Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Take one step inside the brand-new, 38,000-square-foot UFC® GYM™ in Concord, Calif. and you’ll quickly learn that this is no ordinary fitness facility. As music pumps through the gym, an enthusiastic teenager swings heavy ropes, visions of Randy Couture dancing in his head. In another corner of the sprawling exercise […]
UFC
NBC, Comcast Could Challenge ESPN
Richard Sandomir of the NY Times talks about the potential acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast – America’s largest television provider (cable or satellite). Comcast’s impending acquisition of NBC Universal will certainly set off an effort to turn Versus into a viable alternative, if not a full-fledged competitor, to ESPN. Under Comcast’s ownership, Versus has transformed […]
UFC 104, 106 PPV Buyrate Updates
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer passes along the latest trending estimates from the cable companies: The first week cable estimate on UFC 106 was 330,000, which is even lower than earliest projections we had. UFC 104 with Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio Shogun Rua came in at 450,000 in a cable estimate and 460,000 in […]
SBJ Reader Survey Mixed on UFC
The Sports Business Journal recently conducted a reader survey with over 2,400 participants on a variety of topics, and the results were mixed regarding the UFC’s future. Here’s a sampling of some of the more relevant results regarding the UFC and the business of MMA in general: Will the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) continue to […]
Ratner: UFC Planning Boston, TD Garden for July or August
Jack Encarnacao of Sherdog.com spoke with UFC VP of Regulation, Marc Ratner, as a follow-up to yesterday’s news that MMA has been officially regulated in Massachusetts. The UFC is planning to stage a pay-per-view card at the TD Garden — formerly The Boston Garden — in July or August, said Marc Ratner, the UFC’s vice president of […]