MMA Junkie reports that The World Series of Fighting has signed a three-year deal with NBC Sports Network. WSOF aired its debut card on the network last November to good reviews.
The deal is for a minimum of six events that will be aired and streamed on NBCSports.com. WSOF paid NBC Sports Network to air its show in November in hopes that a longer deal would happen.
NBC Sports Network is available to 80 million households. The network is likely looking for live content as its studio shows has provided low ratings.
Payout Perspective:
Prior to the NHL returning to the NBC Sports, there was a report that the network suffered from extremely low ratings. As stated above, it was due in part to the low ratings of its non-sports content. The WSOF signing gives the network live content to supplement its current inventory. It already airs live boxing on a quarterly basis which garnered good ratings for the network and a show on NBC. Overall, Its a good move for both parties.
WSOF will have a chance to draw an audience and gives them a chance to develop some fighters under the agreement. While there is a 6 event minimum, I would suspect that WSOF hopes to produce more. On a broader scale, it’s a good sign for MMA. With UFC’s Fox contract, Bellator on Spike TV and now WSOF on NBCSN, there are ample outlets for the sport.
Big things happening. Props to them.
Any idea of the $$$ involved?
I dont get it. IS this a tv deal or are their events going to be streamed on their website? Or streamed live and shown on NBC Sports tv at a later date? Condusing how it is written and not specific enough.
My takeaway from this news is that MMA must be doing pretty well for NBC sports to be signing a no-name brand like the World Series of Fighting.
I wonder if anyone in the upper echelons of ViaCom are cursing themselves that they did not hang on to the UFC?
I dont think Viacom are curing themselves yet. IT would have cost them roughly 100 million a year for the UFC. So i dont think they will be sorry they didnt sign the UFC until the Bellator ratings drop and their attempts to built it with TNA and their reality show fail. IF in 2 years they have put any kind of investment in Bellator and it still isnt getting 1 million viewers consistantly i think they will be kicking themselves. As of now they are getting some ratings and still have most of that 100 million per year in their pocket.
You are probably right–it is early still for execs in ViaCom to be regretting their decision not to keep the UFC on board–some big losses are required first.
I saw the Bellator reality show press conference and thought they were handling themselves well given what they have to work with.
But I think ViaCom/Spike/Bellator are not really understanding the dynamic here. Without top world class talent–they will have a tough time succeeding.
Let’s say one of our legendary MMA ‘casual’ fans finishes watching Manswers or 1000 Ways to Die–and notices the Bellator offering–and becomes a more hardcore MMA fan. What will this newly created hardcore fan do?
Switch the channel and watch the UFC on Fox, FX or Fuel.
The more Bellator succeeds in converting casual fans to hardcore fans–the more they will lose viewers to the ‘Big Show’ at the UFC and Fox.
As long as there is such a vast difference of talent and ‘names’ between the two promotions–Bellator is going to be running uphill.