Dana White’s campaign against illegal streamers has it’s first victory, to an extent. In the build-up to UFC 257, Dana revealed to BT Sport that he had a potential streamer under house watch. If said streamer uploaded a link, then the UFC president was ready to press as many charges as possible against the offender. […]
Dana White’s campaign against illegal streamers has it’s first victory, to an extent. In the build-up to UFC 257, Dana revealed to BT Sport that he had a potential streamer under house watch. If said streamer uploaded a link, then the UFC president was ready to press as many charges as possible against the offender.
However in the UFC 257 post-fight conference, White revealed new details on the matter. Following his interview with BT Sport, as well as the pre-fight conference, the supposed streamer had a sudden change of heart. White told journalists in attendance the following:
“He (the streamer) put out a statement that night. Said I will not be streaming the McGregor vs Poirier anymore. But I will show you how to buy it legally.” White went on to reveal that it was not just an empty statement. He said “And now his whole streaming service has been deleted and is gone. Disappeared. One down and a S**t-load to go.”
Dana White concluded the topic with a bold proclamation for the future. He stated that “every event, I’m gonna go after one of these guys, one of these (streamers). Or more. We’ll see.” The full video can be seen below.
Dana White says he couldn’t bust the one illegal streamer he had his eye on because the streamer started selling legal PPV streams and took down his network before UFC 257 pic.twitter.com/IdXbBhk5hY
Somewhat ironically, whilst Dana White was stopping illegal streamers from watching his event. Many viewers in North America who had legally purchased the main card found themselves initially unable to view the event.
Dana White’s 2021 crusade against streamers is clearly one of the UFC presidents main focuses ahead of UFC 257. He recently revealed, at the UFC 257 press conference, that he currently has a streamer in his sights. Since then, in an interview with BT Sport, White has revealed further details into the matter. As soon […]
As soon as Adam Catteral mentioned the topic of illegal streaming, White instantly broke out into a big smile, saying “I’m so glad you asked me this question.” He went on to state that “We’ve been working on piracy since day one,” “We just got some real important legislation done with piracy this year.”
“When I came out and said this (earlier this month), all these guys started taunting me. So I went through, and I picked. I said, ‘You. You’re the guy.’ And I told my people, ‘I want this guy.’ And guess what? We got him,” he added. “We’re watching his house, we’re listening to his phone conversations, and if he puts it up on Saturday, we got him” (as transcribed by MMA Mania).
On the topic of what might happen should the streamer be caught, White’s response was unsurprisingly brutal and clear cut. “We will arrest him, and I will prosecute him. I will not be nice, I will not give him any leniency whatsoever. I will go guns-a-f***in blazing on this guy.”
Dana White has always taking a strong stance in illegal exploitation of his business, and rightly so. However it is debatable how much of a change catching a single streamer will have.
What are your thoughts on Dana White’s hard nosed approach to dealing with illegal streamers?
UFC President Dana White has been involved in many battles over his time running the promotion but the one that has heated up the most in recent time is his war against illegal streamers. They have long been a thorn in his side but his recent comments make him sound like a wartime general, ready […]
UFC President Dana White has been involved in many battles over his time running the promotion but the one that has heated up the most in recent time is his war against illegal streamers. They have long been a thorn in his side but his recent comments make him sound like a wartime general, ready to wage war against a long-time enemy.
White has long been battling these sites and has been one of the biggest critics along with being one of the only heads of a major sport to go after them.
This week he has doubled down on his stance at the UFC 257 press conference and seems to be ramping up the tension for this weekend. (H/T Essentiallysports.com)
“I am glad you asked me about that. Because we got one. We got one. We are watching this one right now and all you have to do is turn it on Saturday. And we got you, f***ers. I can’t wait. Turn it on Saturday, streamers, and see what happens.”
After hearing that, White seems more head strong then ever in this battle and with the passing of the most recent stimulus package making illegal streaming a felony in the U.S., he thinks that there has been some sort of turning point in his ongoing battle with piracy and the illegal streaming community.
White has been very vocal about his dislike for this community and with one of the biggest pay-per-views this weekend having Conor McGregor headline it, you can be sure that White will want to collect every penny he can from the biggest cash cow on his roster.
Do you think Dana White is winning the war against illegal streamers?
(“What was your question? Are we looking to buy the entire Internet? I mean, yeah, we’ll see what happens.”/Photo via Getty)
UFC’s digital subscription service, Fight Pass, has its fair share of pros and cons. The cost isn’t all that damaging to the wallet, but it’s not exactly the game-changer promotion officials thought it would be.
Without knowing too much about subscriber info and profits, the network allows you to watch free UFC cards, including FOX Sports 1 events, preliminary fights, and exclusive Fight Pass broadcasts that usually take place outside of North America. It also has an extensive UFC library, containing an abundance of full main cards from UFC, Pride, WEC, EliteXC, and those two Affliction MMA cards that were surprisingly fun.
(“What was your question? Are we looking to buy the entire Internet? I mean, yeah, we’ll see what happens.”/ Photo via Getty)
UFC’s digital subscription service, Fight Pass, has its fair share of pros and cons. The cost isn’t all that damaging to the wallet, but it’s not exactly the game-changer that promotion officials thought it would be.
