Too many UFC events? Concerned about oversaturation? afraid you're not gonna be able to keep up?...
Ponder this:
332 NFL games a year including playoffs.
380 premiere league (soccer) games a year plus playoffs.
1230 NHL games a year plus playoffs.
1230 NBA games a year plus playoffs.
2430 MLB games a year plus playoffs.
Compare this to only 31 UFC events with the initial fox contract (4 fox shows, 8 fx, 6 fuel and roughly 13 ppv's a year).
if you support every major market in the world with an annual UFC event you're gonna have around 100 events a year... which still pales in comparison to the list above
So let's look at around 100 ufc events a year (1 event every wednesday and 1 event every weekend - where every week would look similar to the past 7 days)
100 events a year is nothing compared to the amount of events being produced by other leagues/sports.
Even the WWE produces 100 events a year (raw plus smackdown). People are afraid about too much UFC and we're only at 31 last year and 33 this year.
You can already see the acceleration and increase in progress... Compared to last year you would need only 7 more fight nights to match the output this year but instead there are 9 scheduled. Events are being added ala carte. Zuffa announced intentions of going to Turkey, Poland, Ireland, scotland and germany along with england and sweden in 2014. This is in addition to the Singapore and Macau events already announced. You also have the philippines on deck for 2014, mexico, a return to japan etc...
Is the roughly 100 UFC events a year eventuality too much? not when you compare it to 2,430 Major League baseball games it isnt... Not when you have a network (FS1) starving for content, who is also willing and capable of subsidizing the venture it isnt... And certainly not when you have people all over the world wanting a live UFC event with overseas TV deals to be had.
As an MMA fan this is something to celebrate not something to piss and moan over.
Wrong comparison.
People view football games in 4 increments weekly.
Even if you click like an ADHD monkey on crack you aren't watching more football than the 1pm, 4pm, 8pm Sunday games, MNF and the Thursday game.
With baseball it's about the 162 YOUR team plays and only your extreme hardcore fans watch all 162 of their team.
UFC also isn't WWE where there are STORYLINE reasons to watch so many shows and even WWE is wrong for 3 hours on a Monday night.
The UFC lacks stars to have this many events.
Who would jump because Eddie Wineland is in a main event?
Does that sell tickets or PPV buys?
The UFC brand name is what is selling once you get past GSP, Jones, Ronda and MAYBE Cain/JDS.
UFC isn't MLB, NFL or WWE and viewing habits greatly differ for noted reasons.
No matter your spin, it's too many events based on current PPV ratings, TV ratings and ticket sales for non-star events.
Great post - you made many of the same points I was going to.
Dont watch, its simple. I'm so tired of fans crying about too many free shows. You either like the sport or you dont, if you think its too much then skip some events. There are baseball games or NBA games on every day. You have boxing with cards on HBO, showtime, ESPN2, FS1, NBC SPorts, shows ranging from big PPV to HBo cards to prospect cards.
If you dont care about a card you dont have to watch it. You can skip it and move to the next card.
Dont watch, its simple. I'm so tired of fans crying about too many free shows. You either like the sport or you dont, if you think its too much then skip some events. There are baseball games or NBA games on every day. You have boxing with cards on HBO, showtime, ESPN2, FS1, NBC SPorts, shows ranging from big PPV to HBo cards to prospect cards.
If you dont care about a card you dont have to watch it. You can skip it and move to the next card.
Super saturate the market with talent you dont care about and they wont build up leadsto disaster.
Where's the excitement for events? Telling us to miss events now? Doesnt make sense.. When we had a card every two months or so, everyone was waiting and excited.. Now? Meh go ahead and miss a show if you dont care, and "fuck you and your dollar."
Saturation wont be much of an issue in the future. Right now its not to bad in terms of how much is available.
I think in the future ufc will definitely be doing double the amount of shows they do now. But it wont create a saturation because most fans wont even have access to every single one these shows. Alot of these shows will be smaller, local events shown live only in one area as a means to build up mma scene with home grown talent that is built up on these closed ufc circuits.
Once these guys are built up on these local ufc shows they will bump them up to international shows where all the other global fans can see them. So although their will tons more shows, we will realistically only have access to a portion of them.
Funny thing is those who complain about too many cards are the same ones who cry about fighter pay. So they want less cards which means less fighters on the roster, less guys getting shots, getting money, fighting less.
I love having a card on Wed and a card on Sat, I watch them all. Am I pumped for every single fight on every event equally? no. But its like any other sport, I'm not as excited about a Yanks game vs Twins in June as I am for a Yanks/Sox game in Sept for a playoff spot.
Or for a FNF boxing event as I am for a Floyd/Canelo. Does that mean there shouldnt be any baseball games during the year if they arent as important? Or shoudl there be no HBO Boxing after Dark or Fight Night series on ESPN or FS1?
You put the events on, if you are a fan and you want to watch it you can, if you dont then dont.
Looser will always complain, but it's good to hv them in forums, wouldn't be much fun without them. UFC needs as many events as possible to grow the sport of MMA, haters like to spin this as oversaturation
Looser will always complain, but it's good to hv them in forums, wouldn't be much fun without them. UFC needs as many events as possible to grow the sport of MMA, haters like to spin this as oversaturation
Ryan Loco - I think you also have to remember that for the majority of those other sporting events, you're getting the best and most popular guys every game.
Every week/game you get to watch Adrian Peterson or Lebron James play. You don't get to watch GSP fight every week.
This! As a Tigers fan I get to see Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Torri Hunter and Austin Jackson play every day for free. UFC doesn't have multiple stars even on it's PPV. Comparing watered down shit cards people have to pay for to sports where people get to see stars play every game, shill you're a tard.
You're missing the point. As an MMA/UFC fan, I'm interested in every event. As a footy fan I'm only interested in Arsenal games and about 6 other games throughout the season so maybe I have an interest in about 60 games - but less than half of them aren't on tv and none are PPV.
Poor analogy comparing UFC to NFL/NBA/EPL leagues.
The difference with MMA and the UFC itself is that most fans watch every event and watching all those fights on a event can take a while. Unlike some other sports where you may only catch a game of a team or two and catch highlights for the rest. Still doesn't compare to basketball or NHL though were there are so many games per season but like all season sports you get a big break in between seasons.
I also think this past month has actually harmed other promotions a lot because people are gonna chose the UFC to watch and have been skipping other MMA fights I know I have I just don't have the time to watch everything or I forget about the other stuff because I'm barely remembering the UFC schedule like I didn't even realize that there was a fight today until this weekend.
I really miss the days of 1 event every two months. The anticipation was off the charts. Talking on the boards and to your friends for months about the next chuck, randy, fedor huges and penn fights made it so much more enjoyable for me. I barely even know who is fighting anymore and when I do there is only a few days since the last event. I do understand the need for so many events but I just don't have time to keep up with them. I am scared that after my favorits leave the game my intrests will retire with them :(
I enjoy all the free cards. If I'm busy during the time it's on I will Dvr it and most likely watch it later if I hear they were good fights . If there is a ppv I deem unworthy of my $58 I don't buy it or watch it. It's a pretty easy concept.
