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[hurt80]

Originally Posted by rivethead

She's talking about zuffa as a promotion, not the UFC as an org, you geniuses.

Lets keep the needless misogyny to a minimum, shall we?

rh

you're right on the zuffa as a promotion deal , but what gets me is that it seems that showtime is still pulling all the strings for strikeforce and strikeforce has cancelled shows in the past havent they? just seems unfair to group the strikeforce folleys in with the zuffa/fox deal. she just comes off as someone who is trying to push a very bias agenda, always trying to tear down anything zuffa/UFC.

[AnchorPunch]

Originally Posted by hurt80

you're right on the zuffa as a promotion deal , but what gets me is that it seems that showtime is still pulling all the strings for strikeforce and strikeforce has cancelled shows in the past havent they? just seems unfair to group the strikeforce folleys in with the zuffa/fox deal. she just comes off as someone who is trying to push a very bias agenda, always trying to tear down anything zuffa/UFC.

I was initially going to say the same thing: It feels very biased, and like she's trying to manipulate folks less in the know, by conflating the UFC and Strikeforce. Especially given that the Fox deal, technically, has nothing to do with Strikeforce.

That said, I think there's an argument that it does because the UFC may be under more pressure to mine talent from SF due to the stress of additional Fox cards. So, in theory, the pressure to keep up the number of events in the UFC due to Fox has really hurt SF.

Overall, it still feels very biased to me. The second page of content is actually (granted I skimmed) reasonable, notes that Fox has a more positive outlook, that there are some benefits; a lot of grow pains stuff. The title of the content, however, is just shitty. And I can't find any argument that says this is more than growing pains. It'd be like saying how selling out of iPad 3's is a sign that there's something wrong with Apple.

Meh.

[SWIFTboy]

When your core audience becomes disenchanted or even disinterested, they stop recommending the product to their friends -- hardly a way to expand viewership.

Spot on.

I'm not sure which part of the article anyone is disagreeing with. The UFC has certainly diluted it's product. I think it's pretty clear that has lead to some problems, like cancelled shows.

Whether or not that is just part of the process of reaching the next level is up for debate, but I don't think she presented it any other way.

Are you all just simply reacting to the title and the author?

[AnchorPunch]

Originally Posted by SWIFTboy

Spot on.

I'm not sure which part of the article anyone is disagreeing with. The UFC has certainly diluted it's product. I think it's pretty clear that has lead to some problems, like cancelled shows.

Whether or not that is just part of the process of reaching the next level is up for debate, but I don't think she presented it any other way.

Are you all just simply reacting to the title and the author?

If her core argument was about hasty fight booking, Sonnen/Jones, and the like, then I'd at least understand where she's coming from. Though I don't think it's something that will permanently hurt the brand.

That said, she's talking about the additional cards and she provides ZERO evidence.

And if the ratings suggest anything in this first year, it's that there just isn't enough audience to support all of this free content, to the point where its becoming detrimental to the UFC brand.

I don't buy that for anything. It's growing pains.

More to the point, read the quotes in the article. There's no supporting evidence that the brand is being hurt, that massive sums of money are being lost, that the investment doesn't appear to be wise, etc.

She doesn't even compare it to other sporting events. She notes that ratings are down, then that "When you take this into account, the ratings dip doesn't seem as drastic."

It's a poor attempt to have an inflammatory title, with shit backing it up.

That's what I'm reacting to.

[RearNakedStroke]

I have to say I agree with the article. They haven't had a really good stacked ppv basically since the FOX deal. That's what I really used to look forward to as a fan. Ordering the fights and having a bunch of friends over for beers was good times. Now that doesn't really happen much because a majority of the ppvs aren't worth buying and people are less inclined to travel across town to watch fights if they're free anyway.

I guess it wouldn't really bother me if they would stack the free cards less and still stack the ppvs to the point that they are still worth paying for.

[sonofsteven]

Originally Posted by RearNakedStroke

I have to say I agree with the article. They haven't had a really good stacked ppv basically since the FOX deal. That's what I really used to look forward to as a fan. Ordering the fights and having a bunch of friends over for beers was good times. Now that doesn't really happen much because a majority of the ppvs aren't worth buying and people are less inclined to travel across town to watch fights if they're free anyway.

I guess it wouldn't really bother me if they would stack the free cards less and still stack the ppvs to the point that they are still worth paying for.

I think a lot of fans both casual and hardcore share your veiwpoint but what I can't understand is how you don't see the positive potential in the problem you mention.
My veiw: The diluting of PPV's in order to move things to network TV means more high caliber fights for free or relatively cheap. Yeah you still have to pay for electricity and your programming but it is a vast improvement in pricing for say a years worth of fight events. Not only that but PPV's that seem weak often turn out to be barnburners and if Zuffa can get to a point where they have almost all fights on network deals then they would have the capabilty to still have maybe 2 PPV's a year (most likely superbowl/newyears timeframe and a 4tyh of july event) and they would be able to stack the shit out of those cards since it would only be twice a year. Thats my thoughts on where it is all headed and I see that as 99% positive.

[RearNakedStroke]

Originally Posted by sonofsteven

I think a lot of fans both casual and hardcore share your veiwpoint but what I can't understand is how you don't see the positive potential in the problem you mention.
My veiw: The diluting of PPV's in order to move things to network TV means more high caliber fights for free or relatively cheap. Yeah you still have to pay for electricity and your programming but it is a vast improvement in pricing for say a years worth of fight events. Not only that but PPV's that seem weak often turn out to be barnburners and if Zuffa can get to a point where they have almost all fights on network deals then they would have the capabilty to still have maybe 2 PPV's a year (most likely superbowl/newyears timeframe and a 4tyh of july event) and they would be able to stack the shit out of those cards since it would only be twice a year. Thats my thoughts on where it is all headed and I see that as 99% positive.

The point is that I used to buy every single ppv and would make plans for it in advance. It was kind of cool looking forward to a stacked ppv around once a month to get together with a bunch of friends and watch it. Every once in a while they would produce a thin card and I would give them the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes they would be awesome. But its just not worth it to pay $60 a month and plan around it when almost every card is stacked so thin.

Sure, there are more free cards, but very few of them are good enough to plan around. The only one coming up is FOX 5. The rest I might catch live if I happen to have nothing better going on that particular night. There's no way most people In their target demographic are going to put aside one night out of nearly every weekend to watch their thin cards. That's what I think is killing some of the excitement.

[BonesKnows]

Everyone needs to chill out imo. The first FOX event was held almost a year ago (a year in like 12 days) everyone knew there were going to be growing pains that came with a network deal (things that work, things that dont, things FOX want, things the UFC wants etc). Lets see how the UFC is holding out a year from now (2 years into their 7 year deal or nearly 1/3 of the way through their signed contract with FOX) i bet most opinions will change on this matter

[Sniggles]

Originally Posted by BonesKnows

Everyone needs to chill out imo. The first FOX event was held almost a year ago (a year in like 12 days) everyone knew there were going to be growing pains that came with a network deal (things that work, things that dont, things FOX want, things the UFC wants etc). Lets see how the UFC is holding out a year from now (2 years into their 7 year deal or nearly 1/3 of the way through their signed contract with FOX) i bet most opinions will change on this matter

The PPV events had already become diluted before then. The FOX deal just made it more obvious.