Over the past few years, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has become one of the most entertaining sports outlets in the world.
Mixed martial arts has always been a major player in providing sports fans with full contact competition, but it's international integration into American culture has become more relevant than ever.
Dana White, president of the UFC, has been the main contributor in making his company one of the biggest names in the U.S. The UFC's integration into the video game market, cable television, commercials and their continuously penetrating home invasion of fans around the world has marketed the phenomenon more strategically than almost anybody.
These massive publications and advertising steps are even more important when you consider that MMA will never be as popular as the NFL, or the MLB for that matter. This is why every professional fighter and the big suits surrounding them must engage every facet of the media and its opportunities.
Unfortunately, the average sports fan along with the normal media consumer are sometimes unable to grasp the competitive nature of the UFC. People tend to disregard the training, dedication, professionalism and the shear sport of MMA.
These assumptions and miscues often result in the UFC taking a back seat to other popular American sports like boxing.
Boxing has become the main threat to the UFC, consistently trying to prove that the sport of MMA is nothing more than a barbaric way of professionally competing. With that said, this is an argument better left to discuss some other time.
Certain discrepancies within the media world about the sophistication and mainstream potential of the UFC often leaves the biggest MMA promoter trailing behind other sports for front-page stardom.
For instance, the lack of coverage on television networks such as ESPN, along with the recent expansion to the Spike and Versus networks, has hampered the UFC's chances to stretch its wings and grow outward. This is a problem that Dana White and Company is ready to face and solve fairly quickly.
The 13th season of Spike's Ultimate Fighter, a reality show featuring young MMA fighters competing for a contract for the UFC, began this Wednesday in another attempt to reach a greater market. High profile coaches, different fighter personalities, and great advertising, has made the show a consistent success. The UFC has gone from strictly promoting and displaying their product on pay-per-view to submerging itself in every media outlet to date, all within about the last six years.
This is a huge step for the UFC, who has attracted some of the biggest product promoters in the country, partnering up with advertising juggernauts Bud Light, Harley Davidson and Tapout clothing. With those advertising obstacles out of the way, the UFC will be able to focus more of their attention on promoting fighters and finding ways to make the fights and shows more accessible to fans and potential suitors.
Over the past few years, UFC fighters have been able to show their faces outside of the octagon, displaying a desire to reach a more diverse market than ever expected.
Whether it's Quinton "Rampage" Jackson being an avid part of the A-Team movie remake, Uriah Faber teaming up with popular HBO character Kenny Powers to promote K-Swiss shoes or George St. Pierre teaming up with ESPN to deliver another one of their clever "This is SportsCenter" commercials, UFC fighters are promoting the sport more than ever.
The UFC has set up a plan that is getting better by the year. By always being able to promote new talent—hence the "Ultimate Fighter" show—along with the experience already in the mix, the UFC is looking towards the future and aiming high.
What's next?
There are many opportunities at the hands of the UFC.
One of the biggest goals is to completely legalize the sport nationally. That means that PPV and broadcast fights will be able to be hosted in venues such as Madison Square Garden in New York City and maybe even potential outdoor venues in the near future.
Considering the national eruption the sport has maintained over the past decade, it's only a matter of time before some of the biggest fights in the world can be hosted by any state that wants it. This will result in more money for the UFC, considering many venues will be more than willing to bid for hosting rights.
Bigger markets will turn into more exposure for the UFC—exactly what everybody involved wants to see.
Another potential change in creating more fortune for MMA in the U.S. is to allow fights to be seen on more than one network. Look at Strikeforce. They've been able to broadcast a few of their big fights on the CBS network, allowing fans and potential followers the ability to see the sport up-close and personal.
While the UFC has enabled their fans the access to Spike and Versus to see fights and UFC-related material, the MMA powerhouse simply hasn't gained public recognition through the bigger networks and channels. This is something that the UFC should aim to achieve in the coming years, as they move their product up the food chain and stake an entertainment claim outside of PPV.
So is it really worth $50 to see a UFC PPV?
Of course it is.
There is nothing like seeing Anderson Silva knock out Vitor Belfort with a front heel kick. However, there are those people who would like to sample the UFC and potentially start following the sport, but view it as an annual monetary commitment.
I'm a huge fan of the UFC. Love the show, love the fighters and I try to see every card that is put together. With that said, it's very difficult to consistently fork over $50 just three weeks after the last time I opened my wallet—especially if the fight card isn't as good as the one before.
These obstacles are part of the reason why many people have been unable to see the magnificent spectacle of a UFC event. However, with future expansion on television and with more annual income, the UFC and advertisers will be able to cut down the price of buying a fight, allowing fans to follow the sport more closely, more tentatively.
By focusing all aspects of the media into attracting future fans, as well as satisfying current followers, the UFC has every chance in the world to bulk up its fanbase and take over the very essence of entertainment. Famous actors, famous athletes and people around the world have already been able to indulge themselves visually and are currently knee-deep in this thing called MMA.
While its beauty and limitless potential have already made MMA a household sport, a full-fledged media overhaul with turn the UFC into the most entertaining sporting event around.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
No comments:
Post a Comment