#1 Item on my MMA Wishlist: UFC PPV's in theatres

by Zack Gobie on Aug 24, 2009 6:04 PM EDT Comment 43 comments

A few months ago during UFC 100, my dad was telling me about how he and his dad used to go to movie theatres to watch big boxing fights such as Ali/Frasier and how incredible of an experience it was. Well, from ESPN.com

Promoters said on Monday that Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s fight against Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19 will be shown live in about 170 theaters nationwide. The bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas will also air on pay-per-view.

At $15 dollars a pop, I'm seriously considering trying this if there are any theatres in my area. This is something Zuffa needs to look into ASAP. Could you imagine seeing UFC 100 in on a big screen? Or expirencing Anderson Silva's Ali-esque anchor punch in an IMAX threatre? Dana, please make this happen.

Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=4419934

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Haha

I’ve actually thought about doing it here. There is an old theater in downtown Bloomington that used to show Bears games on Sundays and other events. You could drink at the theater as well while watching.

It’s actually rentable, so I’ve thought about it, although I’d have to get a heavy amount of people to come watch.

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by Leland Roling on Aug 24, 2009 6:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What does the UFC charge for a public viewing license?

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by Day Man on Aug 24, 2009 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

From what a local barkeep told me, it’s somewhere in the ballpark of $2500.

by Huggies on Aug 24, 2009 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

$2500 seems like a lot. I’ve been to some bars where there were only a dozen persons. I find bars with the official list so I know they were paying but if they really had to pay that much, no way they would host more than one event.

by DrTopo on Aug 25, 2009 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It depends on a lot of things.

Size of bar, number of tvs, location is important. Like I think there was a time where the prices were so high in vegas that it was practically impossible to do it (they want people buying tickets, or going to their closed circuit tv showings).

by Phildo on Aug 25, 2009 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Obviously, I’d do it illegally. LOL

Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

by Leland Roling on Aug 24, 2009 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs

I’m not sure I condone that type of behavior Leland.

Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.

by ufc4 on Aug 24, 2009 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Leland FTW!

Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."

by xFenixKnightx on Aug 24, 2009 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Rebel

Keep firing Assholes!

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by Ubernoober on Aug 24, 2009 10:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is the palace still open??

I know that a few years ago it had closed down and was only open when the FunnyBone rented it out. Is it still in operation?

I loved watching movies there!

If you can't laugh at yourself... Who can you laugh at?
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by TheViking83 on Aug 24, 2009 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

now that I'm thinking about it...

I think it was called “castle”…

If you can't laugh at yourself... Who can you laugh at?
The Packers, that’s who.
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by TheViking83 on Aug 24, 2009 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

WWE does it. Or did.

http://www.fourouncestofreedom.com

by Beer Monster on Aug 24, 2009 6:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, they did it up until a couple of years ago.

It was a whole lot of fun, being in a theatre full of fans. It was almost like being there live.

We constantly talked about how cool it would be if UFC did it.

by Sergio Hernandez on Aug 24, 2009 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Radio City Music Hall in NYC played UFC 100. It was $30 to get in.

This is a good idea but I like to drink beer and eat buffalo wings when I watch UFC events. Plus, the bathrooms in movie theaters tend to be far away from the screens – not enough time in between rounds to go.

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by MMAEruption on Aug 24, 2009 7:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I used to go to a theater in Maine that had tables and waitress service. It was awesome for movies that go better when you’re wasted, and they also had no admission to patriots games.

It would be awesome if they did this.

by Phildo on Aug 24, 2009 8:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

where in maine was that and are you a native mainer

by ldglass on Aug 25, 2009 6:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

biddeford, and I’m not native and I’ve managed to escape.

by Phildo on Aug 25, 2009 8:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

ha love how you used the term escape i did once but had to return for college but plan on escaping again asap

by ldglass on Aug 26, 2009 6:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It’s a nice place to visit, living there was hell, i need stuff happening.

by Phildo on Aug 26, 2009 9:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

couldn’t say it any better myself

by ldglass on Aug 27, 2009 6:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Leland: Couldn’t you try to do it when they have a free card on spike?

by Pontus on Aug 24, 2009 7:27 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

That would be cool. Currently I watch it on my projector (outside if the weather is good) and bring over some friends which is fun, but being able to watch it in a theater would be better.

