appear on MTV2 for the Rock N Jock Countdown, which aired on March 6 and March 13. Muhummad “King Mo” Lawal, Miesha Tate, Bully Beatdown host Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Josh Thomson, Scott Smith, and Lavar Johnson were all scheduled to make appearances.
4) Radio: WHO: Undefeated STRIKEFORCE MMA World Championship Challenger “King Mo” Lawal
WHERE: Tomorrow/Wednesday, March 24 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on “The All Out Show with Rude Jude & Lord Sear” on Sirius XM Radio (channel 45 on Sirius, channel 66 on XM)
WHAT: LIVE interview on “The All Out Show with Rude Jude & Lord Sear” on Shade 45 on Sirius XM.
5) Advertisement through Sponsors and Partners: EA, Rockstar, and DREAM have all been doing their share to promote the 4/17 Nashville event.
- EA Sports MMA: In addition to sponsoring Strikeforce fighters and making fighter announcements before events, EA Sports MMA has a well placed poster of the event on their home page. A few weeks ago, a gameplay video of EA MMA surfaced, which featured many Strikeforce fighters as well as the Strikeforce promotion and brand in the game.
- Rockstar: In addition to sponsoring fighters, Rockstar has also released a small promo video of the 4/17 event.
- DREAM: During the DREAM.13 broadcast on HDNet Monday morning, the DREAM vs Strikeforce theme was a heavily mentioned, and promotional content was sprinkled throughout the event, featured in introduction videos and during the DREAM vs Strikeforce matches. Shinya Aoki vs Gilbert Melendez was getting a good amount of hype during the event.
Though Strikeforce seems to be doing one of their better jobs of promoting this event, there are a few questions that are still unanswered. Will they do any other form advertising other than television? (radio, print, PR releases, conference calls, etc) to hit the consumer from different angles? Another legitimate concern is that Strikeforce still seems to be targeting the hardcore fans, and one has to wonder if they will be able to reach the casuals. EA Sports MMA, HDNet, and MTV2 have a very narrow reach, and no one is sure how CBS/Strikeforce are planning on promoting the brand or the event during the NCIS: Los Angeles taping, or how effective that will be on the shows current fan base. One thing that they do have going for them is the NCAA tournament, which propelled EliteXC and Kimbo Slice to have a success debut on CBS. Strikeforce and CBS are once again hoping for a similar outcome.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
QUICK HITS
- Bibiano Fernandes retains title, Josh Barnett and K.J. Noons victorious at DREAM.13 (MMAJunkie)
- UFC on Versus 1 draws reported soldout crowd of 6,443 for $568K gate (MMAJunkie)
- White says April 17 show was never planned, guarantees Strikeforce’s demise (MMAJunkie)
- “EA Sports MMA” adds UFC’s Matyushenko, DREAM’s Hansen and Barnett to roster (MMAJunkie)
- White says “we’d love to take” Shields, plays coy regarding Emelianenko (MMAJunkie)
- Dos Santos Is Out of Big Nog’s Shadow (MMAFighting)
- Gomi: Elbows Will Be Biggest Adjustment (MMAFighting)
- Blog: UFC on Versus Post-Mortem (Sherdog)
- Weekend Rundown: Rodriguez Wins, Hill Falls at XKL ‘Evolution’ (Sherdog)
- SHANE CARWIN ON LESNAR, MIR, AND INTERIM TITLE (MMAWeekly)
- STRIKEFORCE PLANS HEAVY CARD ON MAY 15 (VIDEO) (MMAWeekly)
- Ouch! Vera’s face broken from Jones elbow (Cage Writer)
- Free SHOWTIME preview weekend “Strikeforce Challengers” and “Super Six” (FiveOuncesOfPain)
- Jon Jones, Dana White Talk UFC on Versus Results (Heavy)
TV LISTINGS
- HDNet Fights Vault (Eddie Alvarez) at 8 PM ET on HDNet (03/26/10)
- InsideMMA (Wanderlei Silva, Joe Soto, Shane Carwin) at 9 PM ET on HDNet (03/26/10)
- HDNet Fights: King of the Cage “Legacy” at 10 PM ET on HDNet (03/26/10)
- Strikeforce Challengers: Johnson vs Mahe at 11 PM ET/PT on Showtime (03/26/10)
- UFC 111: GSP vs Hardy at 10 PM ET on PPV (03/27/10)
- HDNet Fights Presents DREAM.13 at 11 PM ET on HDNet (03/27/10)
UPCOMING EVENTS
- HDNet Fights: King of the Cage – Legacy at 10 PM ET on HDNet (03/26/10)
- Strikeforce Challengers: Johnson vs Mahe at 11 PM ET/PT on Showtime (03/26/10)
- UFC 111: GSP vs Hardy at 10 PM ET on PPV (03/27/10)
- UFN 21 : Florian vs Gomi at 10 PM ET on Spike (03/31/10)
- The Ultimate Fighter 11 Debut after UFN 21 on Spike (03/31/10)
MMA Worldwide Expands to ESPN Radio in So Cal
March 12, 2010
MMA WORLDWIDE EXPANDS TO ESPN RADIO IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
March 12, 2010 – MMA WORLDWIDE, CYPRESS, CA – The multi-media company today announced the addition of MMA Worldwide Live, a mixed martial arts (MMA) radio show on 710 ESPN, set to go live on March 18.
The one hour show will be hosted by MMA Worldwide Editor-in-Chief RJ Clifford from 10:00PM to 11:00PM on Thursday or Friday nights. The show (call letters: KSPN AM) will cover all facets of the MMA industry from upcoming fights to the personalities that make it happen. The show will also be available via pod cast on www.espnlosangeles.com.
MMA Worldwide Live will reach listeners throughout the Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and San Diego, in addition to being streamed online worldwide.
“MMA Worldwide Live will be a unique MMA show from a unique perspective,” said host RJ Clifford. “As editor for both TapouT and MMA Worldwide, along with my experience in radio and being a professional fighter, I will share my insight on the sport that delves into subjects the fans care about. I was born and raised in Southern California and this place is the Mecca of MMA!”
The show will tie into the monthly magazines and cross over to other platforms the company (www.mmaworldwide.com) is currently developing. “All the great stuff you read in our publications can now be heard over the Los Angeles airwaves,” said Clifford.
“This prestigious network will now feature our brand of MMA and it doesn’t get any better than 710 ESPN,” said Robert Pittman Sr., Chairman of MMA Worldwide. “This isn’t internet or satellite; this is the real deal. I am very proud of our team and what we have accomplished in such a short time. With the professional way we conduct business, we intend on making 710 ESPN proud of MMA.”
ABOUT MMA WORLDWIDE:
MMA Worldwide is the first MMA multi-media company with two nationally-distributed magazines, with state of the art digital versions (TapouT and MMA Worldwide), a tour bus and group, a TV series on HDNET, an interactive website and now a radio show. Sponsors and advertisers wishing to take advantage of this new platform can contact Doug Francis, MMA Worldwide VP of Sales, at doug@mmaworldwide.com or by phone at (714) 226-0585.
About 710 ESPN:
710 ESPN (KSPN) is the #1 Sports Talk station in Los Angeles. Reaching nearly 1 million listeners weekly, KSPN is also the broadcast home of the Los Angeles Lakers and the USC Trojans.
