The Vancouver Sun reports on the UFC having to play second fiddle with the NHL this weekend. With the Canucks in the Stanley Cup Final and playing Friday night, the city is preoccupied with its hockey team.
In addition to sharing the city, UFC 131 took a huge hit when PPV king Brock Lesnar had to pull out with another bout of diverticulitis. As a result, ticket sales for the event have been sluggish.
While last year’s Vancouver event featuring Chuck Liddell and Rich Franklin sold out in 30 minutes, this year’s show is not a sellout as of yesterday.
However, secondary market ticket prices for Game 5 of the NHL’s Stanley Cup Final have dropped dramatically according to a tweet from CNBC’s Darren Rovell. Rovell later opined in a tweet that it may be due to the fact that Vancouver fans are not used to the exorbitant prices of the seondary market.
Payout Perspective:
The sluggish ticket sales for UFC 131 are not surprising considering Brock Lesnar having to pull out of the main event and a less than notable undercard. Certainly, the Canucks in the Stanley Cup has pre-occupied the city, and rightfully so. With the series tied 2-2, tonight’s game is crucial for Vancouver. The local press for the event may have been less than last year due to hockey since making the Final is much less frequent than the UFC returning to the city. Despite not being the only game in town, I don’t see it hurting a return to Vancouver. And, while ticket sales have been slow, I expect UFC 131 to sell out.
Leave a Reply