UFC president Dana White made an interesting announcement recently that piqued the interest of older fight fans.
While discussing the new deal between FOX and the UFC on the Petros and Money radio show, White announced that the first FOX event on November 12 will be simulcast on the Fox Sports Radio Network.
For the first time ever, mixed martial arts will be broadcast live on the radio in a huge way.
“We’re going to put these fights live on the radio,” White said, “which really hasn’t been done since the old days before television when everyone would sit around and listen to the big fights from MSG. We’re going to bring that back.”
Although the tactic is an homage to the days of old when some of boxing biggest stars gained a majority of their following via the air waves, it is also a smart marketing move.
Even in this age of television and the Internet, many sports fans still enjoy listening to games or events on the radio. The novelty of it and the nostalgia it brings about has kept radio in the mainstream for almost a century.
The vivid images that an announcer creates with their words is a thing of beauty and will be interesting to hear when MMA is brought into the fold.
In the US and Canada, the Fox Sports Radio Network is comprised of almost 400 affiliates, furthering the UFC’s appeal to an audience that might still be unaware of the sport and giving fans who are on the road or unable to access a television a chance to hear the event.
This is a great addition for fans, but the UFC will also benefit immensely.
The goal of this whole deal with FOX was to legitimize the sport in the eyes of the mainstream media and the general public. All the big leagues, such as the NFL, MLB and NBA, have a radio presence with a long history.
Adding a radio outlet brings the sport up to par with the other leagues and makes the UFC one of the most highly marketable entities out there.
The UFC already has a strong social media and television presence that has grown the sport by leaps and bounds. Radio is just another thing checked off the list to make sure all there bases are covered.
Honestly, I can see no downside putting the UFC on the radio for either fans or the sport.
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