Winning the 11th Hour: Increasing Swing Purchases@220gs

Once upon a time, the UFC decided to broadcast preliminary bouts on Cable TV prior to Pay-Per-View events; the results were fantastic. Fans were treated to more fights and fighters were given an additional platform to showcase their talent. In a new era & market, is it possible to improve upon the once revolutionary 11th hour recipe?

Airing preliminary bouts on cable television sets the UFC up for a boost in PPV sales. If the scheduled undercard bouts deliver entertaining action; fans might be inclined to purchase the PPV event. This timeslot is precious and might as well be gold.

UFC cards are essentially constructed like a batting order in baseball. Matchmakers fundamentally plan two events: the main card & the undercard. As we see with batting order, card placement and matchups are crucial. When you serve as the lead in for a major PPV, you need the right mix of talent to drive your product.

A major goal of the UFC has always been to carve out their spot on the Mt. Rushmore of Sports. As each year passes, said goal seems to be more attainable. As it stands, the UFC has partnerships with EA Sports, FOX, & Reebok. Ten years ago this was inconceivable! Who knows where the organization and the sport will be in 2025. In a star driven sport, focusing resources around box office attractions seems like a no brainer.

If you’ve been living under a rock, the three most popular American Sports are: Football (NFL), Basketball (NBA), and Baseball (MLB). Each league crowns a yearly champion as the two best teams compete for their sport’s world title. It’s a simple concept, virtually identical to a championship bout.

Keeping parallels in mind; what does the NBA do in their “11th hour”? What lead-in content does the NFL broadcast? What pregame formula does the MLB implement for the World Series? How are they similar and different when compared to the UFC?

Take a look for yourself….

League Time Content NetworkUFC 2 hours Preliminary Bouts Fox Sports 1 (Cable)NFL 6 hours Interviews + Analysis FOXNBA 30 minutes Analysis ABCMLB 30 minutes Analysis NBC

Takeaways:NFL, NBA, MLB broadcast pregame shows are on free network television NBA & MLB pregame shows = 30 minutes At 2 hours, the UFC has prime pregame real-estate!

Conclusion:The UFC doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to pregame content; they simply need to reorganize their programming.

Would Mayweather/De La Hoya have sold two million PPVs without HBO’s 24/7 series? Shows such as 24/7 and UFC countdowns are vital in potential fan investment! The UFC does a spectacular job capturing an athlete’s personality with its online Embedded Series. Fighters are often shown in a different light, a more civilian light. Countdown episodes are an excellent platform for fighter backstories, lifestyle, and training. Simply put, this is the most effective stage for creating new fans.

What can the UFC do to maximize their “pregame real-estate”? Rather than broadcast prelims for two hours on FS1; air the event’s full countdown episode and entire embedded series on FOX. This would serve as a superior infomercial for the casual viewing audience to digest. The reach and availability of “Big Fox” trumps that of Fox Sports 1. Is it feasible?

Absolutely!

Content Total Time Generous Round up Possible Commercial PoolCountdown to UFC 185 43:13 44 30 minutesUFC 185 Embedded – 1 6:34 7UFC 185 Embedded – 2 7:29 8UFC 185 Embedded – 3 6:30 7UFC 185 Embedded – 4 7:42 8UFC 185 Embedded – 5 6:49 7UFC 185 Embedded – 6 6:10 7

Total Pregame Time 88 min (1 hr. 28 min)

What would happen to preliminary bouts?

Realistically, two things…

A.) They remain on FS1 (win key ratings on two networks)B.) They are moved to Fight Pass (another selling point for the internet based network)

Once again, fan investment is the fuel that keeps this sport running. It’s the fan’s interest in the fighter that makes a bout special. The attachment is what makes your neck hairs stand up as they enter the cage. If it was two strangers blasting each other it’d be a different story. When there’s connection, a fight card turns into an event.

If you feel like you know the fighter, you want to cheer for them. It becomes about you and the fighter. A platform for fighters to become more relatable is key when the objective is to make the audience feel like they know the athlete.

There are talented fighters outside the UFC and aside from die-hard MMA fans; they go unrecognized. Why? Because they aren’t fighting in the UFC.

The era of brand awareness has long since been conquered; our current landscape depends on what athletes do with what the UFC gives them. It’s like basketball’s Alley-oop; the UFC’s job is to toss the ball near the basket, it’s up to the fighters to slam it in.

Implementing this pregame system can turn a casual sports fan into an invested UFC fan in only two hours!

This is what the UFC should be aiming for, time is on their side. Time to experiment, assess, improve, and grow!