A couple of UFC notes from WON

[Hunter's Torn Quad]

Current estimates have Ortiz vs. Shamrock II as having drawn 775,000 buys. Hughes vs. Gracie did 600,000 buys. On those numbers, Ortiz vs. Shamrock would have grossed almost $31 million on PPV alone, growing to almost $35.3 million when you add the gate and the money from closed circuit locations.

 

As a comparison, domestically, Wrestlemania would have $28.2 million.

 

Historically, when compared with pro wrestling on a worldwide basis, it would be #8 on the all-time list, trailing only seven Wrestlemanias’ (17, 21, 22, 20, 18, 16, 15). Domestically, it looks set to beat 20, 21 and 22, so it would move up to #5 when based on North American buys.

 

If the Countdown to UFC 60 TV special did a 0.8, around 720,000 viewers, then almost all of them wound up buying the PPV. A typical Raw gets around 3.5 million viewers and few of those viewers wind up wanting to buy the PPV its promoting. Dave says it proves that a great fallacy of this year is that ratings equal popularity and are a direct correlation to income, which they only are if you get the money from ad sales based on ratings.

 

Says that from a television standpoint, in fighter terms, Raw “takes a guy down, holds him down the entire fight, wins a decision and can’t understand why he’s not getting paid the money that fighters with a lesser win-loss record but who also sells tickets make. UFC has become the opposite”.

 

The Liddell vs. Silva deal is dead. Apparently, PRIDE worked UFC into believing PRIDE was going down and they were giving UFC Silva because of that, when the reality was PRIDE wanted to get exposure for Silva on what it felt was going to be UFC's biggest show of the year before PRIDE made their US debut.

[naiwf]

GOOD LAWD!

 

I never would have envisioned the day that a UFC PPV outgrossed WrestleMania by MILLIONS of dollars. Granted UFC can't do that regularly, but that's still pretty wild.

[Hunter's Torn Quad]

Since the Hughes vs. Gracie numbers came out, WWE haven't released any numbers from their PPV's, so you know they're not happy.

[Guest JoeMelba]

htq, the notes from WON are much appreciated.

 

i really find this stuff intriguing, as we're essentially seeing a new entertainment juggernaut being born. it'd be like if you were there when vince was building his wwf and taking over the territories in 83 and 84.

 

joe

[snuffbox]

Since the Hughes vs. Gracie numbers came out, WWE haven't released any numbers from their PPV's, so you know they're not happy.

 

Yet they refuse to provide their fans with a product they will pay money for. Miserable.

[razazteca]

I'm starting to think that a Ultimate Fight Night show featuring Joe Rogan vs Weasley Snipes can out draw a NBC Saturday Night Main Event of HBK vs Shane McMahon.

[Adam]

I'd put money on that being the case.