JOE CARR is the senior VP of global business strategy at UFC. In his position, he is responsible for the management of UFC’s four int'l offices and its global strategy and operations. Carr has been a driving force behind UFC’s int'l growth initiatives and the expansion of live events across Europe and Asia. Prior to joining UFC in '12, Carr worked in real estate private equity, most recently as an associate at CIM Group and Blackrock. During his time at both firms, he closed on acquisitions and developments totaling over $1B in gross asset value. Carr recently spoke to SBD Global about UFC's global expansion plans, the importance of TV and Ronda Rousey.
On what markets possess the biggest growth potential internationally ...
Joe Carr: Over the next few years, we see a tremendous amount of upside in our business in Europe, particularly the United Kingdom. UFC had historically been viewed as an American product delivered to U.K. fight fans at 3am. Last year, we invested heavily in localization, committed to five events annually, and hired aggressively in our London office. Our London-based team is actively creating content and engaging fight fans 365 days a year. As a result, our awareness levels, overall consumer demand and commercial prospects have accelerated accordingly. Having a global star, such as UFC interim featherweight champion Conor McGregor, leading the European MMA movement certainly helps.
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UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm
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On countries such as France that ban MMA fights ...
Carr: A non-UFC, MMA event was held in Paris a few months ago, so MMA shouldn’t be categorized as banned in France, its simply not yet recognized or regulated by the government. Our mission is to have the sport of MMA regulated in every major market across the globe; therefore we devote meaningful resources to educating representatives on the history of the sport, its advances and virtues. In recent years, we’ve had success in countries such as Canada, Germany and most recently Australia, where this weekend (Nov. 14) we’ll host
UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. UFC’s initiatives, such as USADA drug testing, athlete health and safety, support for amateur MMA, social responsibility -- contribute to our legalization efforts globally.
On markets that currently top UFC's priority list ...
Carr: Russia and the Netherlands are markets with large fan bases, world-class talent and rich histories in martial arts. We would like to be active in both countries in the near future. France is one of the largest economies in Europe and our content, both television and digitally, does incredibly well. Once professional MMA becomes regulated we’ll host an event in Paris. Like all global sports brands, China has always been a long-term priority for us. With their government’s commitment to the sport and the rise of digital players like PPTV and LeTV, the market has become financially viable almost overnight, so we’ll be adding resources there in 2016.
On the importance of TV ...
Carr: UFC is a global content business with the majority of our revenue being generated by Pay-Per-View, media rights and digital / OTT. This trend is even more pronounced in our international business where the growth in media rights revenue has far outpaced our growth in sponsorship and consumer products. Linear television rights fees will continue to be our core business internationally, but we foresee our fastest growth with our digital OTT product UFC Fight Pass.
On the biggest challenges facing UFC ...
Carr: The beauty of UFC controlling our own schedule is that we have the flexibility to bring 18-20 events overseas annually, which is very difficult for most other major sports properties. Our biggest hurdle comes from the allocation of these events geographically, as we have countless fan bases around the world pleading for us to bring an event to their city. On a practical level, infrastructure creates hurdles internationally, although it has improved in recent years. It may come as a surprise, but many world-class cities lack modern sports arenas. The major cities that only have one arena are often booked more than 12 months in advance, which makes it challenging to secure a date that fits within our global event calendar.
On the importance of star athletes like Rousey ...
Carr: UFC is a star-driven business and we have some of the most captivating superstar athletes of any sport. UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and interim featherweight champion Conor McGregor are once in a lifetime athletes. Conor has captivated millions of fight fans globally while crossing over and also becoming a mainstream star. Ronda has changed the landscape of MMA and women’s sports by transcending borders and cultures. In four short months, Ronda will have sold out HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro (UFC 190) and headlined UFC 193, which is on pace to become the highest attended UFC event in history at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. I don’t know if there is another individual athlete today, male or female, capable of accomplishing a similar feat.
On what's next ...
Carr: UFC has evolved into a global sports brand, in a very short time, from its early beginnings as an MMA promotion. Over the next few years, you will see UFC emerge as a leader in the industry with respect to technological innovation, athlete health and safety and unforgettable live event experiences for fight fans around the world.
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