The UFC Gives The Finger to Personality Rights

by Luke Thomas on May 9, 2008 11:15 AM EDT in MMA News

"I think the superstars should be built as a company's being built, and they don't want to do that," Ortiz said. "They're really keeping the big piece of the pie, and they're just feeding all the champions and all the superstars crumbs of it."

Ortiz rips the fact that the UFC receives 100 percent of the revenue from DVD sales and merchandising, and he claims White has cut down on his earning potential by turning away potential sponsors.

I can't speak to the sponsors issue and part of this is just Tito Ortiz bellyaching, but it seems to me if the UFC is using the likeness for any of the fighters for any piece of merchandise, they deserve a cut. And one would think that if you're a main event or featured attraction fighter on any UFC card to the extent your likeness is featured in the name of the event, e.g. Couture vs. Liddell III, or on the cover itself you'd get a share of the revenue. But not so and from what I've been told by insiders, that's borderline unethical and out of whack with common business practice today.

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Comments

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Personality Rights

I wonder what percentage of the revenue NFL players receive from DVD sales. I know it's not a direct comparison, comparing ancillary revenues utilizing player personalities in a team sport to those involved in an individual sport, but I'm curious.

Obviously, fighters should get their piece of the pie when their likeness/name/image is used for merchandising by the company they are contractually obligated to. However, I suspect that very few, if any, of the fighters have contracts with language ensuring that they receive their fair share of the revenues. I would suggest that it would be due to either fighters signing with the company prior to the MMA boom, thus not realizing the potential for profit from ancillary revenues, or that fighters are so eager to be seen on the big stage that they all but sign away the rights to their first born just to get there.

It's a tough situation for the affected fighters. Perhaps if the UFC had a better merchandising department, one that relied less heavily on DVD sales, then it would open the door for fighters to get their piece of the action. After all, more money for the company should mean more money for everyone in the company, shouldn't it?

by Brett Jones on May 9, 2008 1:13 PM EDT reply actions

Re: The UFC Gives The Finger to Personality Rights

I don't know a lot about this, but I know that the NFL players have a players' union. When a player gets, say, the cover of Madden in any given year, I'm sure they are getting paid individually for that likeness. And, since I'm a gaming nerd, I know that EA bought the exclusive rights to use NFL players in a game. The entity they struck the deal with regarding players' names and likenesses was the union. So, my guess is that they get paid individually, and the union negotiates those contracts.

by Jiiri on May 9, 2008 5:57 PM EDT reply actions