The UFC will return to a 10pm ET start time for its pay-per-view events beginning with December’s UFC 141 event, the promotion confirmed to USA Today on Tuesday after an initial report from f4wonline.com.
UFC 141, a rare Friday PPV taking place on Dec. 30 to avoid New Year’s Eve, is headlined by former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar’s return to the Octagon against former Strikeforce title-holder Alistair Overeem.
The move to a 9pm ET start time beginning with UFC 129 in April allowed events to end by midnight for East Coast viewers instead of 1am, but meant the broadcasts began at 6pm on the West Coast.
With pay-per-view buys lower than expected after nine months of 2011 amid a busier schedule of events, the UFC is apparently returning to its old start time in hopes of recapturing some viewers.
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Pictured: Brock Lesnar
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Maybe it’s not the time but the fact that they have a fight almost every weekend. I don’t know about other people but I can only afford 5 ppv a year tops. so I have to pick and choose the fights I really want to watch.
@Devon
I agree with you, I could watch fights everyday if they were on but I CANNOT afford to pay 100 bucks a month to watch it all the time.
Here is an interesting article I found yesterday on mmafighting about what it really costs to be a UFC fan:
http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/10/11/what-does-it-really-cost-to-be-a-ufc-fan/
No disrespect intended to Ben Fowlkes, but IMO he’s actually UNDERestimating the cost of buying into the Zuffaverse.
If you put a gun to my head I couldn’t suss out how guys who make like $12-$14-even $16 an hour can afford to be UFC fans anymore…
Agreed, the numbers just can’t add up for people making that kind of money. And then Dana has the audacity to get mad at people pirating cards online.
I hope Brock is fully recovered. Diverticulitis is no joke. If he is healthy I think he has a legit chance to beat AO in my opinion. There is no way he (Brock) is going to be dumb enough to stand up with Overeem, and I don’t see AO being able to stop Brocks takedown.
“My diet is like Adkins, but with the carbs.” – Brock Lesnar
NNOOOOO!!!!!!
That’s a sh!t-awful move for use ESTers.
See its great for me cuz I work overnights so the longer I can sleep before I hafta wake up to order the ppvs I’m all for it
BOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! 9 was perfect, I was lovin it. I’m gettin too old to stay up til 1am to kick everyoneout of my house.
Pretty much means no main events for me. Damn it.
It really is. Once the fight is over, it’s too late to hit up a bar or a club or anything like that. So my entire Saturday just goes to the UFC, just ridiculous.
What a bummer. 9 was perfect. It is really frustrating leaving at 1 am+
I don’t think it has anything to do with the time.. I think its about the number of ppv events, who can afford them all.. when it was one a month, it was doable.. I bet just as many people are watching, but they are pooling their resources or going to a bar..
You mean as frustrating as getting off work at 530 and trying to beat LA traffic to get home with no time to relax before it starts?? I think mine is worse than staying up late old timers :)
That’s because you’re as self-centered as your screen namesake…
So order it earlier in the day and set you DVR. Problem solved. :)
Good move. I prefer the old start time 9EST start time and something hasn’t felt right ever since they changed it.
The amount of fights will see a decrease in the casual viewers, but as long as they balance out free cards with PPV cards they should be ok.
If the UFC wants to be viewed as a legitimate sport by the mainstream audiences of the world (not the hardcore mma faithful/sports junkies), they’ll have to get out of the PPV market in the next couple years anyway. Prime Time on FOX advertising revenue should be able to recoup those losses if they can build themselves to that point.
That’s annoying for us UK viewers, it means a starting time for the main card at 3am rather than 2am. Still, we don’t have to pay $50 a go to watch it.
No …….. guys , this is a great move by Dana white …. BRILLIANT . They used all 250 employees to figure it out . Big pat on the back . Dana knows all , he’s the man ….. how can a decision by the Prez be wrong ???
( extreme sarcasm in use )
From the mind of the man who brought you the number 2 pound for pound fighter in the world, Frankie Edgar, comes a move so edgy, so unpredictible, so right that it makes you wrong…dum dum duuuummm… The return of 10 o’clock fights!
Great move, Dana… Youre going from alienting (supposedly) your west coast fans, to p!ssing off your best coast fans.
@dbiz
Old-timers is a general and playful remark. You calling someone you don’t know in the slightest bit self centered is more on the trashy side. In fact it’s just plain bashing, which I thought wasn’t allowed here? Anyone agree? Please explain to us why you can’t watch main events anymore because of an hour difference? Half of these fights are on the west coast bro so cry me a river, but we are the home of this sport. Vegas is King! The Fertitas and Dana all live in Vegas, not New York, or Manchester, or Australia mate. If this doesn’t make sense than your just plain thick.
@diaz4life
Yes I agree with you, it was slightly uncalled for and just plain rude. Just ignore him.
Agreed Benny….
