It’s nut-cutting time for the major media streaming platforms to make a determination about how and where they want to spend their cash on sports rights. And UFC is right in the thick of things.
On this week’s edition of The MMA Draw podcast with Nate Wilcox & Zach Arnold, we take a look at the financial & creative state of affairs for major media platforms that most of you have subscriptions with.
Thanks to our friend the Entertainment Strategy Guy, we are getting a better picture as to the failure vs. success ratio for Big Media.
The pressure is on ESPN/Disney, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV to start making some key decisions. Who will blink first?
ESPN has less than thirty days left (reportedly) on their exclusive negotiation rights window with UFC. Each day that passes by, it’s less and less likely that ESPN will own all of UFC’s media rights.
Disney is in a vulnerable position right now. The rumors of spending billions on NFL media properties are swirling. The latest “reimagining” of Snow White is vastly underperforming expectations.
This is the focus of our conversation this week on the MMA Draw podcast.
What would ESPN’s future look like without UFC media rights? Yes, they would save some money but they would also lose a key revenue driver. But how expensive is too expensive? The more expensive it gets, the more it costs you money as a fan.
As Entertainment Strategy Guy highlights, two streaming platforms need to hit a home-run soon: Amazon Prime and Apple TV. Apple has a lot of cash to spend but has to be selective given the political and cultural tendencies of their audience. Amazon has cash to spend but is trying to creatively shuffle up their future programming approach.
The pressure is on Mark Shapiro and Ari Emanuel to seal the deal for Wall Street TKO investors. But this high-stakes drama also provides us with great content on The MMA Draw podcast. Which is why you should absolutely become a paid subscriber.
Check out some of our recent articles and podcasts that subscribers get full access to:
How much life cycle is left for UFC’s current audience? We’re five years removed from the COVID era. A new media rights deal could very well mean a brand new audience for UFC fights.
Nick Khan, Hollywood’s King of Fight Closers. The most important man a significant majority of fight fans don’t know about. The man navigating personalities such as Dana White, Vince McMahon, Turki Alalshikh, and Ari Emanuel has the administrative weight of the TKO Boxing world on his shoulders.
How much does star power mean in today’s UFC? Saturday’s Fight Night in London drew a reported $4.7 million dollar gate, which is spectacular. Gates have never been bigger and yet we have repeatedly seen fans online express anger and frustration about the quality of shows. What gives?
Billy Keane vs. Top Rank: The wildest high-stakes boxing lawsuit. How does Dana White and Turki Alalshikh fit into this picture? One of the crazier lawsuits we’ve read in decades, involving allegations regarding sanctioned Irish drug kingpin Daniel Kinahan and his supposed fight clients.
Meet the “King of Coke” Rudy Silva. When MMA & boxing meets True Crime meets Mexican drug cartels and hit men. One of the most outrageous and completely under-reported stories involving a multi-decade figure in San Diego’s fight scene who ended up on the wrong side of the law. Who knew what and when? Future updates will highlight some interesting names.
Our vision right now for The MMA Draw is focusing on helping you make the right choices when it comes to spending your hard-earned cash on fight content. Whether it’s providing the latest business analysis or giving you a great preview of picks for upcoming fights, any way that you can save money by not blowing it on a lopsided fight card is a big win in 2025.
Read what heavyweight insiders in the fight business view every week at The MMA Draw newsletter on Substack.
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