The Sports Business Journal reports that the UFC and DGital Media have struck a deal in which the company will launch a twice-a-week podcast featuring UFC President Dana White, fighters from the company and other notable figures.
Financial terms of the multiyear deal were not disclosed however SBJ reports that the companies will split advertising revenue from the podcasts.
DGital Media is the same company that produces NBA writer Adrian Wojnarowski’s “The Vertical Podcast.”
The podcasts begin June 21 featuring former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra with comedian Jim Norton. The show, “UFC Unfiltered with Jim Norton and Matt Serra” will be 1 hour shows releasing on Tuesday and Thursdays. The usual platforms such as iTunes and GooglePlay will carry the shows for free download.
According to the SBJ article, the UFC had been considering launching a podcast “for a few years.”
Payout Perspective:
Believe it or not podcasts are a big media platform. The question is whether they could be monetized via advertising. The only real measure for podcasts is how many downloads they receive. Even then, its not known whether or not they are listened to by the consumer. Thus, for an advertiser, it becomes a gamble as to whether or not an ad is heard or if it just falls on deaf ears. The UFC seems positive that it can leverage this show to sell to its existing sponsors as well as others. It will be interesting to see if the podcasts become the go to place for fighters and it excludes other shows like “The MMA Hour.”
How about focusing on improving the sport?
MMA is hardly a sport anymore.
I guess usada wasn’t enough for you.
I don’t think much will come out of this. A few specific and very limited number of podcasts are a big media platform and they are the exception to the rule. Podcasts in general are not big though.
Probably just end up costing them money, like the UFC magazine which was a waste of time and money.
Don’t hurt to try, low risk.
Hahahaha.dw pissed at schaub fighter and the kid podcast….hahaha
tops E is right about Dana being pissed at schaub.
FOX Sports 1 no longer brings Schaub onto the post-TUF show “TUF Talk”, even though he was funny and entertaining. Now it seems Kenny Florian and Daniel Cormier are the regulars and they are boring compared to Schaub.
UFC continues to embrace technology and popular media. Probably one reason why MMA is now the most popular combat sport in the younger demographic.
Combo, in the USA, not the rest of the world.
and even then, its divided by demographics. Go into inner city Detroit, New Orleans, the Bronx, Brooklyn, the south side of Chicago, east LA, Compton, 5th Ward Houston…etc etc and start asking them about UFC and then ask them about boxers and see what response you get
Combo any proof on that? Do they hold any ppv records? Highest gate?
Correct, more popular in USA (where boxing was once king), and other countries as well, such as Brazil, of course. Canada, Ireland…
Times change.