How much is too much? It is an issue that has been raised frequently with regard to the UFC’s hectic, almost WWE-like schedule.
The point at which a product becomes oversaturated can be debated, but some within the MMA media believe that the UFC has already hopped, skipped and jumped over that invisible line.
During his recent weekly chat—which is well worth checking out—over at MMAFighting.com, Luke Thomas claimed that this issue has passed the point of debate.
The UFC has, according to him, flooded the PPV market with entirely too much of its product, given its prohibitive cost and the current climate of diminishing returns.
But while I respect his opinion, this debate is a little more nuanced than that.
In order to prosecute this case, one would require access to Zuffa’s internal numbers. Dana and the Fertittas are astute business men, so it is doubtful that they would continue to bury us in content if it was harming their business.
It may be some time before we see a PPV to match UFC 100’s Pacquiao-like buyrate, but much of that can be attributed to the economic climate. You can be sure that Dana White and Co. are still raking in the paper.
Indeed, the notion that the UFC is putting on substantially more PPVs is an illusion. Perhaps it is an impression created by all of the free content they air, causing people to misremember which events were free.
The reality is that the UFC has added three PPVs to the schedule since the consensus golden era of 2009—from 13 to 16. That is not a huge increase, yet it appears to be substantial when we see their premium content sandwiched between numerous free shows on the Fox platforms.
Oversaturation of the market may not necessarily be the issue some are suggesting, but the avalanche of free UFC content poses other problems.
Probably the most virulent issue caused by the UFC’s ubiquitous presence on FX and Fuel is the diluted star presence on each show. I’m sure you have noticed that the UFC’s recent cards have been a little light in terms of compelling matchups.
This is the inevitable result of serving too many masters. The UFC can no longer litter their cards with bankable performers. As a result, their shows have become somewhat top-heavy over the past year.
While some fighters may have been slotted into the co-main event of a PPV in 2010, they are now more likely to be reserved to headline an FX event.
Injuries have also played a major role in the UFC’s current issues with card depth.
With so many shows on offer, Joe Silva and Sean Shelby cannot reasonably expect to be able to make proportional replacements when injuries occur.
This, as I see it, is the real issue. There is a distinction to be made between oversaturation and overreaching.
The UFC may not be at the point of market saturation, but they have unquestionably overreached.
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