WEC, Versus Dropped by DirecTV
Posted by Kris Karkoski on Sep 1, 2009 at 10:53 am ET20 Comments
Overnight, DirecTV dropped Versus, and along with it World Extreme Cagefighting, from its lineup after the contract between the satellite TV provider and network expired and a new deal was unable to be reached due to a disagreement over the terms of the contract.
The WEC had been scheduled to hold a Versus-televised event tomorrow in Youngstown, Ohio, but the event was postponed last week to October 10 in San Antonio, Texas, at which time it is expected that DirecTV and Versus will have resolved their dispute, allowing the WEC fights to air over DirecTV.
Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for updates on this situation as they become available.
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Maybe it’s just me but I am really expecting to WEC to merge soon if this isn’t resolved. I’d find it hard to believe the Fertitta’s would allow their product to go unseen. There are ways to get around some contracts that are legal, not exactly “fair” or ethical but legal none-the-less…
The question is, was Ben Henderson really hurt?
I say he stubbed his toe and they used the excuse to clean up the DirecTV thing…
So can we still see WEC on Versus?
As far as we know yes. If a change is made it’ll probably be announced by Senor Blanco in an upcoming news conference.
I could see a legal-ese trick about to get pulled…
I’m sure the UFC has stipulations in it’s contract w/ Versus that if something like this were to occur, certain concessions are made. That said, this may be the opportunity ZUFFA was looking for in regards to dismantling the WEC. I believe it’s TV contract w/ Versus was a major point of concern.
Eh, I’m just a conspiracy guy…let’s see what happens!
I hope so I don’t get verses any more. I like to watch those guys fight so a merge would be a benifet to me.
Yeah WEC is done.. they will go into the UFC and expect to see 2-3 UFC events with all types of weight classes…
DON’T YOU THINK THERE AIR WEC ON SPIKE?
i got IO cable so is versus still viewable for me?
You should be fine…Comcast, Cablevision (iO, Optimum), Dish Network…only DirecTV will be dropping the channel.
Wow.
A guy who claimed to work for DirecTV was telling me and my godfather this when we were all lined up and waiting to get into the Rose Garden.
As always, MMA was the topic of crowd discussion, and this guy who said he worked at DirecTV when the issue of the WEC was raised said, “trust me, we’re dropping Versus, which means the UFC is absorbing the WEC. Faber and the rest will be on the big year-end UFC card”
Well, so far he was half right, so I guess we’ll see how soon the other shoe from his prediction drops…
pretty crazy…dont know if there are many hockey fans, but that means that the NHL is going to have tough luck finding an audience as well.
I wonder if we might hear UFC signing with ESPN or a network and Spike taking over WEC?
That really sucks,thats just one less free fight for us direct tv people.And i can’t rubb it in my brothers face anymore,who has dish network and doesn’t have versus either.
That is terrible for DirectTV subscribers. This is the ONE time I am happy to have Comcast. Well, I dunno if id say happy…
This actually sets up the merger perfectly. I know Dana has heard the internet rumblings about x amount of PPV’s without a title defense, well this fixes that problem. With a merger and big TV deal the UFC is about to get a lot more exciting
Well, the short answer to correcting the “problem” of not having a title fight on every PPV is to have more weighclasses, and by merging the UFC and WEC Zuffa resolves that issue pretty nicely IMO…
Or force title holders to defend and don’t give them 8 months off because they’re a lil tired…
Actually, UFC 100 set them back a bit by having multiples. The easiest (on paper) way is to ignore the internet posers who think nothing short of a title fight is worth headlining. 102 was fantastic. 103 is also looking pretty damn nice to me.
I dont think the UFC could absorb the WEC without making UFC PPVs an hour longer. I like them seperate and having the WEC on free TV is a great move by the UFC. IMO Boxing has shot itself in the foot by not pushing up and comming fighters on free TV enough. This is something the UFC and WEC do very well.
Certainly ZUFFA could decide to have the UFC absord the WEC and I don’t believe that it would have to make the PPV’s an hour longer, they could have the “little guys” (135ers and 145ers) spinkled in the card and with UFC attempting to have 2~3 events a month they will need interesting fights often and having the UFC absorb the WEC is a nice way to do, especially for the “free” cards, to bring in more “casual fans” by either putting these cards on SPIKE tv or on FOX or otherwise… I think the WEC going into the UFC will become more of a inner co legal issue more than anything else.. We shall see, O and DirecTV drops Versus and I now get it in my package on DISH, kinda weird