The network allows you to watch free UFC cards, including FOX Sports 1 events, preliminary fights, and exclusive Fight Pass broadcasts that usually take place outside of North America. It also carries an extensive UFC library, containing an abundance of full main cards from UFC, as well as Pride, WEC, EliteXC, and those two Affliction MMA cards that were surprisingly fun, among others.
UFC Chief Content Officer Marshall Zelaznik announced the news in a press conference on Saturday, revealing that over 13,000 individual bouts are slated to be added to Fight Pass this upcoming spring. The content comes from the brain of UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, who apparently made his own list of what promotions he wanted to see on the digital service (according to MMA Fighting).
After news broke that hackers stole login info and credit card numbers from tens of thousands of subscribers a few days ago (which really speaks volumes about the lack of security), fight fans were met with a better announcement, as Zuffa announced hours before UFC 182 it has acquired eight fight libraries from renown and regional promotions, including legendary Japanese promotion Pancrase (complete library), King of The Cage, HookNShoot, TKO, Cage Rage, Extreme Challenge, Ultimate Challenge MMA (UCMMA), and XFO.
But there’s still a lot to complain about, after the jump:
(“What was your question? Are we looking to buy the entire Internet? I mean, yeah, we’ll see what happens.”/ Photo via Getty)
UFC’s digital subscription service, Fight Pass, has its fair share of pros and cons. The cost isn’t all that damaging to the wallet, but it’s not exactly the game-changer that promotion officials thought it would be.
The network allows you to watch free UFC cards, including FOX Sports 1 events, preliminary fights, and exclusive Fight Pass broadcasts that usually take place outside of North America. It also carries an extensive UFC library, containing an abundance of full main cards from UFC, as well as Pride, WEC, EliteXC, and those two Affliction MMA cards that were surprisingly fun, among others.
UFC Chief Content Officer Marshall Zelaznik announced the news in a press conference on Saturday, revealing that over 13,000 individual bouts are slated to be added to Fight Pass this upcoming spring. The content comes from the brain of UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, who apparently made his own list of what promotions he wanted to see on the digital service (according to MMA Fighting).
Now, the Pancrase library certainly gets us giddy, seeing that their current events are pretty difficult to find, without the availability to download those events after they take place. The rest is a nice treat, yet we’re still holding out for Yamma and Rhode Island Vale Tudo. With that said, Fight Pass is starting to shape up as definitive library of MMA fights from the most important promotions, and it’s apparently still growing.
This comes not too long after UFC’s inclusion of Invicta FC events, providing streaming of live events and past showcases from the leading all-female MMA promotion. We could really do without exclusive shows like The Ultimate Fighter: Whatever Country We’re In and MMA Mindset, but variety is never a bad thing.
On the other hand, this also means a boatload of free content will likely be pulled from YouTube and other free streaming sites. Zuffa legal teams will be out in full force and prohibiting fans from watching some old Bas Rutten and Frank Shamrock Pancrase fights because they now own that material.
In spite of that, it still feels like Fight Pass is “under construction,” since the search tool is fairly problematic; you’d think the service could at least rank the bouts you’re looking for in chronological order. It’s also incredibly glitchy, with a lot of complaints about getting bounced out of a live broadcast, only to have to sign back in. There are rewind functions, but it’s kind of annoying to be asked to log in again after the site freezes and have to reenter your password during the critical moments of a fight.
Also, for those that think pro wrestling isn’t direct competition to MMA, think again. Fight Pass was overshadowed by the WWE Network days after its launch, which isn’t doing so good itself, according to pundits. The reason WWE stole the glory was their inclusion of the 12 PPV events they put on a year (including WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and Survivor Series), not to mention countless hours of WCW and ECW footage. By comparison, the UFC didn’t even have their complete fight library posted at first (nor did they have as much Pride material, which is sort of a deal-breaker if you’re going to monopolize the online MMA world). For what it’s worth, Japan’s top wrestling promotion, New Japan Pro Wrestling, launched its own digital network a few weeks ago, called NJPW World. The cost is similar, and since Puroresu is rising in North America, it’s a lot more compelling to watch old Antonio Inoki contests from decades ago, instead of an Ultimate Bigfoot Silva collection.
If that’s not enough, there’s no indication the new additions will help generate more subscribers. It’s a nice bonus for the MMA diehards who are already staying up all night to watch international UFC cards on the Internet, but is it a true selling point for those who are still on the fence? If the UFC was willing to take a little bit of a pay cut to include a couple of PPV events on the network, then the service would be a must for your typical UFC enthusiast. But apparently, PPV isn’t dead, despite more and more people cancelling their cable subscriptions in favor of laptops and HDMI wires.
Dana White’s 2021 crusade against streamers is clearly one of the UFC presidents main focuses ahead of UFC 257. He recently revealed, at the UFC 257 press conference, that he currently has a streamer in his sights. Since then, in an interview with BT Sport, White has revealed further details into the matter. As soon […]
UFC President Dana White has been involved in many battles over his time running the promotion but the one that has heated up the most in recent time is his war against illegal streamers. They have long been a thorn in his side but his recent comments make him sound like a wartime general, ready […]
