The Sports Business Journal has nominated the UFC for “Pro Sports League of the Year.” The UFC will compete with the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLS as the top sports league of the year. The winners will be revealed at a ceremony May 18th.
MMA Junkie reports:
Editors, writers and researchers from the “SportsBusiness Journal” and “SportsBusiness Daily” determined the list of nominees based on excellence, growth, creativity, innovation, sound planning, implementation and outcomes. An external panel of judges from the sports industry and “SportsBusiness” staffers ultimately will decide the winners.
With continued international expansion, record pay-per-view revenue and an increasing TV and online presence, 2010 was another banner year for the UFC. The 17-year-old company has attacked the MMA market in all forms of media and with the world’s most impressive roster of talent. As many organizations faced a decline or near-bankruptcy in 2010, the UFC continued to grow, especially following its merger with the WEC. In fact, just this past weekend, the Las Vegas-based promotion announced the purchase of its biggest competitor, Strikeforce.
Payout Perspective:
Its nice to see the UFC receive some recognition from a mainstream outlet. Certainly, the ads (not lobbying for the award, just regular ads) the UFC purchased in the SBJ print edition could not have hurt either. Notwithstanding the cynicism, I would think that the UFC should win this award. As MMA Junkie outlines, it has accomplished a lot in the past year and is already surpassing it in 2011. This work, compared to the current labor troubles in the NFL and NBA make it a strong choice for the award. With its success, its too bad Dana White was not nominated for Sports Exec of the Year.
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