@diaz4life
I agree with you as well. You were being truthful with your situation and made a harmless joke to end it off. There’s nothing wrong with that. I would rather stay up late to catch the whole event, instead of rushing to see the event and possible miss the beginning. People that are looking to nit pick at your comment are just looking for something to complain about because they’re upset about the time change for them. That’s being self centered, @dbiz .
Also it’s better to see it live then on DVR, @advent . That’s like saying “for the people that don’t want to stay up late or want to go out and party, set your DVR and watch it in the morninng or when you have the time”. The majority of people don’t want to do that, they want to see the event when it’s on live.
In the end it’s an hour difference and not a big deal. Nothing to complain about, unless you’re looking to complain. Whether they start at 9 or 10 we’ll still watch them and enjoy them. What @diaz4life was doing was looking at the positive, which is more time to get ready and be prepared to enjoy the UFC event. Looking at the negative is complaining about having to stay up later or miss out on partying. Take care everyone and look for the positive in this, instead of the negative.
If I was truly self centered it would say MyName4Life. Hello?
Good for me regardless, I stay in the Midwest. Perfect party night for us to watch UFC, ends just right after before midnight..:)
I have not missed a UFC PPV in over three years, they could fight at 9, 10, 11, midnight, 1am, etc. It really doesn’t matter what time it is on I will be watching it regardless. I usually get together with at least five to ten of my friends and the cost is anywhere from 10 to 5 bucks. A very reasonable way to do it. I can’t wait for the additional events in 2012. It all depends on how one chooses to look at it. I suppose I like to look upon things with a positive outlook instead of a negative one.
I live in new hampshire so of course i like the 9 start time.but i think it would suck more rushing home to watch at 6 out west.i also agree that it probably has alot to do with the amount of events being put on.it’s really becoming a vice that i can’t quit but really can’t afford either…you just have to get creative and convert your friends.
I’m definitely disappointed. This means more money out of my pocket because I am going to be less willing to drive 45 mins home from the house of the only other person I know who is willing to buy a UFC PPV. Same goes for him, it sucks to have a significant drive home that late. Not to mention the fact I have a friend who comes by my place to watch sometimes, and takes the train. He often has to leave before conclusion of the main event because the last train leaves too soon. Also sucks because it means more events watched alone, which is less fun.
Not to mention I am getting tired a bit earlier these days, and when you throw some beer into the mix, it gets hard to stay awake late.
@fivealive @ RJA
Thanks for your comments. I have been a “diehard” fan since the beginning and the new time hasn’t been in effect that long in the scheme of things. Staying up til one is what saturday is all about isn’t it? :) I am from the east coast originally and used to always watch at this time so I can attest to it not being that bad. Thanks again for the positive feedback. :)
no problem diaz.your just speaking your mind and thats what these sites are for..we’re all gonna have our different opinion on things.and just to take the time to post something on here shows the commitment and love of the sport we all have…regardless of how we view it…but i still don’t like nick diaz lol
Doesnt matter to us in Australia. either we get the fights at 10am or 11am on a Sunday, normally really hung over on a Sunday so works out well….
Do you have to pay for the ppv in Australia and if so how much is it?
Yeah have to pay for the ppv only $40.00 so not to bad compared to what some people pay.
@diza69
$40.00 is a pretty good deal. Thank you for the reply, it’s much obliged. :-)
This is just another chapter in an old American TV/sports story.
Consider:
When I was a kid my old man and his throwball-watching crew used to majorly b!tch and moan because the Monday night game started too early because of the “fu<king pu$$y EastCoasters", and they were not quite "ready for some football" before dinnertime.
When I got my first job working in a casino more than a decade ago most guests drunkenly and openly b!tched about the time difference throwing off their NCAA roundball tourmanent-watching habits. All I could think was, "well then why the fu<k did you fly all the way out here knowing we run a different clock then you do in Boston and New York and Atlanta and Miami?"
I just turned 35 and now the noise relates to MMA and the start-time of UFC PPVs.
Personally I wish the sh!t started at 10pm Pacific time, so I could actually watch one as it drops without having to sacrifice hundreds of dollars in lost earnings if I otherwise take the night off, which I've done on many occasions.
Almost every PPV is on a Saturday, which just happens to be my busiest night of the week.
I'm not some union guy or office wonk…if I don't work I don't get paid, and/or have to pay a replacement chef to do my job.
Which is sort of like getting kicked in the yambag…twice.
Thats my problem so I learn to deal with it.
My point is I'm old enough [sadly] to remember when there were NO MMA PPVs, so instead of us b!tching about an hours difference and rehashing old East Coast/West Coast nonsense we should just be grateful they're on at all, let alone them starting at the most convenient time…
;-)
i think east coasters are just annoyed because of the tease.and the point of these sites are to vent and discuss these sorts of things(who else would listen)our wifes?i do see your point though.i touched on it a little with my love of the sport comment