UFC officially raises its PPV prices

MMA Junkie reports that the UFC has permanently raised its pay-per-view prices $5 due to what the company calls “rising costs in producing live events.”  For most, the usual $54.99 HD PPV fans have been accustomed to pay will increase to $59.99.

For those that purchase their PPVs in SD, the price will increase from $44.99 to $49.99.

Prior to this official statement to Junkie, it was thought that the first three UFC PPVs of this year would be $59.99 due to the special nature of the events.  In December 2013, UFC 168 increased its PPV price point by $5 as well.

Payout Perspective:

As we discussed earlier in the year, White had previously stated that PPV prices would never go up.  The UFC then raised the price for UFC 168.  With the relative success of UFC 182, one had to know that the price increase was going to stay permanent.  While it may be true that rising production costs may have forced the company to pass along those costs to its fans, the way it has introduced the new prices seems a little disappointing.  It’s not that the prices were raised (at least in my opinion), but how it was done.  The issue of raising PPV prices had been thought to be happening and there had been no answer from the company, until now, that the UFC would raise prices.  Instead, it appeared that the prices would be raised for special events – a form of dynamic pricing.  It now will permanently keep the price adjustment and consumers are now upset.  While boxing has seen its PPV prices rise as well, there are fewer events to choose from.  Still, charging $65 and $75 for Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather still has fight consumers upset.

From the UFC perspective, the slight increase in pricing helps its bottom line.  A part of the reason why Standard & Poor’s lowered its credit rating and financial outlook were due to 2014’s poor PPV numbers.  The additional revenue it may receive from the price increase should mitigate its increasing production costs and help with its overall financial outlook in 2015.