Throwdowns > Completed

Views
26
Comments
12
  • October 23, 2007 09:56 AM ET

UFC is more popular than the NHL

Hank Hill (11-3-0) vs Wbcincy (14-3-0)
5
Votes
11
Votes
5
Votes
11
Votes


The UFC is currently undergoing a remarkable surge in popularity, along with great mainstream media coverage. UFC programming is now on Spike TV in the United States, as well as in 35 other countries worldwide while the NHL is posting record low numbers on the VS. channel.


NHL teams have averaged over 16,000 in attendance very season since 96-97.

Granted, UFC is enjoying good ratings on Spike TV, but that does not mean it is more popular. The NHL just made a mistake in getting into a contract with OLN and VS.

The NHL still has much more mainstream popularity, whereas the UFC is a niche interest, granted among those who really follow it, they are passionate about it. When I go to classes or hang out with friends/coworkers, nobody discusses the latest UFC fights, but we do discuss the NHL frequently.

Also, every NHL team usually plays 3 times a week, so of course the ratings for that are not going to be as high as for big events that happen less frequently.


I???m not sure where your from but here in Hawaii (military), Southern states and overseas (Japan, Philippines, etc.) we never talk about hockey its all MMA. And dont get me wrong I'm a avid Avalanche fan but the lockout/VS. deal is/has killing the sport. Also games 1 and 2 of the Stanley cup last year only reached 621,000 households.


The number of households reached because of a crappy cable TV deal doesnt equal level of popularity. Its just a bad TV deal.

Does ESPN spend a great deal of time every day on the UFC?

Does Sports Illustrated have a big preview issue for the UFC or weekly articles from the league?

They do not begin to spend the time covering the UFC that they do the NHL. Are they beginning to spend more? Yes, but the question isnt whether UFC will some day be more popular, it is that whether it is currently more popular.

ESPN and SI and all the other sports media outlets are businesses. They cover what the people want, what sells them more papers, brings in more viewers to allow them to sell more advertising. If the UFC were more popular, they would spend more time on it than the NHL. Capitalism proves my case.


80% of the writers on SI and ESPN are from a diffrent geneartion that do no agree with the "human**** fighting sport" but is very populer in the men 18-35 catagory where sports get most of its raitings. And ESPN/SI cant cover UFC every day, they only have fights every month. Even on PTI Tony (59) and Mike (48) admit they dont like the UFC.


Again, if the UFC were so popular, SI and ESPN would hire people to cover it for them. Again, they people running these enterprises could care less what sports they like, they care about the bottom line. If something brings greater readership/viewership, it brings greater advertising, and in turn, greater revenues/profits.

Like I said, I guarantee that a greater percentage of Americans are familiar with hockey, have attended their events, purchased their merchandise, and watched their games than the UFC.

Cities build arena's for hockey teams and sell millions of dollars in merchandise. Kansas City spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the hopes of getting an NHL franchise. There is nowhere near this kind of investment in UFC. Why? It isnt close to the same level of mainstream popularity.

UFC=WWE, only not fake. It is a niche sport with avid and passionate fans, but does not surpass any of the big 4 by any means.

Comments (12) Add A Comment

October 23, 2007  10:42 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

Maybe one day it will become more popular, but for now it's clearly the NHL.

October 23, 2007  10:45 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

actually in the southern states there are not many hockey fans at all...Nobody i know can name 5 hockey players but everybody can name 5 fighters

October 23, 2007  10:47 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

I recently lived in the south, and while hockey obviously isnt as popular, i found other things like college baseball to be more popular, but not UFC. I dont think I knew anyone then or now that could name 5 UFC fighters.

October 23, 2007  10:51 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

i can't name anyone other than chuck...and the only reason i know him is cuz of entourage...i can name 5 players on over 2/3 the NHL teams...easy vote for Wbcincy

October 23, 2007  11:11 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

like i said in another throwdown, like NASCAR, i am truly failing to see the attracton to UFC/MMA. i can see how i'd be interested by it for a small amount of time but i feel that after more than that, i'd lose interest.

October 23, 2007  11:16 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

MMA is increasing in popularity and NHL is declining. The rate of growth is greater for MMA but actually popularity, if you count it by attendance and TV viewership is still NHL. Hey man, the league's been around almost a hundred years, it's built up at least a fan base in that time.

October 23, 2007  12:24 PM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

"80% of the writers on SI and ESPN are from a diffrent geneartion that do no agree with the "human**** fighting sport" ...........I would like to you where you got this info.....or did you make it up? it sounds made up

October 23, 2007  12:29 PM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

Does ESPN spend a great deal of time every day on the UFC?

No but before every pay per view they do a preview for it

And whoever said college baseball is big in the south...HELL YES...college baseball is huge in the south

October 23, 2007  12:34 PM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

I hate both but I would rather watch Hockey.

October 23, 2007  12:35 PM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

Ha! No one talks about hockey in Hawaii? Ya think? I wonder why?

October 23, 2007  01:03 PM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

espn actually does cover the fights when they are on.

 
October 23, 2007  01:09 PM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

read the arguments and ill go with Cincy.

"Yes, but the question isnt whether UFC will some day be more popular, it is that whether it is currently more popular. "

im a huge mma fan but NHL does have more history and is currently more popular. will MMA surpass NHL? possibly, who knows. NHL has so much history that it will be difficult to surpass. Dana White needs to realize that competition from other organizations can only help the sport. His bullying ways needs to stop for this sport to grow.

Comment

Remember to keep your posts clean. Profanity will get filtered, and offensive comments will be removed.


Leaderboard

  Fan W L T Win %
1 DetroitFan* BS: Start Stanton! 132 9 7 91.6%
2 Porkins 138 13 1 91.1%
3 Baun-ded=PUCKHEAD 54 5 1 90.8%
4 The Ram 139 17 4 88.1%
5 Foosball 70 9 2 87.7%
6 Philly-- www.sportsnoise.com 74 11 4 85.4%
7 Hyped78 116 19 5 84.6%
8 Dookie: Here We Go Steelers 117 19 8 84.0%
9 [The] Coach 97 18 5 82.9%
10 BSchwartz07 129 27 6 81.5%

Truth & Rumors

MOST POPULAR

  1. 1
    Dodgers hitters wanted payback
    Views
    4020
    Comments
    848
  2. 2
    Dolphins, Lions shopping players
    Views
    37291
    Comments
    134
  3. 3
    Photos escalate Harvick-Edwards fight
    Views
    1665
    Comments
    73
  4. 4
    Kobe: Gold medal better than NBA title
    Views
    7381
    Comments
    65
  5. 5
    What's wrong with Beckett?
    Views
    4196
    Comments
    55

Weekly Most Active Users

Comments + Blog Posts + Throwdowns

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9

Message Boards

  1. NCAAF > General NCAAF

    Big Ten - Changing of the…
    Views
    394
    Replies
    22

  2. MMA > Fight Club

    'Rampage' ready to return?
    Views
    246
    Replies
    5

  3. MMA > Fight Club

    EliteXC fighters overshadowed…
    Views
    154
    Replies
    3

Blogs

SI.com

Swimsuit

Michelle DamonMichelle Damon
Tracy BurnsTracy Burns

SI Photos

Campus Cribs: Va. Tech SoftballCampus Cribs: Va. Tech Softball
Did You See That?Did You See That?