The Wall Street Journal (and other news outlests) are reporting that UFC is interested in buying the G4 Network for use as a a UFC Network

Ultimate Fighting Eyeing New Prey: a Cable Network

I posted this here because of Comcast's potential as a Network Partner. This could go a number of ways, but one thing it could mean is that if they are involved, they may have interest in converting another low yielding existing network into a potential Big East Network, if that is the route in which TV negotiations go. For that matter, the same could apply with other broadcast suitors as well.

Granted, I am not sure a conference network is necessarily the best way to monetize games, as I think working to get a percentage of additional subscriber fees generated from new network clearances would make far more money and create less headaches as part of a TV deal. But since it a method most want to explore, I thought it was worth mentioning.

I tought NBC/Comcast intrest in Pac-12 was to make thier MWC network profitable
Could BE save conf network
they been losing money on deal, I'm sure they like to recope some of it

From an OT broadcasting standpoint, this deal would cripple Spike. The UFC is the only thing that saved them when WWE returned to USA.

From a Big East perspective, a UFC/Comcast partnership of G4 would serve to strengthen the reach of Versus/NBC Sports. Why you ask? UFC already has 4+ live events per year on Versus. That number will increase by 4+ with this partnership because I'd expect all of the Fight Nights (and probably the TUF Finales) to move to Versus. This will increase the demand of Versus/NBC Sports and get it on more basic packages nationwide.

Might get G4 back on DirecTV too. Its been off those systems for quite a while now. The channel itself stopped interesting me when it switched from TechTV over to one that at the time was dedicated more towards videogaming.

(06-09-2011 12:19 PM)Metropolis777 Wrote:  From an OT broadcasting standpoint, this deal would cripple Spike. The UFC is the only thing that saved them when WWE returned to USA.

What? What about TNA?



The irony of it is that WWE actually helped launch The Ultimate Fighter, which coicnided with the surge in popularity of UFC (whether it was due to the Ultimate fighter or not).

I will say this about Spike TV, because of the age of the channel (started off as the Nashville Network, an original cable channel), it still has far more clearances than people realize, similar to Tru TV. That network can be very valuable to a parent company that actually cares about it. For example, it would be a perfect channel to put sports on, seeing as how their core audience is men 18-34.

(06-09-2011 02:49 PM)mattsarz Wrote:  Might get G4 back on DirecTV too. Its been off those systems for quite a while now. The channel itself stopped interesting me when it switched from TechTV over to one that at the time was dedicated more towards videogaming.

I lost interest when they cut out almost all the technology/video game stuff (end of '05).

WWE is also looking for an underperforming network to buy to set up their network.

(06-09-2011 05:32 PM)General Mike Wrote:  WWE is also looking for an underperforming network to buy to set up their network.

Realistically, they would do much better if they joined forces to own a network, but it will never happen. Vince is too much of a control freak, and UFC doesn't want to be associated with wrestling, as they think some people think the outcome is staged. which is odd because many of the websites that cover UFC, also cover wrestling.

(06-09-2011 06:21 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  Realistically, they would do much better if they joined forces to own a network, but it will never happen. Vince is too much of a control freak, and UFC doesn't want to be associated with wrestling, as they think some people think the outcome is staged. which is odd because many of the websites that cover UFC, also cover wrestling.

The UFC will do very well with their own network. They have a vast video library to show - 189 UFC events, 68 Pride events, 53 WEC events, 53 Strikeforce events, 22 EliteXC events, 4 WFA events, 2 Affliction events. On top of it, they can produce feature shows, lifestyle shows, and instructional shows to fill airtime.

Their library isn't as big as WWE. But, there's still plenty there to work with.

Oh I don't doubt they will. I just meant with their crossover audience, and combined libraries and events, plus the fact that they utilize different nights of the week anyway, that a combined network would probably generate more clearances and more subcriber revenue than either on their own combined together.

Granted I feel the same way about the Big East and Pac 12 with regards to a conference network (and because again with time zone differences, there is little overlap), but it doesn't mean either can't do it on their own.