How big is the market for UFC in Canada?
Is TKO the biggest show there? Is UFC a smaller player?
Or is it like in the United States where the UFC is the most popular fight organization and has a large base of fans both watching and ordering the PPVs?
Can someone from Canada shed some light on this?
Getting bigger all the time. The thing is, it was never off PPV here unlike the US so the fans have always been there but less population = less fans. KOTC seems to be doing really well here and seems to get some big crowds, though i missed the last one on Saturday.
So the UFC is the biggest cagefighting organization up there?
I didn't know it was illegal in Ontario. That's sucks & I'm suprised it's still illegal. You have The Fight Network up there and everything.
Are they talking about legalizing it anytime soon?
Why is it still illegal?
also, how popular is The Fight Network? Has it been around for a while? Is it new and growing?
Sorry for all the questions, but I know nothing about the level of popularity of UFC (or MMA) in Canada.
It must be big enough for them to cry after every event like the country full of crybabies, mama`s boys and scammers they are.
Being an Ontario resident, this has been my full time job fo several months. Ive had to journey elsewhere for many years to promote my events and Id like to work at home now.
I have a HUGE presentation ready to go which will hopefully seal the deal to make MMA happen in Ontario.
Pete
"It must be big enough for them to cry after every event like the country full of crybabies, mama`s boys and scammers they are."
There hasn't been much for Canadians to cry about, most of the crying has come from cry baby Americans, crying about Penn losing faily squarely, St Pierre being accused of being greased against Sherk prior to fairly squarley beating Penn, Hominick/ Edwards a work, etc, etc. never ends with you cry baby yanks.
can we please keep this from being another 14 yo pissing contest between countries????
Its fucking stupid.
MMA is huge in Quebec and out west, BC and Alberta. Not as big in the rest of the country. UFC is getting exponentially bigger thanks to Spike TV and the Ultmate fighter. Pride is also known, but is much less prominent.
The canadian market for MMA, UFC and Pay-per-views is a lot like the US, except on average we have less obesity.
The fight network is getting very popular around Montreal, at least. I'm hooked, that's for sure.
It is ranked Third in contact sports
Just under Seal clubbing and hockey
The Ultimate Fighter is immensely popular on the UWO campus. A ton of people now know Mark and Sam around town as well.
MMA is becoming very popular in Canada
thanks for the responses guys. So it sounds like the popularity of the UFC and MMA in Canada is similar to the united states, but about a year behind and smaller in scale.
Due mostly in part to the lack of sanctioning in one of the most significant Canadian provinces(Ontario).
any other Canucks want to chime in?
if the UFC did an event in Montreal, Calgary, or Edmonton (all allow MMA obviously), they could probably do 11,000-13,000. Could do it in one of the hockey arenas.
Well with TSN (Canada's equivalent to ESPN) now beginning to show KOTC events, it appears that at some point or another mma will be happening in Ontario.
Another homegrown promotion, Apex, just held tryouts this past weekend in Mississauga, a city close by Toronto in Ontario.
UFC is pretty big here, and there are restaurants/bars that show the ppvs. Pride is not as big as someone mentioned.
There have been underground mma events as such, just like we had underground muay thai, but at some point or another it will break open. There's money involved, so we will have it lol.
Geese Jones.
The UFC is by far the most popular fight promotion in Canada.
Only hardcore fans even know what TKO is even though it is pretty damned good.
The UFC rules Canada as it does America.
As for the fightnetwork. It is amazing.
Tuesdays is MMA day. The play TKO, Pride and IVC.
I just saw the Pele vs. Lidell fight as well as VAnderlie
beating the shit out of Van Arsdale.
It is a great station.
I have Starchoice so I get it but I don't believe Bell Expressvu has it as of yet.
It is VERY good. IT also have Superleague Kickboxing which is cool as well as lots of K-1 that I have never seen.
Everyone should have it.
IMO, living in Montreal, Canada, it seems pretty much identical to the US, in the sense that we get Spike TV and most people that I personally know are casual fans that watch TUF and what not, with very few that are hardcore fans.
In terms of events I don't think anything will ever rival the UFC in Canada, much like the media industry will never rival that of America; the Canadian market simply cannot compete with that of the US, including MMA. The UFC is primary organization in all of North America, and it will always stay like that. Just like pretty much every other sport (other than the CFL and Hockey), Canadian MMA will always be based on the American UFC.
Rogers Digital Cable has the Fight Network. I believe they're doing free one-month offers for it, since it's still relatively new.
Geese Jones.