UFC goes 3D in 2012

Variety reports that the UFC has partnered with digital cinema company Cinedigm to bring four events to movie theaters in 3D in 2012. The first event will be Super Bowl weekend, February 4, 2012.

Via Variety:

February’s event will be shown in 120 theaters in the U.S. — a good starting point for the series, Cinedigm chairman-CEO Chris McGurk told Variety. “The important thing is to fill up those theaters, and I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” he said.

Cinedigm’s goal is to make movie theatres “appointment programming.”

Payout Perspective:

The last time the UFC flirted with 3D was for UFC on Versus 3. This experiment will be interesting considering the push for 3D in sports. It seems a little early for this but the UFC has always been on the cutting edge when it comes to new forms of media. The price point will play a big role in deciding whether to pay to go to a theatre to watch an event. The February 4th UFC event could have Chael Sonnen facing Anderson Silva in what will be a much hyped match.

With 34 events scheduled for 2012, it seems hard for consumers to consistently purchase UFC PPVs. This can be an interesting alternative than going to a bar. I have always been skeptical about live events playing in theatres so we will see how this will be marketed and how many people take advantage.