MMA Junkie reports that FS1 will air the UFC 165 main card in its entirety on Thursday. The card was highlighted by Jon Jones’ title defense against Alesander Gustaffson.
The PPV replay airs as part of a special three-part special “UFC Reloaded” starting at 5pm PT/8PM ET. In addition to Jones-Gus, you will also get to see Renan Barao defend his title against Eddie Wineland.
Payout Perspective:
One would think that showing UFC 165 is part of the hype for this weekend’s UFC 166 featuring Junior dos Santos versus Cain Velasquez. It’s an interesting programming move although I’m not sure how well the rebroadcast will do especially opposite NFL Thursday Night Football. I do not think that showing the PPV so close to when it actually took place is good precedent. While the UFC is known for rebroadcasting PPV fights on its UFC Reloaded shows several months after the event, this fight is fresh in everyone’s mind. If this becomes the norm, it may give incentive for those not wanting to buy a PPV to wait for the free rerun to come out a couple weeks later.
Great move on the UFC’s part. There is always a risk give a PPV to close to the air day. If you do it consistently some will hold out for the free broadcast. BUT this is different. This is a first time thing so until people know for sure there will be a replay they cant skip the PPV. But most importantly this was not a huge PPV as far as buy rates or at least as far as hype goes. So few people seen it which means few people will care about the rematch. I don’t think this is so much to hype 166 as it is to lay the ground work for the rematch to this fight. Remember I said it was best for Jones to fight Glover to give them time to build the rematch and get the word out how good the fight was. Everyone who seen the fight already has a reason to buy the rematch. Now its time to give everyone who missed it a reason to buy it. Here it is..
Good timing too. To long an it is just another Reloaded. To soon and you effect the replay purchases of the PPV. This should be good for the UFC and good for FS1.
Boxing shows them on a week delay all the time. I don’t know many people that will not watch a sporting event because they can watch it a week later. If they were showing a free replay on Sunday, that would be different, but I doubt many people that are big enough fans to pay $50 for it, wait a couple weeks to watch it and feel as satisfied as watching it live.
I actually think it would be a good idea for the UFC to air each PPV like this a week to a month after the live show. The UFC has a large young fanbase who cant buy PPVs. Being able to keep them in the loop so they can follow the sport would keep them interested and grow that demographic. One day they will be in a position to pay. This might be more appealing to those young people who end up streaming the fights too. They get a better quality broadcast on the replay and the UFC gets the ratings. The people who watch it live and pay will pretty much always do so. But this way would allow those who don’t or can to still follow the sport. Then they are watching so they can get caught up in the hype of a match up or fighter. When that happens they wont wait for a replay. They will buy too. But if those people are left out. Then it is hard for the UFC to grow any demographic.
I think this idea will depend on what kind of ratings this replay gets.