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by Brad Ackerson on Aug 24, 2009 7:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I would love this, especially if it were modestly priced. Something in the range of $15-$35 might actually be enough to get me out of the house if it was an especially good card.

by JRN on Aug 24, 2009 8:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If you’d be willing to spend $35 to go to a movie theater to watch it, why not just order the PPV?

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by Mike Fagan on Aug 24, 2009 10:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

to have that pseudo-"live" feel with the crowd roaring i guess..

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by Anton Tabuena on Aug 24, 2009 11:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wait, how much to PPVs usually cost? I thought they were usually in the $50 range. I have, to be honest, never bought one.

by JRN on Aug 25, 2009 1:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What a cool site it would be!

by bigislandboi808 on Aug 24, 2009 10:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Sight.

by bigislandboi808 on Aug 24, 2009 10:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

They do that for live Pacquiao fights here too..

they also show a slightly delayed telecast with tons of adds on free TV..

weoweoweo .deviantart .com -- @antontabuena

by Anton Tabuena on Aug 24, 2009 11:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Aren’t Pacman fights national holidays as well?

A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.

by iiowyn on Aug 25, 2009 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lol, pretty much

Everything “stops” in the Philippines when fights. Even crime.

by I Can't Feel My Face on Aug 25, 2009 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pacman = The Filipino Batman?

Keep firing Assholes!

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by Ubernoober on Aug 25, 2009 8:40 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

I’ve watched 2 UFCs at the Diesel Playhouse when I was working in Toronto. They have a huge screen (35 feet or so) and of course you can have beer. The best place I’ve watched fights so far, especially for a GSP fight when the crowd was on fire.

by DrTopo on Aug 25, 2009 12:30 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

This is actually a good idea and if it were $15.00 to $20.00 a pop, then it would be affordable as well. The only thing is whether the UFC would feel that this would take away from PPV buys, but of course money would be made through this new revenue stream. Another thing that I heard a suggestion of was having some sort of PPV package for UFCs like 3 PPVs (in a row) for $100.00 (that is just an arbitrary number), or just some sort of deal instead of shelling out $40.00 to $50.00 a PPV especially in this economy. I think there would have more incentive for people to watch the “B Level” PPVs, but obviously there are economic problems for the UFC to do this.

by chrisbboy82 on Aug 25, 2009 12:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

they have done this before, at least through directv, was UFC 77, 78 and 79 I believe, got a few dollars off each event by ordering them in the group deal, also got UFC knockouts 3 or 4, a UFC shirt, a tapout hat and a one year membership to the UFC Fight Club in that deal…it actually was a good deal…

by Reaser16 on Aug 25, 2009 3:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

They show every pay per view at a couple of theaters in Oklahoma already.

by jacksiwel on Aug 25, 2009 1:41 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The Anchor Punch!

Loved the anchor punch video with Ali reference. Anchor Punches are my new favorite kind of punch!

by Bandaka on Aug 25, 2009 4:08 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

we’d just be happy to see a UFC event live in Australia nowadays on TV. sure with the time delays – if it was live we should see it live on Sunday morning – but the last two have been aired on the Monday.

by Ronnie Liddle on Aug 25, 2009 4:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

They are pretty much always aired on the Sunday morning and afternoons on PPV (6am, 12pm, 6pm). The only ones that i can think of that weren’t live were 89 (England card), 91 and 100 (91 because of Andre Rieu & 100 because of the Darchinyan fight).

The thing that i hate the most is that no matter what, they are always going to be on a sunday or a Monday. Saturday night fights sound like soooo much more fun!!

by MMAussie on Aug 25, 2009 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

How about a UFC in 3-D like the NFL tried last year?

http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/24/live-nfl-broadcast-to-air-in-3d-as-proof-of-concept/

by SanDiegoMMA.net on Aug 25, 2009 11:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

how did i remember this?

http://mmapayout.com/2008/12/mma-ufc-an-avenue-for-3d-hd/

it’s already been thought of

I'm old school hating Lesnar, I've been hating Lesnar since '08

by MicahW on Aug 25, 2009 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It’s a great idea. They have the Boston Red Sox in High Def at my local theater. It’s great to have the crowd effect, the big screen, and stuff like that.

I’ve always wondered why Boxing, MMA, and Pro Wrestling never made this jump. To me, it seems better then PPV.

by AlwaysRelaxing on Aug 25, 2009 7:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs