As the result of my move to Eugene, OR, I’ve been relatively out of commission for the last 2-3 days. So, in an attempt to bring MMAPayout.com readers up to speed on some of what we’ve failed to cover in the last few days, here are two of the non-102 storylines coming out of the weekend:
Versus, DirecTV Disconnect in Carriage Dispute
The Versus-DirecTV spat is another situation which hasn’t fully developed yet. At the request of Comcast – owner of the Versus cable network – the channel has been pulled from the DirecTV line-up.
Much of the typical negotiation posturing is taking place here: DirecTV claim that Versus wants too much, and the owner of Versus, Comcast (who happens to be a TV provider rival to Direc) has ordered the channel removed from line-ups.
However, let’s be perfectly clear: DirecTV yanking Versus does not mean no one can watch the network. DirecTV accounts for a material share of Versus’ estimated 75 million subscriber base – perhaps as much as 20% – but they don’t have complete negotiating leverage. In other words, Versus can still air its programming and survive to some extent. Do they need and want DirecTV’s business back at some point? Obviously.
I suspect the situation will be resolved within the next few weeks; and from an MMA perspective, hopefully before October 10th. The network has a great deal of exclusive programming coming up and DirecTV is probably banking on them coming back to the table in order to maximize the exposure these events receive:
- College football starting in September: Texas vs. Wyoming and FSU vs. BYU
- The NHL regular season in October
- WEC events: October 10th, November 11th, etc.
Dana White Has Another Network TV Meeting
I was hesitant to cover Dana’s comments, because it’s really not news per se. The UFC has been in talks and attending a series of meeting with various different networks for some time now.
We know that a network TV deal would be a great platform to help push the UFC towards even greater mainstream popularity. The new support would increase PPV buys, increase the value of sponsorship (event, fighter, or televised advertisement value), and increase sales related to merchandise and other ancillary streams.
There’s simply not a whole lot more to add until we know what the deal is and who the deal is with.
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