As MMAPayout previously reported, the UFC started to charge consumers an estimated $59.99 HD/$49.99 SD for all PPVs scheduled in 2015, which at the time included UFC 182: Jones vs Cormier, UFC 183: Silva vs Diaz and UFC 184: Weidman vs Belfort.
There was some talk that this increase was just for “The Time Is Now” promoted events and that the price point would be lowered to what it was before. That assumption looks to have been an incorrect one, as it appears the UFC will permanently increase their PPV price point this year to $59.99 HD/$49.99 SD as shown on UFC.TV.
Payout Perspective:
Why is the PPV price increase to UFC 185 such a big deal compared to UFC 182-184? Well, for starters, this event is being headlined by Anthony Pettis vs Rafael Dos Anjos for the lightweight title. Neither are what you would consider PPV draws. In fact, you could make an argument that the UFC could get away with that price hike for UFC 182-184 due to 182’s big grudge match, 183’s big fight between Silva vs Diaz, and 183’s big fights between Weidman vs Belfort and Rousey vs Zingano. All those cards include UFC’s biggest stars who have done their biggest PPV numbers in the past couple of years. Well, that’s just not the case looking at how UFC 185 is shaping up. UFC 185’s co-main event will now be Johny Hendricks vs Matt Brown, which should be a really good fight, but are those two fights in addition to Nelson vs Overeem good enough to justify it? That’s a question consumers will answer on March 14th with their wallets. What this really means is that the UFC has permanently increased the PPV price in 2015 since lowering their price would only make certain cards stand out as being lesser in value.
As we stated before:
UFC President Dana White went on record (MMAFighting) years ago, stating that PPV prices would never be raised and would stay at their regular price of $54.95/$44.95 SD. That tune changed for UFC 168 in December of 2013, when the PPV price was raised to $59.95 HD/$49.95 SD. Dana White went on the record once again and stated that the PPV price hike was “just for UFC 168”, since it was justified by placing some of UFC’s biggest stars in highly anticipated match-ups (Weidman, Silva, Rousey, Tate). White stated PPV prices would go back down to their regular price after UFC 168’s one-off price adjustment.
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Essentially, the UFC is applying ad-hoc variable PPV pricing to their product, which is something the UFC has criticized and has tried to stay away from since their parent company, Zuffa, took over. Fans have demanded variable PPV pricing for years as justification for not purchasing cards that were not as “stacked” as others yet cost the same amount. The UFC’s belief, however, has always been that consumers are buying the UFC experience via PPV, regardless of who is fighting on the card for the most part. The UFC never wanted to admit in the past that some cards have less worth than others, which is a perception that has been shattered the past few years. If the UFC wants to keep that perception that all PPV events have the same value, a uniform PPV price hike may be the next logical step in this experiment, but for a company who has struggled so much recently with their PPV business model, increasing the price on a product that many fans feel is over-saturated and watered-downed may prove to be quite the risky move.
Looks like boxing will be on the following US networks in 2015: HBO, Showtime, NBC, NBCsports, Spike, Foxsports, Beinsports, and ESPN… in Spanish on Unimas, Fox Deportes & Telemundo.
With Mayweather-Pacquiao looming the sport is looking to explode once again.
🙂
It’s a risky move indeed, considering how the landscape has changed; fans now skip events (something that was unheard-of a couple of years back), PPV is dwindling in general, fans were already dissatisfied with the previous prices, plus it doesn’t help having the president of the organization going back on his word.
And I don’t know what I am more surprised at–that there still exists an SD broadcast or that it’s 50 f***ing dollars.
Hahaha. More like implode. Boxing can’t get anyone to watch anything outside of HBO or Showtime and their ppv market is in the shitter. They expanded the amount of ppvs, yet still drew the same number of buys roughly.
Didn’t boxing sell more than twice what the caca UFC did last year? LOL
🙂
Na, despite doubling down on ppv in 2014 and the ufc having nearly all of their big fights shelved due to injury, boxing still didn’t double them up. The UFC has nearly doubled up boxing though over the previous 7 years. Haha.
