New UFC Fight Pass GM Eric Winter said that he “plans to study data points to see what UFC fans are viewing, and tailor content to those habits,” according to Jack Encarnacao of the BOSTON HERALD. Fight Pass, UFC's $10-per-month subscription service, has allowed UFC to “break down geographic barriers, offering U.S. fans shows in the wee hours that are occurring in prime time in overseas markets, ranging from a women’s title fight in Germany, to a Conor McGregor fight in Ireland, to bouts in Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and Poland.” The company is “aggressively stocking up on live streaming rights to MMA organizations it doesn’t own, including Pancrase in Japan, Shooto in Brazil, and the all-women’s Invicta Fighting Championships.” UFC Chief Content Officer Marshall Zelaznik said that the idea is to “provide a platform to up-and-coming fighters who fans can track to the UFC.” Zelaznik: “We’re letting people get in on the ground floor of some of this unique and interesting talent, unique ways that people put on MMA. We slowly are becoming the archivist for the sport.” Zelaznik said that UFC is “looking at shortening the 60-day window subscribers have to wait before they can watch replays of pay-per-view cards on Fight Pass, a tough but potentially lucrative nut to crack with cable and satellite distributors looking to protect replay buys.” Encarnacao noted UFC “won’t disclose how many Fight Pass subscribers it has -- some estimates have pegged it at a few hundred thousand -- but it pointed to the hiring of Winter as evidence of how bullish the company is as sports fans increasingly turn to their phones and tablets for viewing.” Winter previously served as Rivals.com CEO and was the "live streaming architect" for Yahoo Sports (BOSTON HERALD, 8/2).
