Dana White sees a future without PPV TV
The bulk of UFC fans shell out between $44.95 and $55.95 to order a numbered UFC card through providers such…
The bulk of UFC fans shell out between $44.95 and $55.95 to order a numbered UFC card through providers such as DirecTV and Dish Network. Estimates of the UFC’s pay-per-view revenue reached as high as $400 million in 2010.
A report this past November in the New York Times said pay-per-view earnings were down this past year, the likely result of a string of high-profile main events that fell apart due to injury, and a busier schedule that prompted customers to get choosy on which events to buy in a down economy.
The promotion’s online business sells fights through the UFC’s website and through online partners. It has yet to replace the revenue brought by pay-per-view. That could change, however.
“Lorenzo and I talk about this all the time – I do believe there will be a day when this probably isn’t pay-per-view,” UFC president Dana White said.
“A lot of people believe everything is going to go to the Internet, like now when you buy your cable, and there’s basic cable and you add other stations, we’re probably going to get to a point where you can pick exactly what you want. So it’s very interesting to see where all this goes over the next several years.”