Dana White Leads UFC Into New Media Dominance via Facebook, Twitter and XBox 360
by Nate Wilcox on Jun 6, 2011 2:28 PM EDT
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As befits a rising new sports phenomenon, the UFC has a cutting edge approach to social media and online marketing. Dana White has almost 1.5 million followers to his personal Twitter account and the UFC itself has almost 6 million followers and friends on Twitter and Facebook.
Today Dana White appeared at the XBox 360 E3 conference to announce a new partnership between the UFC and Microsoft's XBox 360. Cage Side Seats has the White's announcement:
"There has never been a better time to be a UFC fan. As you know, we deliver the best fights in the world, and now XBOX will revolutionize how fans experience live events on television. You'll get all the best fights, and compete with your friends...only on XBOX. Let's take a look at the innovation you're gonna see this holiday."
ESPN Page 2 spoke to White about his aggressive use of Twitter and the UFC's social media strategy:
"When we go live, the fans are always saying on the Internet, 'Oh he's such an idiot. He's got the best seat in the house, and he's always on his phone or looking at the TV,'" White said. "The reason for that is I'm watching the TV screen because I'm making sure that everything looks good on TV. I'm on my phone because I'm reading Twitter."
White is not only reading. He's responding. He's aware that the cable is out in Iowa, meaning a fan can't access the pay-per-view he paid for. Or that fans traveled all the way from England only to find out they purchased fake tickets.
"Back in the old days, this is [stuff] you wouldn't know until Monday," White said. "You'd hear all these bad things that happened during your event, and you'd be like, 'God, we got to make sure this doesn't happen next time.' ... Now, as these things are happening, I have people running around fixing all the problems that are happening that I'm reading on Twitter."
White also tells ESPN that the UFC is "working on big things for the next five years and most of them revolve around social media."
My hat is off to Dana White and the UFC for their shrewd use of social media.
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Xbox Live Integration
This is a solid move and the trailer shows interactive content that could be great TwitterLOL fodder.
Anyway, I’d honestly rather watch in an XBL party with some friends back home than text back and forth all night. Also, I can totally order a PPV when Im behind on them cable bills.
Unfortunately I dont have access to anything gaming related at work so I can’t keep track of E3. But is this the big “TV deal” he was trying to work out that he mentioned earlier? I heard Microsoft was trying to get internet TV ont he xbox. Correct me if I’m wrong cause I can’t get anything.
They made a video game about Yakuzas. It’s called Yakuza. And it’s about Yakuza
@KrimsonTVN
DIA2ill.com coming soon....
Xbox covered their Live TV today a little bit from what I saw.
It’s compatible with the Kinect, so you can just speak and play shows. Pretty awesome.
GSP - A machine designed specifically to stop Jon Fitch from ever becoming champion.
Well…I’m a stingy bamma and got himself a PS3. My prediction, this year’s E3 is gonna be the fully 100% muthaphuckin upgrade to the 10th power to boost the security of their online play. So inpenetrable that if someone dares to hack it, their computer would blow up causing a great fire ultimately burning them alive in whatever dwelling they come from. No one can stop Sony! NO ONE!
They made a video game about Yakuzas. It’s called Yakuza. And it’s about Yakuza
@KrimsonTVN
DIA2ill.com coming soon....
by Krimson on Jun 6, 2011 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
That he got slapped...
by Malki Kawa.
"This is blood for blood and by the gallon. These are the old days, the bad days, the all-or-nothing days. They’re back! There’s no choice left. And I’m ready for war."
by John Danaher's Hair on Jun 6, 2011 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Look at that picture
How small does his hand look? That’s very disconcerting.
by Forbidden Psychological Technology on Jun 6, 2011 2:54 PM EDT via mobile reply actions 9 recs
oh man, somehow I had to laugh so hard
"No man dies for what he knows to be true. Men die for what they want to be true, for what some terror in their hearts tells them is not true."
This is why he hates Roy Nelson
His little hands can’t fit on the whopper
by rscott94 on Jun 6, 2011 3:24 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 3 recs
Who's got smaller hands, Dana White or Cro Cop?
"So even though it’s the gayest sport ever, MMA is still the best sport ever. I love my gay sport." - Wrestling Uber Alles
"Ellismania is, along with the black President, a symbol of the future." - Mayhem Miller
Tweeter!
It's a matter of how you position your thumb
try it while looking at your own hand. Thumb in palm = smaller looking hand. Thumb outside palm = bigger hand.
June 18th, 2011:
Fabricio Werdoomsday
Game Overeem
Start becoming interested in this movie right NOW!http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_tree_of_life_2011/
So...
Dana then?
"So even though it’s the gayest sport ever, MMA is still the best sport ever. I love my gay sport." - Wrestling Uber Alles
"Ellismania is, along with the black President, a symbol of the future." - Mayhem Miller
Tweeter!
by alicks on Jun 6, 2011 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yes, Dana
June 18th, 2011:
Fabricio Werdoomsday
Game Overeem
Start becoming interested in this movie right NOW!http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_tree_of_life_2011/
I tried it
IT WORKS!
