It's getting harder to watch combat sports
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Steve Timko
May 19, 2019, 1:00:43 PM5/19/19
to TV or Not TV
I’ve been meaning to write a post griping about how difficult it has become to watch MMA. The UFC started its own subscription online streaming service and showed features and live fights on there, often a prelim to bigger fights. The fights were generally inconsequential so I didn’t mind that.
Then my favorite MMA fighter jumped to Bellator, where he can make more money due to endorsement arrangements. A short-time later Bellator started showing its fights live exclusively on a new subscription streaming service, DAZN (pronounced Da Zone). The first time my fighter was up I called the sports bar where I watch MMA and asked if they would show the fight. They said sure. So went down there, ordered dinner and a tall beer and settled in for an evening of MMA fights. I asked the bartender to get the Bellator fights. Turns out not only did they not have DAZN, they didn’t even know how to find it. I still had to pay for dinner but he gave me the beer for free. I haven’t seen a live Bellator fight since they switched to DAZN.
Then the UFC announced that ESPN would be showing the majority of UFC fights. But it turns out most of those fights are in ESPN+, its subscription streaming sports service. The first few on ESPN+ were meh, but by now several of those fights were of interest to me. And it turns out one was actually on ESPN2.. ESPN’s ads only mentioned the ESPN+ streaming, I would have watched had I known.
So my ability to watch live MMA now is pretty much limited to pay-per-view at the sports bar.
The New Yorker has a great article out now about how the boxing kingdom has been divided among providers. HBO gave up on boxing but others are pursuing, in part because there’s not just one but three interesting heavyweights. Heavyweights are what attract viewers. In the UFC, one of best fighters during the past decade was Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, who was UFC flyweight champion from 2012 to 2018. Although one of the most talented fighters of his generation, he couldn’t generate ratings. UFC matches that feature only lighter weight fights don’t do well in the ratings. But fights with several heavyweight and light heavyweight fighters, even if they’re not the top fighters, do monster ratings.
Getting back to boxing, all three heavyweights signed with different providers: Showtime, ESPN or DAZN. Two of them fight each other to a draw before they signed to separate kingdoms. Now it’s looking like they are not going to fight each other because no provider is willing to let its fighter go earn money for another provider. And there’s complaints ESPN will not feature boxers not under the ESPN tent.
So in this case, it looks like combat sports are not be broadcasted, but rather narrowcasted and are being used maybe not so much to make a profit but establish a foothold to replace over-the-air, cable and satellite content providers.
The New Yorker article is a good read. I think even non-sports fans would find it interesting.
Then my favorite MMA fighter jumped to Bellator, where he can make more money due to endorsement arrangements. A short-time later Bellator started showing its fights live exclusively on a new subscription streaming service, DAZN (pronounced Da Zone). The first time my fighter was up I called the sports bar where I watch MMA and asked if they would show the fight. They said sure. So went down there, ordered dinner and a tall beer and settled in for an evening of MMA fights. I asked the bartender to get the Bellator fights. Turns out not only did they not have DAZN, they didn’t even know how to find it. I still had to pay for dinner but he gave me the beer for free. I haven’t seen a live Bellator fight since they switched to DAZN.
Then the UFC announced that ESPN would be showing the majority of UFC fights. But it turns out most of those fights are in ESPN+, its subscription streaming sports service. The first few on ESPN+ were meh, but by now several of those fights were of interest to me. And it turns out one was actually on ESPN2.. ESPN’s ads only mentioned the ESPN+ streaming, I would have watched had I known.
So my ability to watch live MMA now is pretty much limited to pay-per-view at the sports bar.
The New Yorker has a great article out now about how the boxing kingdom has been divided among providers. HBO gave up on boxing but others are pursuing, in part because there’s not just one but three interesting heavyweights. Heavyweights are what attract viewers. In the UFC, one of best fighters during the past decade was Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, who was UFC flyweight champion from 2012 to 2018. Although one of the most talented fighters of his generation, he couldn’t generate ratings. UFC matches that feature only lighter weight fights don’t do well in the ratings. But fights with several heavyweight and light heavyweight fighters, even if they’re not the top fighters, do monster ratings.
Getting back to boxing, all three heavyweights signed with different providers: Showtime, ESPN or DAZN. Two of them fight each other to a draw before they signed to separate kingdoms. Now it’s looking like they are not going to fight each other because no provider is willing to let its fighter go earn money for another provider. And there’s complaints ESPN will not feature boxers not under the ESPN tent.
So in this case, it looks like combat sports are not be broadcasted, but rather narrowcasted and are being used maybe not so much to make a profit but establish a foothold to replace over-the-air, cable and satellite content providers.
The New Yorker article is a good read. I think even non-sports fans would find it interesting.
JW
May 20, 2019, 6:11:56 AM5/20/19
to tvornottv
Before I read the New Yorker article:
> So in this case, it looks like combat sports are not be broadcasted, but
> rather narrowcasted and are being used maybe not so much to make a profit
> but establish a foothold to replace over-the-air, cable and satellite
> content providers.
Boxing has been narrowcasting for decades. There was a long period of time where it was difficult not to know who the heavyweight champion was, even if you weren't any kind of fan, and championship bouts were a huge deal.
In this century, I'm sort of aware that a Klitschko or two has been heavyweight champion, but beyond that I have no idea, and I don't have a problem with it being as far off my radar as it is. The powers that be in boxing went for every possible pay-per-view and premium cable dollar they could get their hands on, and I think there are a couple of generations for whom boxing is as much of a niche sport as competitive logrolling. (I'll be the one to mention that with what we know about brain injuries now, the obscurity may not be such a bad thing, but that's beside the point.)
Now to read the article ...
Steve Timko
Jun 5, 2019, 11:28:13 AM6/5/19
to TV or Not TV
DAZN's champion lost to Andy Ruiz Jr., an 11-1 underdog. Ruiz was on Kimmel last night and is a likeable guy.
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