Further Thoughts on Affliction 3 Rumors
by Michael Rome on Mar 23, 2009 6:08 PM EDT
in MMA News
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PrintAffliction 3 appears likely to air on free television. However, a deal with a major network is unlikely. Without mainstream stars that can draw ratings, networks will not be interested in giving them a Saturday night slot. MMA Weekly had more on this this weekend:
Affliction will counter-program UFC 100 on the summer date with its third event at a location yet to be determined, according to sources close to the situationPlans are to air the event to fans on non-premium cable television, although sources could not confirm the broadcast platform. Affliction Entertainment has partnered with Fox Sports Net and HD Net for the undercards of its first two events, so either would be a likely candidate for Affliction 3.
Additionally, WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko and Josh Barnett are expected to fight on the card, but likely not against each other. According to one source, the cost of the heavily anticipated fight would be too expensive for a non-pay-per-view broadcast. Other sources indicate that Affliction is trying to put together another heavyweight bout, pitting former UFC champion Tim Sylvia against Paul Buentello, though it has not yet been agreed to.
What can we make of this? It's obvious they are trying to capitalize on the press for UFC 100 by running a show that weekend, but if this thing is on HDNet, how many people will even see it? This could be a big play on HDNet's part to try to get thousands of fans to call and demand that their cable provider provide HDNet. I still don't see how it makes sense for Affliction though.
The fact that they are considering this completely undermines the dubious claims that the second show did 200,000 pay per view buys. Even if Barnett and Fedor don't fight each other, it's still an expensive show. Where is the money coming from? They can easily reduce payroll by over a million by not doing a huge Fedor fight, and they can reduce it by close to 2 million if they get everyone to take paycuts. That would account for almost everything they make on pay per view, but wouldn't it still be better at that point to do it there?
Perhaps Affliction has another angle they are approaching this from. Maybe pay per view fees are not being supported by interest, and they just want to fulfill their obligations and get out of promoting. Or maybe this story doesn't make sense for a reason, and it just won't happen.
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Or maybe this story doesn’t make sense for a reason, and it just won’t happen.
My money is on this not happening. Mostly because I don’t think Affliction has the money to put on another show. Even if they do, I think they’ve been hemmoraging money since their first show, and are in desperate need of an exit strategy. This may just be a lot of talk, or an attempt to save face, or something else. Regardless, I doubt this will happen.
by pud333 on Mar 23, 2009 5:08 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
We are interviewing Tom Atencio live tomorrow night so - I guess we will find out then!!!
Tom Atencio Co-founder of Affliction is being interviewed tomorrow night live on “No Shit MMA”.
We will discuss the possibility of a July 11 UFC 100 head to head match up, Affliction 3 pay-per-view or cable, Emelainenko Vs. Barnett or Belfort or whoever, the rest of the fight card …, are all of the partners still in place – Trump, Golden Boy and M1? Are they or can they make money? Plus any other rumor floating around …
Tune in to watch live on www.thatchannel.com at 9:00 PM EST for “No Shit MMA”
1st guest Mark Pavelich – 9:00 to 9:30
2nd guest Tom Atencio – 9:30 to 10:00
If you have a question you want us to ask let us know at noshitmma@hotmail.com or on our facebook group “No Shit MMA – Web TV Show”
Here's a question...
This is the second time that Barnett and Fedor have been a part of the same promotion, yet… the possibility of a matchup has once again slipped by, WHY?
Editor-in-chief of MMA-Analyst.com
by Leland Roling on Mar 23, 2009 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions
My guess is Barnett wants millions to do this fight, because once he loses to Fedor a lot of his appeal is done.
by Michael Rome on Mar 23, 2009 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Hey
ask what network they are looking to do this on. And let then know that FSN is the WRONG ANSWER.
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 23, 2009 9:26 PM EDT up reply actions
So does that still translate into :
“We couldn’t agree on money/terms so they didn’t bother drafting a contract I wouldn’t sign?”
But at least I agree with Affliction on this one. They gave him a platform and an opponent to sell himself with and he bombed terribly. There’s no signing bonus he’d deserve at this point. They gave him Gilbert Yvel and he bombed. Who cares if he fights Fedor at this point? Might as well have him fight Timmeh again.
Barnett isn’t worth the money he’s asking and they’d be even bigger fools than they’ve already proven themselves to be if they gave him even half. At least this was they go out with some self-respect.
this is all talk so that Dana will buy up the Affliction contracts and let those god awful shirts back in the octagon. but because Dana is smarter than T-Shirt guy he will let them flounder in the wind and scoop them up for a bargain price just like he did PrideFC.
"King of NBA Live '09"
LoL
@ You thinking the cumulative 2.5-3.5 million they have probably lost on shows will put Affliction Clothing out of business
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 23, 2009 9:27 PM EDT up reply actions
1. How often do #1 Contenders in the UFC not take a fight because of how much they are getting paid? I can’t think of a challenger. I know the UFC had issues with keeping their champions back when Zuffa first purchased the company, but that was years ago. Affliction having issues getting Barnett to fight due to money feels like a boxing issue. This is why the UFC business model is best for fans. We as fans just get to see the best in the UFC fight each other. Pay is more of an after thought (especially since guys who are at the top get compensated in the long run).
2. Without Network TV or Showtime, this show is going to bomb. There is no cable station outside of ESPN that would get a lot of viewers. And even boxing on ESPN doesn’t get great ratings.
