On Thursday morning, UFC president Dana White was a featured guest at the NeuLion Sports Media & Technology Conference. The conference which centered on the future of sports media technology had White as one of its key speakers to talk about the company.
Notably, White addressed the issue of low PPV numbers. He acknowledged the PPV decline this year but indicated that when “big events happen, the pay-per-view numbers will come back.” And while the UFC generates a healthy amount of its revenue from PPV, White stressed that it is “much more” than a PPV company. He stressed the UFC’s broadcast deal with Fox, TUF and the growth of the brand in global markets. White stated that while the company hears the “negative stuff” in the U.S., its global strategy is doing well.
After the session, White gave an interview with SMT Live. In the interview, he talks about the globalization of the sport and brought up Connor McGregor, GSP and Michael Bisping as examples of fighters with huge backing based upon their country of origin.
White talked about Fight Pass and gave the number that 65-70% of its business outside of the U.S. is related to its digital network.
When discussing its television deals around the world he mentioned Fox, Globo (Brazil), BT Sport (UK), Abu Dhabi Media (Middle East), TV3 (Ireland) and Fox (Australia/New Zealand). White stated that there were more but did not name them.
Other points:
He mentioned the expansion of UFC Gyms. According to White, there are over 100 UFC Gyms with over 100,000 members.
He talked about the UFC relationship with EA and spoke about how the video game educates the users about MMA.
White also spoke about the variety of fight statistics that are out there now and how it has added to the sport of MMA.
Payout Perspective:
The tie-in to this media and tech conference is that NeuLion works with the UFC on Fight Pass. The message from White is that the UFC’s strategy is much more than PPV revenue. Specifically, the UFC is doing well overseas despite the porous news in the U.S. The message Thursday was that the UFC business growth is based on its overseas expansion and television deals. As for addressing the PPV numbers, there was not much White could say other than the tacit admission that there have not been big events on PPV this year that would garner huge buy rates.
YAWN!!
Time for your diaper change Sal.
No its time for dana and losers like yourself to stop with this utter bullshit! Other then GSP the other fighters he named are about as much important to the total success of the UFC expansion as D’s valiant fight to leave India and actually take a shit in a toilet. Dana trying to downplay ppv and up play a losing expansion and losing TV deal is laughable!! Only an idiot who grew up like a savage in a filthy country with filthy parents would have to agree with Dana hahahahaha But we all know D is a paid blogger with no other option for a few dollars bahahhaa Oh and GSP isn’t fighting anymore you fuck tard Dana !!!! The other 2 combined art even close to the top draws. They would both have to fight and sellout every show outside the USA Dana must think we are all a bunch of idiots .. FOX tv deal hahahahaha FAIL!!!
I hear the Televisa contract is one of those “exposure” contracts. Translation: Profitable only for the network, kind of like “We won’t pay you much but give you exposure” type of deal. Televisa is the biggest Spanish language media conglomerate so they probably play that card all the time.
I’ve been looking for one of those Doritos UFC 180 bags, can’t find anything… If I do I’ll post a picture.
Saldaqueef off his meds on on the gay Bob Arum diet once again. He’s got some sort of India fetish, I’m assuming that has something to do with his gay stuff with old dirty Bob.
What is really amusing is that this guy is like 50 years old and his world revolves around these mentally ill tirades about India, Dana White, UFC FOX deal, etc. Mall shooter alarming stuff here.
Logical, you present some really strong evidence here: “I HEAR the Televisa contract is one of those “exposure” contracts.”
“He acknowledged the PPV decline this year but indicated that when “big events happen, the pay-per-view numbers will come back.”
Yea but Uncle Dana you have to stop watering down cards and spreading yourselves so thin to even make “big events” a possibility. Having a shit main card and expecting people to pay $60 is not working huh? Time to go back to what works and see if PPV can be salvaged.
D’lusional is nervous already. Imagine if the 2015 UFC schedule is = or > than 2014? Right now 1 good event is spread into 3 mediocre ones. D..d..d..disaster?!
@Logical – If you do find a Doritos bag for UFC 180, we’d be interested on seeing it . Certainly a collector’s item. Don’t open the bag. 🙂
HAHAHA!! Leon the Schmo is the only nervous one grasping for any straw. Look how desperate he was to have the Silva-Diaz card scrapped. Moron.
2015…..Leon the Schmo!
Interesting how DW addressed low-ppv numbers when they typically are hush hush about this. It just adds credibility to Dave Meltzer’s “guesstimates.”
Good to see DW acknowledging unspectacular events, and not laying all the blame on injuries, for the cause of these low numbers. Unlike some of his minions around here.
haha the ufc fox deal is basically an exposure deal! The 100 million number is what the deal could be worth with high viewership and heavy mainstream advertisers. By no means is this deal, and other tv deals and the failed expansion covering the declined ppv. Only a complete moron would buy into that. TV markets outside the US are basically a joke, its the minor leagues. So what dana is saying is they traded their main stream mega market, USA PPV, for third world minor league exposure, shitty ticket sales and absolutely no expanded ppv. bahahah yea OK! Dana must think people are complete idiots!!!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=49QgWsGMij4 more problems for the ufc hahahaha….economy class hahaha….
Wand should meet with floyd and al haymon….so mma fighters would get paid better
Man, I can’t wait for this idiot Leon The Schmo to cut and run from this bet after I win. Gonna be funny.
Sal and Leon are boyfriend and girlfriend.
d has no friends. Has no idea how old I am has no clue about the bizz of mma or anything else except google D is a paid fool who goggles everything, and is now completely at loss because he knows his days being a low level blogger are almost over. He will be crapping in his hands for the rest of his filthy life. Just like the rest of his family Bahahahahaha Oh and the medication reference is stolen from me. Try to be original D. Oh wait, your kind of savages have never been original and have been playing copy and catch up since the begining of humanity. Pathetic
I miss your stupid google rants defending failure. Bahahaha
Haha. Sal, first off, you are an anti social, derelict. For you to accuse anyone else of not having friends is so ass backwards. I already know how old you are, ya dirty fuck. You already pointed it out in the past. Also for someone who doesn’t know ANYTHING about mma, the business of mma, or even basic business principles again, it is very amusing watching you go on these mentally ill tirades about the smells of India or Bob Arum’s balls.
The rest of what you are ranting about is completely incoherent.
As per usual, DforDelusional adds nothing to the conversation, simply is here to troll. Look at his posts.
Take your dirty diaper jokes and go back to YAHOO, no one cares.
Hey D how amusing are the terrible Sydney numbers?? you are a true fuck stick idiot bahahahahahaha no friends on this site and no friends in real life except other dirty indian street beggars hahahaha
As usual, Leon the Schmo trolls, then cries when someone tells him he’s a moron. And how alarming is it that he is stalking me on yahoo. Weirdo.
Sal, again, you are a geriatric with type II diabetes, who is wheel chair bound. Your only friends are the people who charitably take care of you and change your bed pan. Unlike you, I’m not looking to make friends on here, because I already have friends, ya loser.
Also, you are getting more weird and bizarre with your India fixation, you must have been raped or something there by Dana White or the Fertittas. Freak.