UFC demographics trump moral qualms
Ratings are but one measure of success for the UFC’s new deal with FOX. Selling mainstream advertisers on MMA is…
Ratings are but one measure of success for the UFC’s new deal with FOX. Selling mainstream advertisers on MMA is a key component, as well, said a veteran media reporter.
TV isn’t just about shows, after all; it’s the commercials.
If the industry-leading promotion attracts young males, as FOX has bet with a seven-year broadcast partnership with the UFC, skittish ad execs may quickly change their tune.
“It’s easy to be on your high horse and be very moral about not wanting to advertise … mixed martial arts when biggest show is on Spike TV and relatively few people see it,” John Ourand, a veteran reporter for “SportsBusiness Daily,” told MMAjunkie.com. “If you have a brand and you want to reach males between the age of 18 and 49 – and MMA is on in prime time on FOX and they’re delivering that demographic – you’re silly not to go after it.”
Ourand, who broke the story of the multi-platform deal between the UFC and FOX, is familiar with the fight promotion’s place on the “do not buy” lists with some advertising firms.
But for all the moral questions posed by getting in bed with a brand that often sees blood spattered on its advertisers’ logos, the act of ignoring possible revenue is a far greater sin.
“Very few people that I know in this industry would make that decision,” Ourand said. “People might not know a lot about UFC, but those advertisers, they trust FOX, and they trust FOX isn’t going to steer them the wrong way.”
Gaining access to a demographic that’s historically the hardest to pin down is the carrot FOX will dangle when ad executives canvas a list of blue-chip companies looking to promote a product.