Beyond The Cage: UFC's Expanding Media Production Operation Examined

The UFC every year generates its "biggest chunk of revenue" by selling fight PPVs, but the organization is "not only about cage fights," according to Alan Snel of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. UFC also is a "media organization," as it runs its own "original content production operations, conceiving and executing sophisticated TV network-level digital videos and promotional content that last anywhere from 60 seconds to more than 20 minutes." About 85 full-time employees, including 15 at UFC's international offices, are "designated for these in-house production operations duties, which include conceiving, shooting, editing and distributing the content." The products "range from a recent popular and expensive" series for Ronda Rousey's UFC 193 fight on Nov. 14 to a "newly green-lit series on the travel adventures of brash UFC President Dana White checking out unknown talent in small venues around the country." UFC's in-house production is "consistent with the business style" of co-Chair & CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and White, who "desire to control and dictate the content of how its fighters are portrayed in the content's varied forms." By handling the production in-house, UFC saves about 35% in costs than if it "farmed out all the work to outside companies." UFC Chief Content Officer Marshall Zelaznik said that the organization will "crank out anywhere from eight to 12 spots" for each of the annual 13 PPV fight events. Snel noted a new "Embedded" piece also "runs daily for each of the seven days leading to a UFC fight event." Each video blog post "lasts about six to eight minutes, is geared to the 20-something's digital world and is distributed through platforms such as White's Twitter account" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 11/23).