The Canadian movie theatre chain Cineplex has announced that it will offer UFC events at 27 different locations across the country starting with UFC 111 on March 27th. The price has been confirmed at $19.95 plus tax.
Here’s a list of the theatres involved:
ALBERTA
Cineplex Odeon Sunridge Spectrum, Calgary
Scotiabank Theatre, Edmonton
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Cineplex Odeon Aberdeen Mall, Kamloops
Colossus, Langley
Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo, Nanaimo
SilverCity Coquitlam, Coquitlam
SilverCity Riverport, Richmond
SilverCity Tillicum, Victoria
MANITOBA
SilverCity Polo Park, Winnipeg
ONTARIO
Cineplex Odeon Eglinton Town Centre, Toronto
Cineplex Odeon Queensway, Toronto
Scotiabank Theatre, Toronto
Colossus Toronto, Woodbridge
SilverCity, Brampton
SilverCity Gloucester, Ottawa
SilverCity, Hamilton
SilverCity, London
SilverCity, Windsor
QUEBEC
Cineplex Odeon Beauport, Quebec City
Cineplex Odeon Brossard, Montreal
Galaxy Cinemas Sherbrooke,
StarCite, Montreal
Scotiabank Theatre, Montreal
Coliseum Kirkland, Montreal
Colossus, Laval
SASKATCHEWAN
Galaxy Cinemas, Regina
Galaxy Cinemas, Saskatoon
TOTAL LOCATIONS – #27
It will be interesting to see how this catches on. Personally, the opportunity to pay a $20 cover and not be able to have a beer isn’t a very good deal. I can go to a local sports bar and get a great seat in front of a big screen for $10, and still get a drink or two. Better yet, I enjoy watching at home so that there are less things going on and I can focus on the broadcast.
It also doesn’t make sense from the standpoint of watching with a group of your friends, as you could watch at home for $50 total. Unlike the WWE who had a fair amount of sucsess doing this, I think the older demographic of UFC fans will prevent this from being very sucsessful.
I attempted an online purchase for the Scotiabank theater location in Toronto. For 2 tickets the following is the net.
THEATRE ADULT: 2 x $22.95 = $45.90
Subtotal: $45.90
Service Charge: $0.00
TOTAL: $45.90
That’s pretty hefty for 2 people as the PPV would cost that much and you can have as many friends over as you wish. The only reason I think this might be a tad successful is that
1) GSP is fighting on the card and in Canada that’s a big deal
2) The younger fan base that can not get into a bar may find this appealing
3) Catch it once for the experience
There are many reason why this could be successful. Some PPV providers have turned cable and satelite accounts into almost credit card accounts. Some people may be very limited in what they can and cant order on their TV. Also some may not like the ideo of running of their cable bill(sounds strange because $40 is $40 no matter how you are charged but i have heard this excuse). There is also something to be said for the large picture and sound quality not to mention the atmosphere of a theatre. Its a lot better than a bar with lots of people who could careless about the fights and 10 other TVs with other sports and not being able to hear the broadcast.
I think the person the theatre experience will appear more to is the couples. The boyfirend/girlfriend husband/wife. Instead of the husband watching by himself or with the wife at home. He can now make it into a “night out” and make an event of it and get away. This is also a good thing for anyone who may have to watch alone.
This probabley isnt the best option for the group of 5 friends who get together. especially is some are casual fans. I doubt you can be doing anything but giving the fights your undivided attention. So no socializing for the noobs like you can at home or at a bar.
If I ever tried to take my wife out to the movies to watch UFC, I’d be divorced LOL
Well if you were going to be watching them anyway. Im sure she would rather it be at a theatre than at home. My friends watch the events with their wives and girl friends all the time. Im sure the ladies would rather watch at the movies.
I watch all the events with a group of 5 or more ussually. And all of us would like to try the movie theatre to see what its like. As a group it will be pricey. BUt the energy of a large croud only there for the fights, the large screen and great sound should make the event very exciting. The energy is something you cant get except for being there live but a theatre will shopuld give a small taste. To bad the closest theatre showing the fights in over 2 hours away.
Energy at the fights is why i like live events. I am the kind of person who like to break fights down and study the fights as they happen. So live fights are not as useful as seeing on TV. But there is still nothing like being there in person. Maybe the theatre will be a little closer to bridging that gap.