Delays and excessive advertising became the most common verdicts of fans after the broadcast of UFC 324. Viewers sure paid a low price, bidding farewell to UFC’s pay-per-view, but this, too, came with cons. Unusual pacing with extended gaps broke the rhythm of the event. Social media was flooded with frustrations from the fans as the night unfolded.

As ads started to show up during fighters’ walkout and during round breaks, fans raised their concerns about how modern broadcast choices affect the viewing experience. With criticism mounting, the UFC events manager took to social media and addressed the situation, offering insight into what went wrong and what changes may follow.

UFC 324 production issues spark debate over fight night experience

“Just a debut show – lots to get in #UFC324 . Don’t expect the new norm to be 30 minutes after the hour. Just trying to do some special stuff. It’ll be at least 10 minutes earlier next week. All is well. All is well :)” Zach Candito, UFC’s EVP of Live Production, posted this on his X handle after facing tremendous backlash at UFC 324’s broadcast delay caused by a crammed debut, with special features like concerts and performances. Candito promised that the start of these events will be at least 10 minutes earlier next week onward. The heavy ads obviously made the event slow-paced throughout the broadcast. Moreover, deeper concerns about the future of the UFC were raised about commercialization eventually chipping away at the fight night experience. These complaints are not something unheard of; UFC’s past broadcasts on Paramount+ have witnessed fan frustration before over disrupted walkouts, muted corner audio, and long breaks.

The fan backlash to UFC 324’s broadcasting made one thing clear: fans do not want to compromise on their viewing experience for innovation and low-cost subscriptions. With UFC 325 just around the corner, the MMA community will not have to wait long to see whether Candito keeps his word.

UFC 324 broadcast draws fan fury over delays, ads, and missing walkouts

UFC 324’s broadcast became a talking point among fans for all the wrong reasons! The bad matchups, the fight cancellations, and even worse, the delays and the pace of the events under the new broadcast partner, Paramount+.

As the night dragged on, fans flooded social media with frustration over how UFC 324’s broadcast was unfolding. Many felt that key elements of the fight-night experience were being stripped away in favor of constant advertising. “Removing fighter walk outs + corner coverage in favor of wall to wall ads destroys the @ufc product. I think of all the legendary moments in history that were even more epic due to all the narrative context. These changes completely takes the heart out of the experience.”

The complaints only intensified as viewers pointed out missing walkouts and the absence of between-round corner footage. “The mat sucked, the commercials blow… no walkouts until co-main is stupid no between round corner footage is ridiculous!!!” Another fan added, “These commercials are killing the watch man. Not your fault I know, but it’s not good,” reflecting a sentiment shared by many tuning in.

Some fans turned to sarcasm to express their disappointment. “That felt like Paramount trying to get all 7.7 billion back in ad revenue last night.” Others urged the promotion to take the criticism seriously moving forward. “Walkouts in the main card being skipped is just an awful choice. When they showed walkouts for prelims… hope they see the feedback and fix that immediately.”

The repeated criticism highlighted a shared expectation that walkouts and presentations remain non-negotiable parts of the UFC experience.