http://awfulannouncing.com/mma/ufc-seeks-media-rights-hike-att-time-warner-wwe.html TL;DR The UFC wants $450MM/year for broadcast rights. FOX is offering $200MM. Fighters getting $0MM.
the UFC’s broadcast fights have often underwhelmed in interest and ratings thanks to many of the top fighters being regularly put on pay-per-view, so broadcasters have to be curious about just what level of UFC content they’re getting and what kind of guarantees they’ll have there The part from this article that I agree with most. The UFC can't keep putting on shows like they did this past weekend and expect the networks to think that is worth $450mm/year.
Hopefully one of these networks buys out the UFC's television and PPV business and transfers everything to one place. Having shows on FS1, FS2, FX, UFC Fight Pass, FOX, and PPV is a mess.
If we're being super generous we could say the UFC sells 10-million PPV's a year and nets 60% of that. Basically they are asking for their entire PPV revenue ($300MM) plus their current TV deal ($120MM) plus another $30MM. But the channel doesn't get PPV. Huge price.
Yeah, completely not worth it if the network can not get a McGregor/Rousey/Jones needle pusher to fight on it.
Rousey is done. Jones might be done. McGregor will only fight on PPV. Same with GSP. They have to believe the brand itself will draw in huge numbers. AFAIK the pre-shows do usually 1-million viewers. That's about what NBA games get. Except that broadcasters get way more games than UFC events.
Read a counter point to this theory and thought it was interesting. Is the UFC really having difficulties? They're current deal is $120 million and they're being offered at least $200 million, right? Thats an increase and a win. Of course they're going to come over the top with their demands. I'm sure then they said 450+ they knew they'd have to come down from that number. Wouldn't surprise me at all to see them settle around $250 million with stipulations for a certain amount of title fights and #1 contender fights as headliners.
Given that the UFC has shareholders now I doubt that they'd settle for half of asking. That's a bad look and bad for their valuation unless the $450MM figure is straight out of their ass. I think you are right they will get less than asking but a lot more than they are getting right now. I know they are trying to woo streaming services as well, especially Netflix who are getting into sports, but will probably wind up staying on FOX.
Fun fact-- MSG TV pays $37MM for the Knicks. But that's not for twice-monthly games, that's for up to 90 games, more if playoffs were remotely possible with that ass level team. Two years ago the Post reported that the Knicks had a live audience of 14,000 for a game on the MSG network.
