ProSieben: UFC strikes television deal in Germany

by MMAmania.com on Nov 30, 2008 10:56 AM EST

If at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently reached terms with a German television network, ProSieben, to air its mixed martial arts-related programming. It marks the fourth time that the sport will be introduced to the market through the airwaves.

Premiere -- the primary pay-per-view (PPV) provider in the region -- stopped airing live UFC events in 2006 after disappointing buy rates, according to a report on FreeFightVideos.com. In fact, UFC 57: "Liddell vs Couture 3" in February of that year was its last offering, which is a bit interesting because rumors have swirled that the pair would meet four a fourth time in Germany.

That's right, the promotion plans to make its debut in the "Fatherland" with UFC 99 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne on June 13, 2009. And aging but still popular icons Liddell and Couture are the early favorites to headline the card either against one another or separate opponents.

While nothing is official at this time, Couture is the "natural" selection to participate on the card at the very least because he is fluent in German, spending four years of U.S. Army service stationed at the "Fliegerhorst" base of Langendiebach in Erlensee in a former lifetime.

Expect more news like this in the future because of the promotion's intent on global expansion.

England and Ireland have already or intend to host recent events. And European neighbors Italy and Sweden could be next. In addition, UFC also has its sights set on penetrating Australia, Japan, Mexico, Philippines and Dubai, among other foreign lands in the near future.

It's all part of UFC President Dana White's master plan to one day become the most popular sport in the world, eclipsing the very popular soccer and American football. And in order to do that people do need to see it to buy into it.

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Comments

i hope dana does make mma bigger in europe cos if germany get good at it england will do everything it can to beat them. . . . . . . . .thats just fact!

by ukmma on Nov 30, 2008 11:05 AM EST reply actions

lol, true!!!! I can see UFC going global, but the only problem is that, becaeuse of the type of sport MMA is (twice a month is a lot of shows, 24 a year is more than UFC could cope with) places like Germany, Sweden, Japan, Australia etc etc would only get a show every few years. Take UK for example, we have had UFC 70, 72, 75, 80, 85, 89, 93 and 95… which is a helluva lot, but I dont think UFC could manage more overseas shows than that, split those shows up into 7 or 8 countries, and its 1 show a year maximum, which even then is probably an over-estimate of show frequency. UFC is going to take some BIG losses trying to establish themselves in these territories, in this hard economic times I think they should maybe focus on solid USA market, make sure that the SPORT of MMA (Penn, GSP, Silva) sells and not the SPECTACLE (Lesnar, Ortiz rivalries etc). Look at Anderson Silva buuyrates, 300k!! Thats nothing compared to the freak matches of Lesnar etc,

by Adam on Nov 30, 2008 11:38 AM EST up reply actions

UFC is really booming right now…..UFC is trying to take over the world…This is the golden age of mma, enjoy!

I hear that the UFC raked in $36,000,000 off of ppv revenue for UFC 91…..Those are Gianormous figures!

by john on Nov 30, 2008 12:38 PM EST up reply actions

I know UFC is booming, but it will get nothing but losses to begin with in every country apart from USA/Canada and Britain.

They wont have raked in 36 mil. call it 900k buys, they get half of each buy, which is $45. Call it a million buys and $40 for kitchen maths, that $20 million. Which is big and all, but thats the highest ever (or one of highest) selling PPV in history, there are all the PPVs and shows in England, Ireland, and Silva fights

by Adam on Nov 30, 2008 12:44 PM EST up reply actions

This is good news because sports media in germany is held very tightly by boxing moguls too. I don’t think they will venture deep into eastern europe since they already have TV deals in places like romania. France is the only one in Europe that’s left but it’s illegal there so probly going to Middle East. They have to go to Dubai and hold a show during or after the ADCC. Hopefully have a card full of grapplers. That would be sick IMO.

by NameNotRequired on Nov 30, 2008 2:29 PM EST up reply actions

yaa they have a tv deal in sweden too..

by RoB on Nov 30, 2008 9:08 PM EST up reply actions

lol uk.where you from?im from birmingham!!now i know germany had bad numbers thats why they stopped airin ufc but theyve always had eurosport whick shows k-1.wouldnt it be a good idea to get someone from that background ie cro-cop to headline.hes gonna be way more well known in germany than any other ufc guy apart from dennis siver.they could just have crocop on a 1 fight contract.any thoughts?