3. Tito Ortiz was the big wild card. And he doesn’t want to sign with Affliction. Tito Ortiz can sell tickets.
This show will likely be an epic failure, and will be completely forgetten about going up against Floyd Mayweather Jr., Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir 2, and Georges St. Pierre vs. Thiago Alves. Affliction people are dumb.
ESPN wouldn't do the show...
Why would ESPN align itself with Affliction? They are doing Bellator on Deportes and clearly are covering more MMA and wouldn’t want to alienate the UFC- which is what they would do. Imagine John, Kenny and Franklin doing live broadcasts from UFC 100 in between covering Fedor? Not going to happen.
by I don't wear mma t-shirts on Mar 23, 2009 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Boxing on ESPN
Gets the primetime slot on ESPN 2 on Friday nights for extremely subpar fighters, (compared to HBO or Showtime level guys) 9 times out of 10. Great selection. Nobody is gonna watch that. Half the time I skip FnF’s because they are gonna suck
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 23, 2009 9:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Too cheap to put on the fight the fans want? And we’re not talking about someone bashing the UFC? Craziness.
by Derek Suboticki on Mar 23, 2009 7:04 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
This is one of your better zings
I approve
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 23, 2009 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s the fight that hardcore fans have been waiting years for and casual fans don’t even know about. Of course it’s the hardcore fans that want to see this fight that is Affliction MMA’s core viewing audience. The casual fans that Josh Barnett (or Fedor for that matter) aren’t a draw for don’t really follow Affliction MMA anyway.
by who me on Mar 24, 2009 2:10 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Only the most avid hardcore fans are interested Josh Barnett. There is a percentage of casual fans who follow Arlovski and are aware of Fedor.
Affliction also used their only two PPV’s to build Josh Barnett up as a challenger for Fedor in fans eyes. Honestly who else does Affliction have signed that would be a better draw with any group of “fans” to face Fedor?
Two words:
Gilbert Yvel.
"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR
by Rundownloser on Mar 24, 2009 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah. Nobody wants to see the Consensus #1 fight the Consensus #2.
Bolts from the Blue // "Game over." - Jamal Williams
Bloody Elbow // "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken
by Richard Wade on Mar 24, 2009 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions
I just hope cooler heads prevail here and the powers that be allow UFC 100 to take place unopposed. But if I was a betting man, my money would be on Affliction 3 taking place on July 11 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas with the undercard being televised on HDNet and the main card being televised on CBS. The latter statement is purely conjecture on my part. I can’t stress that enough.
I just don’t get why so many people are opposed to Affliction doing another show.
"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." - Sir Winston Churchill
I want to see more Affliction, so I am therefore opposed to the idea of them playing chicken with the UFC.
Keep firing Assholes!
Do it, but put Fedor against the best guy you have that he hasn’t beaten yet.
by Derek Suboticki on Mar 23, 2009 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I hope Affliction sticks around.
Their first 2 events live were great!
by MMASuPreMaCy on Mar 23, 2009 9:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Because they really really want
for MMAlogic to be right so they can continue feeling he is the messiah. Instead of somebodies pool boy that overheard a phone conversation
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 23, 2009 9:31 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s not like what he said doesn’t fit in with what other people are also saying too.
But I am a little surprised so many people are taking Cohen’s words at face value. As I said earlier, I can’t fault his comments because he has a business to run. However, I have a job to do and that is to report what I hear. And multiple sources have told me Affliction is looking to get out of the business of promoting MMA fights. Unless a new investor jumps in, Affliction will be closing its MMA operations sooner rather than later.
Personally, I’d like Affliction to stay in business. I’ve enjoyed their first two shows. They haven’t been perfect but there have been some very good fights. I’d like to see this industry support as many promotions as possible. But the bottom line is that valid sources are saying Affliction is looking to get out of the business of promoting fights.
http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2009/03/22/random-rants-thoughts-on-affliction-carano-couture-and-more/
Another show would be great, another show on free tv would be wonderful for fans, counter programming UFC 100 for no sane reason is like making a kamakaze run on a mountainside. Counter programming UFC 100 makes no sense at all unless it’s a last futile gesture before they go out of business.
The smart thing from a business growth standpoint would be to do a show the day before or the day after UFC 100 not to go up against them directly but it seems like Affliction has given up on having a future beyond this. The very least they could do if they want to commit suicide is give fans the damn Barnett vs Fedor fight before the go. Heck even if your a fan of Affliction you should be worried about them making this move.
I really don’t get this, it’s like a kamikaze mission, but one that won’t do anything at all to the people they are attacking.
Maybe, if they get on network TV, they can put a dent in UFC’s numbers for that day, but it’s not going to hurt them in the long run. The UFC is a money making machine right now, one bad financial card isn’t going to kill them, and I really don’t think anything that Affliction can do will be able to put a dent into a Brock Lesnar and GSP headlined PPV.
And it truly is a kamikaze mission, I don’t see how any network will pay them even close to what they would be able to get on PPV any other day of the year, so I really don’t see why they would do it.
even if they magically take away 200k buys, the ufc would still make lots of money over this..
so i really dont get what tom is doing..
even if they “counter-programmed” a UFC 95 level card, they’d still earn money.. and affliction still loses big time.. Hell the UFC only places replays of their old PPVs and affliction loses wads of cash, what more if they go against one of the biggest cards ever..
by Anton Tabuena on Mar 24, 2009 3:17 AM EDT up reply actions
And by counter-programing UFC 100
Affliction would be perma-banning themselves from the backs of UFC fighters even after they get out of the MMA promotion business.
If they are smart, they will stay far away from anything close to counter-programing because they will want to eventually get their ugly ass shirts back in the Octagon.
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