Boys becoming men...Men becoming wolves
by spectaa on Jun 6, 2011 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
I’m watching the TV screen because I’m making sure that everything looks good on TV
I always thought that he was just trying to get the best view of the fight- his explanation makes a lot of sense and just shows how in tune he is with everything going on in his house. Look- Dana has a brash, and seemingly at times ignorant mien, but everything he does is intentional with an endgame in mind, and his vision has been pretty damn prescient thus far. The brass knows that the UFC’s growth has plateaued and is being extremely innovative to create a new period of marked growth. I’m excited about where the promotion and the sport re headed.
"This is blood for blood and by the gallon. These are the old days, the bad days, the all-or-nothing days. They’re back! There’s no choice left. And I’m ready for war."
by John Danaher's Hair on Jun 6, 2011 3:00 PM EDT reply actions
Agreed, This approach will take UFC and MMA to the next level
The fact that the UFC is working hand in hand with the technologies companies bringing new ideas and are in touch with the internet trends of today will bring the sport to the next level. The UFC does a great job by actively seeking new technologies not just reacting to new ones but trying to be innovators.
Somebody's word-a-day calendar is paying off.
Bolts from the Blue // "I eat cereal out of a giant novelty wine glass because it makes me feel fancy." - Britney Wade
Bloody Elbow // "Everybody underestimates the kick in the groin." - Bas Rutten
thanks :P
"This is blood for blood and by the gallon. These are the old days, the bad days, the all-or-nothing days. They’re back! There’s no choice left. And I’m ready for war."
by John Danaher's Hair on Jun 6, 2011 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I’ve been following and pretty fascinated by the UFC’s use of new media. There is a couple of pretty interesting benefits they gain from moving so hard from traditional media source: they have much greater control over the content and delivery; can give away an unlimited number of low value fights as gateway fights to introduce fans to the sport without worrying about ratings; most importantly, it conditions fans to watch the events at home via yahoo or another internet provider – preferably the UFC in the future.. Why is this important? Because ppv sales have probably maxed out and sooner or later the “event” factor that drives ppv sales is going to dry up. By getting fans to purchase it in the future directly from them they can cut out the ppv provider middle man and maximize their returns. That’s an extra 30% right there. There is also the added benefit of tracking and tabulating all that info on their customers. That’s a gold mine right there.
This is just vague enough to not get me excited at all.
"Unless you can’t think of something intelligent to say, don’t reply and make the world as dumb as you are appearing to be." - mabel4life
I was watching this on Spike, they were covering E3
For those who aren’t into gaming at all…E3 is to gamers what comic con is to movie nuts or what a Justin Bieber concert is to a 14 year old girl…
I’m barely a gamer, I play Halo, Gears of War, and UFC Undisputed…I was watching the Microsoft E3 coverage to get a peak at the latest Halo and Gears games.
This seems like a really cool feature.
The UFC is very smart to completely take advantage of the social media. Mainstream media isn’t really accepting MMA with open arms…most big sport shows don’t really give it the time of day. But there is a whole generation of younger people occupying twitter and facebook and things like that. This is the generation that will grow to take over all of the mainstream media. This is a long term move for the UFC. and a smart one.
June 18th, 2011:
Fabricio Werdoomsday
Game Overeem
Start becoming interested in this movie right NOW!http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_tree_of_life_2011/
uhmm
what comic con is to movie nuts
??? nope
by FiatJustitiaRuatCaelum on Jun 6, 2011 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, nowadays
Loads of big movies are known to debut or screen footage at comic con, not just those based on comics either, Terminator 4, Avatar, and plenty of other genre type films go there for the publicity.
June 18th, 2011:
Fabricio Werdoomsday
Game Overeem
Start becoming interested in this movie right NOW!http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_tree_of_life_2011/
uhhh yes.
And then God created Saturn ... and he liked it, so he put a ring on it. ... Always a ninja
SaberCats Examiner | SB Nation Bay Area | Niners Nation | Twitter
I dont get Dana haters.
"It is unlikely that anyone has ever read Nietzsche or Derrida and has been inspired to open a soup kitchen"
His hand is very small.
Boys becoming men...Men becoming wolves
by spectaa on Jun 6, 2011 5:46 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
"Let's take a look at the innovation..."
and then…..?
What did they take a look at?
Streaming PPV on xbox with the ability to make picks etc would be pretty sweet really I think… My xbox streams HD much better than my laptop honestly…
by cmons on Jun 6, 2011 6:14 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
“Let’s take a look at the innovation…”
and then…..?
What did they take a look at?
They showed a quick video that hinted at what the interface might look like. I haven’t been able to find it anywhere yet, but it showed the interactive features (ie gamertags on the side of the screen getting points for correct guesses, etc.)
Read my articles at: http://www.cagesideseats.com
Check out my other website: http://mmabuffet.blogspot.com
Follow me at: twitter.com/mmabuffet
by Kevin Haggerty on Jun 6, 2011 7:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Found it...
Check out the article that I originally posted at Cageside: HERE
I just found it a minute ago.
Read my articles at: http://www.cagesideseats.com
Check out my other website: http://mmabuffet.blogspot.com
Follow me at: twitter.com/mmabuffet
by Kevin Haggerty on Jun 6, 2011 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions
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