by scott on Nov 30, 2008 11:28 AM EST reply actions

Great idea, I dont have eurosport and didnt think of that. They should just get as big a K1 star as they can, and get him on the show just for that one event.

by Adam on Nov 30, 2008 11:59 AM EST up reply actions

At last some good news coming from the UFC of late

by Shadow side on Nov 30, 2008 11:36 AM EST reply actions

This deal with Pro 7 is quite good. The main problem with Premiere was that here in Germany PPV isn’t the same as in the US. There are only a few people who subscribe to it and maybe some more Sportsbars. Pro 7 is for free and like the biggest choice for the UFC. If they’re not gonna make it with this deal, they never will. Hopefully they will, can’t wait to see live UFC Events over here

by Til on Nov 30, 2008 2:02 PM EST reply actions

HAHAHA becoming bigger than soccer? :D lol, it’s impossible because there are national leagues in every country in soccer, and they play at a regular basis every week, and still only one game Inter – Juventus drew 1 billion viewers from all around the world..

by RoB on Nov 30, 2008 2:23 PM EST reply actions

the ufc may not ever get bigger than soccer overseas, but it’s already bigger in the states than soccer(japan too i think). kinda like the ufc will never be bigger than the nfl in the u.s., but the nfl europe tanked and the ufc is definetly getting bigger in the uk, ireland and soon to be germany. thats what dana means when he says it will become the biggest sport in the world. i dont know if he will be right, but it could get close.

by b.w. on Nov 30, 2008 2:40 PM EST up reply actions

no, it stands zero chance of getting bigger than soccer or tennis or other sports like that, soccer is the world’s biggest sport by faaar. the UFC is the one big league in the small sport of MMA and the NFL is the one big league in the small sport of American football.. you can’t say that the English Premier league is the world’s biggest sport because it’s just a league and it’s the best league in the world’s biggest sport that is soccer.. if MMA were to have succesful national leagues all over the world and get more praticioners than other sports only then could we say that it’s a big sport.. I mean there are billion’s of people that watches soccer and there are soo many pro soccer players you can’t even mention soccer and MMA in the same sentence

by RoB on Nov 30, 2008 9:04 PM EST up reply actions

FOOTBALL!! (which is what anybody that lives outside of the US calls it, and we had the name first, lol)is not a sport its a religion.

The english Premier League is the UFC of football and gets half a million people in the grounds ever week (sometimes twice a week), never mind the 100 million worldwide watching on TV!!

As much as I love MMA it stands no chance of competing with football.

by MoonUK on Dec 1, 2008 3:33 AM EST up reply actions

yeea i know don’t think im calling it soccer, i just do it on here because this is an american site.. Football is a lifestyle and a religion it’s the undisputed no.1 by billions of miles! I think you’re being kind there MoonUK there’s more ppl than that watching it on TV, as i mentioned only one game in the Italian Serie A drew 1 billion viewers, take that and think of all the other games being played and watched all over the world, the Premier League had all their top teams playing that day aswell..

by RoB on Dec 1, 2008 10:34 AM EST up reply actions

UNHEIMLICH GUT!!!!!

by the_mexicutioner on Nov 30, 2008 2:39 PM EST reply actions

Spekin ze deutche? me niether. that’s the only “german” i know, except that german chick i banged once.

by b.w. on Nov 30, 2008 2:47 PM EST up reply actions

I think it translates to “fucking good.”

by the_mexicutioner on Nov 30, 2008 4:23 PM EST up reply actions

this report is WRONG! zuffa is negotiating with pro sieben but the deal is NOT DONE YET. the source was quoted out of context.

by jan on Nov 30, 2008 4:03 PM EST reply actions

too bad Germans do not care about mma. Brits yes, French yes, Germans no.

by Bill Maher on Nov 30, 2008 5:46 PM EST reply actions

Mania you should change it to Dana’s plan to make the UFC the world’s most succesful/biggest sports league in the world, because we’re not talking about the sport of MMA here we’re only talking about the UFC..

by RoB on Nov 30, 2008 9:24 PM EST up reply actions