Issue 105
September 2013
The UFC recently signed a deal with the Spanish-speaking world’s largest multimedia company, Televisa, to broadcast UFC events in 20 countries across South America, and to launch a 24/7 UFC channel.
The contract means UFC fans can watch the promotion’s programming on satellite channels, such as TDN in Mexico, which also has the rights to Major League Baseball, NBA and Formula 1 racing.
Viewers who want the UFC station will have to pay a subscription, but will have the opportunity to watch over 20,000 hours of content including all new UFC cards and old events from Pride, WEC and Strikeforce as well as original content.
“The launch of the UFC Channel will be a game changer for our sport and its fans throughout Latin America,” said UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta in a statement. “We are giving millions of fans across the region complete access to all our live events and programming for the first time.”
The agreement applies to everywhere in the continent except Brazil, and will also see four events per year shown on free-to-air channels.
33.4 million
The UFC fan base in Mexico is at least 33.4 million people, according to a UFC report.
Shirt sponsor company empowering indie fighters
A Texas-based clothing start-up has created an innovative way to allow local-level fighters an opportunity to make money from walkout T-shirt sales. Pugilistics designs a fighter’s bespoke apparel, with sponsor logos on the rear, and manufactures a run of the design based on predicted demand. The fighter only pays the cost and can make money by selling the shirts at any price they desire, while Pugilistics will also forward on the same margin from sales of the shirt on its website. It’s an MMA first and contrary to the current sponsor model for independent-level fighters who generally have to create their own shirts, or seek a low-key apparel company to become an endorsee.
Industry jobs
Who: Luke Dowdney
Role: Founder of both Luta fight wear and Fight For Peace
Info: A philanthropist and a fight fan, Luke was appointed an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2004 for his work preventing child exploitation and violence in Brazil
How do you explain Luta to MMA fans?
“Luta gives back 50% of its profits to support boxing, martial arts and education projects in communities affected by crime and violence. We do this by giving the money to Fight For Peace (Luta Pela Paz) a charity I founded in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro 13 years ago to get young people out of the heavily armed drug factions.”
Do you think it’s harder for a brand like Luta to appeal to MMA fans than it is for the sport’s more established companies?
“Not when they know what we’re about. If a fan is truly a fan of the sport, Luta has no competition. We don’t have the brand recognition yet because we don’t have the funds to pay top-name fighters. But fighters are already hearing about us and asking to wear the brand logo during fights.”
Why have you devoted your energy to two successful philanthropic projects instead of something with purely commercial interests?
“I’m humbled by those I’ve met but I’m proud in what I’ve achieved. I’ll die happy. I don’t see there being much more wealth than that.”
What are the biggest business lessons you’ve learned running Luta?
“First, good people are your best asset. Money is secondary to that and less powerful. Second, never quit, no matter what. Well, I would say that I guess, that’s Luta.”
Rallying/Crashed: The MMA Business can be cruel and kind
Rallying: Century
The world’s largest supplier of martial arts products, Century is both manufacturer and seller, as well as having an MMA-based online store. Its latest Century Creed line of pro-level MMA gear has put it on the modern mixed martial arts map. Century has been running since 1976.
Crashed: The Fight Mafia
Once a high-profile lifestyle range in MMA that enjoyed associations with the Diaz brothers and Dan Hardy around 2010, The Fight Mafia has been seen little since in and around the Octagon. Still under the same ownership, “the world’s most dangerous brand” has sidestepped into streetwear.
$5,00-10,00
Former UFC lightweight John Cholish estimates his ingoings and outgoings for his final UFC fight in May in Brazil left him between $5,000 and $10,000 worse off.
...