Double baby double! with more fighters developing , record ppv’s on the horizon, huge stadium sellouts, and record purses, also the highest paid athlete anywhere on earth! Yup if boxing is on the decline UFC is under a pile of dog shit! Also more promotors joining the ranks for incredible completion and expansion.
One can’t make up the bullshit the ufc puts its fans through, one thing after another. So far its lie after lie, what next???
Hey D suck on this!!
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2015/1/13/7539843/ufc-on-fox-13-salaries-nate-diaz-makes-16k-for-co-main-event-bout
Hey SAL, you fucking idiot! You still haven’t grasp the concept of that only being DISCLOSED FIGURES REQUIRED BY THE ATHLETIC COMMISSION!!
Stop being a smelly dirty old fuck.
Sal, every statement you say, every claim you make is an outright lie or blatant exaggeration. Boxing is fucked. Their only stars are about to have a super fight and then retire. They can’t expand on their ppv to what the ufc does as we witnessed this year with several of their ppvs bombing royally. They can’t sell with multiple stars. The only stars they have coming up in the future are unmarketable. In the US young fans are getting more and more into mma rather than boxing as it shows in the ppv.
You are the biggest boxing paid troll on here.
hahahaha hahahahah you make us all laugh D you talk so much bullshit! I may exaggerate a bit to make a point but all my stuff is 100% spot on with the reality of the UFC’s situation the TRUTH IS HARD TO SWALLOW for paid bloggers like you!!
You split hairs and run with complete irrelevant points, the sign of a desperate dude!!! bhahaha 2015 will be even worse for the UFC, 2015 will be one disappointment after another, boxing will go into the record books once again!!
D, one more thing for you to suck on!!!
http://www.badlefthook.com/2015/1/13/7542117/pacquiao-agrees-to-terms-for-mayweather-fight-on-may-2
HAHAHAHAHA!! When Sal says “us” he is referring to himself and the multiple personalities in his conflicted brain. Everything he says is bullshit and he knows it. He’s just trying to get attention because his life is shit living in a wheel chair, shitting in his diapers.
The truth is hard for you to swallow that the ufc and mma is bigger than boxing is in North America and is growing. You’d rather swallow Arum’s load like you’ve been doing you boxing welfare to work paid troll.
You fabricate everything, have you no shame?
Oh and one more thing, if the Mayweather Pacquiao fight goes down, it will shatter every event record imaginable, probably hit 3m ppvs and boxing will still do less ppv buys than mma will next year. Hahaha.
The way Diaz fought he was lucky he didn’t have to pay the UFC for taking up their air time. Anyone in the crowd could have put up a better fight than he did.
Dw bluffing…hahahaha
Mma bigger then boxing? on what planet and what drug are you on? D is a sick person with delusional perspective on life. So laughable its sad. The ufc is a dying brand and we yes we all know it. 2015 boxing will double ufc once again. What happened in Canada? Thats N America bahaha
Saldaqueef is a brain dead boxing troll who assumes everyone accepts his bullshit and lies.
How about this fuck face- the ufc can get a network deal that pays them 100m per year, boxing under a major promoter like Al Haymon has TO PAY to get on NBC! HAHAHAHA!!! Talk about a sport that is imploding. Look at how desperate they are. They know their ppv market is a joke, and they only have a few stars that can sell one, so they subject themselves to slave contracts for NBC.
By the way, check out the ppv buy rates in canada for boxing and then check them out for mma. They set every type of record imaginable when GSP fought, and still do solid ppv numbers. No one gives a shit about anything related to boxing in Canada. It is a joke there.
HAHAHA.
@ D, I’m Canadian, and while your take on the kind of success GSP got here is accurate, you’re WAY off on boxing. Boxing is far more popular than MMA here. We’ve had great boxers from Montreal from as far as I can remember ( from the Hilton brothers to Adonis Stevenson). Boxing shows are MAJOR events here covered by all mainstream media whereas no one even prints a blurb about MMA since GSP left.
JF, you are a fraud and are definitely not Canadian. Boxing is a joke in Canada compared to mma. A major part of the UFC’s ppv success is because of Canada and still remains.