This Article is in response to Steve Sieverts Article with the Houston Chronicle
“HBO shake-up could scuttle UFC plans”
http://blogs.chron.com/fighting/2007/05/hbo_shakeup_could_scuttle_ufc.html
—————————–
HBO vs. MTV
What would be the advantage for the UFC to be on HBO? All the advantages would be in favor for HBO to get a younger audience. Just because they historically seemed to facilitate the boxing arena doesn’t mean MMA should follow suite.
The UFC is still banging away, breaking PPV records. “Steady the course”, keep looking for something new but HBO seems to have turned into an apathetic conservative station droning out “B list” movies.
They can make as many HBO clone channels as they want, but as long as they play the same crap on them they are spinning their wheels. I hate to say it, but MTV had extra channels but they started showing different things on each channel and were still able to target the same audience.
MTV at least is a money machine with the audience taking in everything they throw at them and they keep asking for more, more please? I think if the UFC talked to MTV it would be like gangbusters.
Every generation in the pop culture has some type of physical competitive sport to attach them selves to and to call their own or having come from their own era. Xtreme sports, X-games and so on. MMA could be the next one for the younger generation if marketed properly. Who better than MTV to help put it in yet another wrapped sellable package.
