NEW WEC DEAL WITH VERSUS INCLUDES UFC BONUS

[keithlewis]

Looks like more bad news for Directtv customers.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/tem ... &zoneid=13

Versus on Monday revealed details of a multi-year extension with Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting.

Versus has aired WEC bouts since June 2007, shortly after Zuffa took control of the promotion. The extension, however, adds the WEC’s big brother to the mix. In addition to airing seven live WEC events in 2010, the network will also carry two live UFC events.

The move not only expands Versus’ mixed martial arts offerings, but also marks the first time the UFC has stepped off of its Spike TV and pay-per-view platform to offer live events.

Part of the deal, according to Versus.com writer Ariel Helwani, includes digital media rights, which allows Versus.com to “air one non-televised fight and behind-the-scenes footage from each live WEC event.”

Versus president Jamie Davis revealed that the age of the network’s average viewer is 45, while viewers of MMA events on Versus average an age of 36. The younger viewer is key in luring advertisers – who tend to covet the Men 18-35 and Men 18-49 demographics – leading Versus to strengthen its MMA programming.

Versus will also continue its other WEC offerings such as its WrekCage series, highlight shows, and specials.

While it’s not surprising that Versus would renew its efforts with the WEC, the eyeball opening aspect of the agreement is, of course, that addition of two live UFC events to sweeten the deal.

The UFC is the leading mixed martial arts promotion in the world, carrying the weight of brand awareness that the WEC just doesn’t have. By adding the juggernaut to the mix, Versus is likely using the UFC to draw more viewers to the network in an effort to raise awareness for its WEC programming.

An interesting aside to the agreement is Comcast’s potential acquisition of NBC Universal. Comcast also owns Versus. If the NBC acquisition is approved, Comcast, according to The New York Times and other media outlets, is poised to rebrand Versus and position it as a potential competitor to ESPN.

Details regarding the two additional UFC events on Versus were not yet available.

The next live MMA event on Versus is WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff, which airs Saturday night at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

[broncofan]

Fuck DirectTV and they have no chance of challenging ESPN, look at FoxSports for a good example.