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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 02: UFC President Dana White holds the UFC Legacy championship belt during the UFC 235 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 2, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 02: UFC President Dana White holds the UFC Legacy championship belt during the UFC 235 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 2, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The UFC has been moving forward and the organization has maintained its pole position as the leader in MMA. Through the pandemic, the UFC was the only game in town and what they’ve managed to do is quite remarkable. Not to mention, they continue to put out high-quality cards that make fans keep coming back for more.
UFC 264 is a perfect example of the high-quality product that the UFC continues to churn out. As fight week is underway, let’s take a look at the pay-per-view pricing model that the UFC follows in 2021. With the promotion continuing to grow, there have been certain significant structural changes over the years.
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The UFC’s PPV model: An Overview
With the UFC moving to ESPN as their primary broadcast partner, it wasn’t a stretch to assume that a hike in price was incoming. ESPN Plus, the chief provider of UFC PPV content, underwent a 10% hike per a Variety report. As it stands, UFC fans worldwide can watch the fights for $69.99 from the initial pricing which was $64.99.
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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – MARCH 20: UFC President Dana White speaks to the media during the UFC 189 World Media Tour Launch press conference at Maracanazinho on March 20, 2015 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Furthermore, yearly subscriptions to the aforementioned platform also went up by a significant margin. In fact, the hike was enough to get some fans to take a step back and review the situation upon the initial announcement. Chiefly, a subscription to ESPN plus annually would come to $59.99 from the previous pricing of $49.99.
The aforementioned hike came with a caveat. The hike would only apply to new subscribers of the streaming service. Existing customers would avail of the benefits of their prior subscriptions by paying the original price of $49.99.
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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JANUARY 23: Conor McGregor of Ireland prepares to fight Dustin Poirier in a lightweight fight during the UFC 257 event inside Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 23, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
While the change in pricing caused some fans to raise their eyebrows, the overall product that the UFC offer is largely unmatched. The organization delivers stellar pay-per-view cards every year and there’s no denying their place at the top. While other organizations are trying to catch up, they still have a long way to go before they can dominate the landscape.
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