The UFC has announced that UFC 168 set for Saturday, December 28th will now be available via closed-circuit telecast at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Tickets for closed-circuit will be $60 each.
The card is nearing a sellout with scattered single tickets left in the highest price bracket ($1,038.35 per ticket according to Ticketmaster on Friday afternoon). The headliners feature Chris Weidman defending his UFC middleweight championship against Anderson Silva and Ronda Rousey defending her bantamweight title against Miesha Tate.
H/t: @kidceej at MMA Mania
Payout Perspective:
It should be no surprise that the UFC is pulling out all of the stops for this card. It has already bumped up the PPV price by $5 which should pull in more revenue in the end. The closed-circuit option is smart as it provides a way for those not wanting to buy from scalpers but still want to see the fights. It also should pull in some of the holiday crowd coming into Vegas for the glut of Bowl games.
Can someone confirm to me exactly what this is as we don’t have it in the uk. Is it just watching the event on a big screen in an auditorium? If so is the only benefit to this expensive (compared to splitting a PPV with friends) option the atmosphere?
This is the UFC’s last attempt to get a decent ppv revenue for 2013, obviously 167 was bad for them. Still no official numbers and its been a month. close-circuit is a way, boxing has used it for decades, to generate more buys before there was ppv. I rather sit in a casino bar and eat peanuts than sit in some theater. The UFC is trying everything and anything they can to stay somewhat relevant. Truth is they need to expand on what works for them before they alienate the hardcore fans and have nothing. But instead they expect us to pay out the nose to watch a rematch of a champ that doesn’t even speak English, has les then exciting fights, unless he loses, and a women champ who is a novelty at best, After fans supported this years TUF week in and week out now we get effed and have to pay more to watch a rematch fight that will most likely end in a boring arm bar, please wake me up when this nonsense is over. Then we have the so called best martial artist in the world avenge his loss for basically acting like a stupid monkey. If Spider and Rousey lose what will the UFC have??? I hope the Brazilian fans enjoy more FREE UFC events while we pay more!! I wonder how many Brazilians would watch if they had to pay $50 US? Thanks for this great X mas gift of coal from the greedy Zuffa. Why not let the Brazilians pay for one and let us get a ppv for free??
Get ready to pay more in 2014 folks, doesn’t look like a good year for UFC.