Does Cost Stunt MMA's Growth?
by Michael Rome on May 26, 2008 8:38 PM EDT
in MMA News
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PrintWe're on the verge of the first ever free, Network TV broadcast of MMA, and I think it's worth mentioning the degree to which the exorbitant cost of keeping up with MMA (and UFC in particular) makes it hard for the sport to grow.
Paying 50 dollars a month is not really an option for your casual fan. They will buy Liddell fights and other big ones with stars they know, but 500-600 bucks a year is asking them to pay far more than they do for any other sport outside of boxing. Many are willing to do it, but when new fans hear about UFC and want to check out a big fight, the price tag is immediately going to make many people choose not to.
Look at this weekend's WEC. With ticket prices scaled down significantly, the show will significantly outsell UFC 73 at the gate in terms of total number of tickets sold. When MMA is affordable, people go. The UFC has experienced a drop-off in ticket sales when it returns to cities a second time, largely because people are willing to pay exorbitant ticket prices once to get the experience, but after that they are less willing to plunk down 300-800 bucks.
UFC ticket prices have been scaled back since the Brock Lesnar show did so poorly at the gate. They are very high though, and it may be worth considering going to bigger arenas and charging less in ticket prices. Attempts to maximize revenue in the short run can harm it in the long run, and if tickets keep getting more expensive there will be a backlash from fans.
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I’d have to agree that the prices are way too high. I have never seen a live UFC event since MMA is illegal in British Columbia. When it does become legal, I’m willing to pay lots to see my first event. But a repeat viewing would not be possible for me at the current costs. At least not for a few years, mainly because it is outside my budget.
The UFC...
Is on the rocket concert business model. It’s easy to pay to see the Rolling Stones the one time they come to town. Hell, if you’re a diehard, you’ll pay twice. But that’s it at the outrageous prices they charge. And it isn’t just the tickets; everything at a UFC show is exorbitantly expensive. Bud Light is a low class, horrendous beer and they were charging $8.50 for 12oz plastic bottles at UFC Fight Night 13.
Contrast this with the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center during the Stanley Cup playoffs. I had tickets for $150 and they were excellent. In addition, I could get $7 pints of Grolsch or Long Hammer IPA, which while not excellent, are far superior choices to Bud Light. In short, it was cheaper and better in many critical respects.
I have no idea how a family of four in this economy is expected to attend a UFC show more than once a year.
I attended one UFC event in person. It wasn’t a great PPV, but it was still awesome to be there. The quality of the event was certainly elevated by actually sitting in the arena, so I’d say it was worth it from the point of view of Luke’s apt rock concert analogy.
But watching on TV is usually good enough for me. 50 bucks per month is a lot to shell out, but not when you watch it with some friends, and divide the cost. I throw in a ten dollar bill for three hours of MMA, and feel pretty good about it. Hell, that’s less than I paid to see the abomination known as Indiana Jones 4.
My buddies and I went to UFC 71 in Vegas, and paid 300 a pop to see it. The experience was incredible. However, when we considered doing it again for UFC 79, prices were even higher, and the best 300 could get you was a nosebleed seat.
Definitely agree there. I saw UFC 55 at Mohegan Sun Arena, and it didn’t quite sell out. We had the Bob Uker seats, but were able to move down into awesome seats because the event wasn’t quite sold out. Actually after we moved down, Forrest Griffin and Elvis Sinosic came and sat directly in front of us (they had fought each other earlier that night). It was pretty rad to see that sort of mutual respect. Griffin was cool to us, signed autographs etc.
But prices have gone up exponentially since then. I don’t know if I could afford to go again if they come back to Connecticut.
I’m not going to the UFC in London this time round because of the price gouging they’ve decided to do.
Seats that were £25 last time are £45 this. £50 last time are £75 this. I know the more expensive tickets have gone up as well but not by so much (in percentage terms at least) but how they can justify an 80% increase on the cheap seats is beyond me.
I would guess they think they can get away with it as the UFC is still something of a novelty in London but if the prices stay up there I would think (nay, hope) that this will bite them firmly in the ass further down the the road.
Misleading
I think it’s remiss to imply that MMA fans watch fights alone. For every “buy” I’d guarantee that there is at least an average of 3 people watching it. Which turns your $50/month into $16.67/month per person. That’s around the price of a movie or DVD or CD or countless other things people buy without thinking twice.
Also, why is everyone talking about ticket prices? The entry is referring to the cost of PPV buys. :)
That’s a good point. I never watch with fewer than two other people. So, that’s an average of $15/ person, or $21/person if you count pizza. Were we to go to a baseball game together, it’d be $40/person for tickets, $47/person including parking, $60/person including food.
by Richard Wade on May 27, 2008 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions
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