Yahoo! Sports reports that UFC 196 has been switched from PPV to an FS1 broadcast. After the main event of Cain Velasquez-Fabricio Werdum disintegrated when both fighters pulled out within 24 hours, the UFC made the move to scrap the PPV and move it to its broadcast partner.
The FS1 main event will be a welterweight bout between Johny Hendricks and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. Despite the fact that several UFC fighters indicated that they would volunteer to fight Stipe Miocic, the initial replacement for Cain, the UFC decided to take it off PPV.
The UFC typically runs a Super Bowl weekend card in Las Vegas to capitalize on the hype for the last game of the NFL season. The loss of the UFC Heavyweight title fight so close to the event led the UFC to make this decision.
Payout Perspective:
With a UFC on Fox event this week, the UFC can now advertise two consecutive weeks of “free” (we get it, you pay for cable) fights on TV. With so many events upcoming and the UFC still trying to line up fights for its big show in July, UFC 200, there was no way the company could get a respectable fill-in fight at such short notice. While there may be some issues with its PPV distributors, the UFC would have probably done
Cue the boxing trolls.
That sucks. No way around it. That’s usually a big PPV and helps get the year started. But at least they realized that they weren’t going to generate decent numbers and offered it for free. Now if the UFC brass could just come to the same realization regarding Demetrious Johnson.
Oh boyyyy.
UFC cant sell a ppv, now they’re giving ppvs away.
Wow what a deep roster they have there.
2016 startin out great.
UFC 195 35k-200k?
UFC 196 0 ppv buys.
There he is! Congrats The Greatest – you were the first troll to post!
I love how 30 days after a record breaking PPV year The Greatest is once again predicting the UFC’s demise. Would you like to make a bet on boxing v. UFC PPVs this year?
Kudos to UFC making the switch to free tv and not trying to scam people with a weak card for PPV. Fight fans win.
Hahahaha…cm punk to the rescue
“Oh boyyyy.
UFC cant sell a ppv, now they’re giving ppvs away.
Wow what a deep roster they have there.
2016 startin out great.
UFC 195 35k-200k?
UFC 196 0 ppv buys.”
Delusional beyond recognition.
This was a good decision, although Werdum shouldn’t have dodged Miocic, clearly he wants no part of him.
Is miocic a new favorite? Hahahaha
Tops favorite is Elton John. Hahaha.
Mods
Why do you tolerate homophobic comments like that made by “d” on 01/27/16 at 7:13Am?
Deano
Woo hoo.
They’re callin off ppvs cuz they cant sell.
They sold more in the last qtr than boxing will all year.
Seriously what does the entire sport of boxing have to look forward to? Canelo dodging GGG and fighting a bunch of bums for 300k buys? GGG fighting no namers because everyone is afraid of him and hitting 150k buys? Pacquaio-Bradley and the 500-600k buys they are going to get if they sell it very well? Boxing ppv has turned into a disaster. The UFC has huge fights lined up where they will likely do another 6m ppv buys this year. They should literally double boxing in terms of ppv sales in 2016.
“Boxing ppv turned into a disaster” -d
Canelo-Cotto 900K ppvs
Mayweather-pacquiao 4.6M ppvs
Yea what a disaster.
Just a record breaking disaster.
Still no ppv numbers for UFC 193, 194, 195.
Last ppv they have numbers for was 4 months ago.
Yea i wonder why that is, must be all those Reebok checks and back room bonuses they got to figure out.
“Boxing ppv turned into a disaster” -d
Canelo-Cotto 900K ppvs
Mayweather-pacquiao 4.6M ppvs
Yea what a disaster.
Just a record breaking disaster.
Still no ppv numbers for UFC 193, 194, 195.
Last ppv they have numbers for was 4 months ago.
Yea i wonder why that is, must be all those Reebok checks and back room bonuses they got to figure out.
Keep milking that 4.6M bub. You won’t see it again.
““Boxing ppv turned into a disaster” -d
Canelo-Cotto 900K ppvs
Mayweather-pacquiao 4.6M ppvs
Yea what a disaster.
Just a record breaking disaster.
Still no ppv numbers for UFC 193, 194, 195.
Last ppv they have numbers for was 4 months ago.
Yea i wonder why that is, must be all those Reebok checks and back room bonuses they got to figure out.”
Canelo required another ppv star to hit 900k, he likely won’t hit that number again this year at least and no other boxer right now can even crack 400k buys other than maybe Pacquaio’s last fight against Bradley, then there will be just Canelo.
Isn’t it sad that a record breaking year for boxing with their biggest fight in the history of the sport financially couldn’t even beat the UFC in 2015? Haha. The numbers have come in for 193 and 194- Meltzer already reported them, unlike in boxing where no independent source reports them. Both over 1m buys. Let me know when boxing will hit 1m buys from here on out. It isn’t happening any time soon and everyone knows it.
Boxing’s ppv is dying that is why Haymon developed PBC, to attempt to save the sport and create a tv based business like the NFL, MLB, etc. That is failing miserably as well though. The weakest is self destructing because he sees the writing on the wall.
Yea it took what 10 UFC ppvs to beat 1 boxing ppv.
PBC on Fox peaked at 3.4M
Your lie about everything.
*You*
Boxing may be so bad this year, the UFC triples them in ppv, not to mention dominates the tv market.
PBC on FOX actually peaked at 3.5M.
PBC’s numbers are worse than Bellator’s. HAHAHA!!
Sucks dat Cain and werdum ain’t fighting but great for us more $ on our pocket nice move ufc!!!!
The greatest if pbc on Fox peaked at 3.5 das like the ufc on Foxnot bad at all