PPV: Too Much For Too Little?

PPV: Too Much For Too Little?

Today’s breaking news that UFC 239 will be a PPV show in the UK, is hardly a shocker but is still worrying nonetheless.

The worrying trend continues, in boxing it’s already well established, any half decent competitive fight seems to end up costing us more on top of our subscriptions.

But now BT Sport are testing the MMA waters, UFC 239 if the numbers add up, is hardly likely to be the last time we will be asked to dig even deeper in our pockets.

If we compare it to the football packages on Sky and BT, it’s like giving us Burnley vs Bournemouth and other such teams and then expecting us to pay extra for Liverpool vs Manchester City.

It’s not being disrespectful to Burnley and the rest, it’s making a point of what is being asked of us in boxing and now the UFC.

PPV should be the exception, something which is out of the ordinary and not just ordinary.

Next week on PPV Tyson Fury takes on Tom Schwarz, a fighter Boxrec doesn’t even rate inside their top 50 heavyweights.

Following the UFC 239 PPV in July, we then get Dillian Whyte against Oscar Rivas. The 5th best heavyweight in the world against someone who wouldn’t be in most peoples top 10, yet this is deemed PPV worthy.

Dave Allen and David Price is the co-main, two fighters at the lower end of the British heavyweight rankings. Allen vs Price is a fun fight, but not a good fight.

Taking in last week’s Anthony Joshua fight, in just over a month that would be an additional £80 fight fans need to find. Consider the amount then consider the value for money.

I’m not saying the likes of Fury and Whyte shouldn’t get the fees they are getting, but if you want us to fund those fees, give us a fight that justifies the outlay.

According to reports, 13 million people watched the Joshua Ruiz Jr spectacle on illegal streams, including 1 million in the UK. I’m not condoning piracy, but a serious debate needs to take place why so many are illegally downloading.

Comments like “if you don’t like it don’t buy it” reap of arrogance and a couldn’t care less attitude about die-hard fans who probably genuinely simply can’t afford to keep dipping into their wallets on such an increasing frequency.

At some point, the fans need to vote with their wallets, and it will be interesting what sort of numbers Fury vs Schwarz and UFC 239 do. Will I be tempted on either, for me enough is enough.