The UFC announced the debut of “UFC Central” on UFC.tv for this Saturday at UFC 129. The UFC is encouraging fans to purchase the PPV online and experience the UFC’s comprehensive coverage.
Via UFC press release:
UFC Central, which begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, will feature pre-fight analysis and be available for free during the first hour onUFC.TV. Once the UFC 129 live broadcast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, UFC Central will only be available to fans that purchased the event for viewing on UFC.TV and will capture interviews with fighters on the fight card during the live broadcast as well as other analyst commentary.
UFC Central will be offered as a seventh video feed and fifth audio feed, leveraging UFC.TV‘s multi-camera view and multi-audio feed experience. During the live event, fans will have the option inside of UFC.TV to select UFC Central as the main broadcast; or, drag and drop it into Picture-n-Picture or Quad View so that UFC Central can be watched and/or listened to alongside the broadcast of the main fight card.
Immediately following the live broadcast, UFC Central will be offered for free at UFC.TV with post-fight analysis, making it the ultimate destination for the most comprehensive UFC 129 news.
Payout Perspective:
Whether you like it or not, you will eventually tap to the internet. At least that is the hope of the UFC as it pushes viewers to get used to watching its product on the internet. UFC.tv has been playing a free fight a day for several days to get fans to check out UFC.tv. Not only are the fights hyping the 129 card, it also familiarizes users to the web site. If there are no bugs with the technology, this could be a novel viewing experience for UFC fans as they get pre-fight analysis, backstage reporting and post-fight reaction.
The possible theory of why the UFC is pushing UFC.tv is to wean fans of off TV PPV with the eventual hope that the UFC cuts out the middleman by having viewers pay the UFC directly for its fights. The only problem with this is that it is negates having viewing parties and watching at bars. It is hard to fathom having 10 buddies gathering around a computer to watch fights.
“It is hard to fathom having 10 buddies gathering around a computer to watch fights.”
It’s a simple enough matter to port the video output of your computer over to your TV. I don’t see that being an issue.
Sadly, in my experience very few people even know that you can connect a computer to most TVs nowadays. While most people are aware of HDMI, it seems like not a lot of people know about S-Video and DVI connections, which are still the primary methods of connecting to TVs for older computers.
Perhaps the UFC should attempt to make people aware that they can do this?
To get people to output their PC to the TV takes a little bit of enculturation.
I’ve done it with the ufc.tv feed and it’s pretty fun, but it was only with a few other people sharing the experience. In a room full of doods, messing with the screen might not be so good.
Overall I really like what ufc.tv offers, but the pricing is an issue.
^^^^lol
do you guys not realize that internet t.v is hear and the next big thing. google tv, apple t.v and all these other companies are bringing the internet to the living room.
ufc.tv app for google t.v, apple t.v etc is what this will be. there just testing it out now.
your smartphone will be the remote
@MV: Maybe the UFC should have Arianny or Brittany Palmer do a “how to” video as to setting up a TV to the computer. This should get the target demos attention.
While I understand the ease of setting up a computer to a TV, its just as easy to hit a button to get the PPV on TV. I applaud the early adapters to the technology, but many folks just want to watch the fight.
I always thought it would be a good idea if the UFC partnered with XBOX live or PSN…your HDTV is already hooked up to it and most are already connected to the web.
Just an idea.