More than 11,240 mixed martial arts fans paid a collective $2,085,510 to catch the Affliction MMA debut show “Banned” this weekend live at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., scoring a major win for the upstart promotion.
The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) announced that the total attendance for the blockbuster event reached 14,832 — complimentary or “papered” tickets accounted for the additional 3,590. Only 740 tickets were unsold or unused when all was said and done on Saturday, July 19, 2008.
Of course, the gate receipts will help offset a fighter payroll that exceeded a reported $3.3 million. In addition, pay-per-view (PPV) buys have to be factored into the equation.
However, it’s too early to tell how many people at home paid nearly $40 to watch the action unfold from their living rooms. Furthermore, even when those numbers do begin to trickle in there is no guarantee that Affliction will make them public.
Regardless, the organization began its foray into the sport with a bang. And it didn’t appear to bust its budget on a massive marketing campaign to do so. In fact, Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio actually thanked the online media for its support in getting the word out about the event.
That’s refreshing.
To check out Affliction “Banned” results and blow-by-blow coverage click here and here.
74 Comments »
there a good start, now if they did ok with the ppv’s they will break even or maybe make a little. i think you will be wrong again kevin with all your brankrupt theories.
But you have to remember that the fighter’s salary’s are not the only expenses that Affliction has. There are tons of other expenses like travel, the weigh ins, thier promoting (the little they had), and of course thier executive all need to get paid as well.
To my knowledge, every dollar collected at the gate does not go to the performer. Doesn’t the venue get a piece of the money as well? And for PPV sales, the cable company’s get about half of the money that we pay.
i am not saying there making a huge profit and i think they understood they might not make money on the first event but they might be close to breaking even if they did good on ppv’s and they will learn from there mistakes on this first show and be better and more profitable for the next.the big fights deserved the money they got cut out lindland and evan sorbral from that much money no music better prodution maybe a cage and there doing pretty good to me.
when you put on fights like this next even is sold out and ppv’s to match ufc numbners
http://mixedmartialartvideos.com/2008/07/19/andrei-arlovski-vs-ben-rothwell-video-affliction-banned/
No way they’ll even get close to UFC ppv’s even if they get Fedor vs Couture next. Sure they got a lot of great fighters and the hardcore fans will watch them but the UFC is too big of name to the casual fan and it would take years for Affliction to get enough exposure to match a UFC PPV.
They spent a TON on advertising–web, print, radio, TV. All that also has to be netted out.
In the short run, they can take a loss on the first couple of events, but after that they’ll need to be profitable. The Donald doesn’t like to lose money.
did you guys read where affliction needed 250,000 ppv buys to break even. No fight besides UFC has ever done more than 100,000! wow, these guys are dumber than I thought
yeah your real smart with your less than 25000 ppv’s kevin will see.
roy, I’ll change my name now, either way they didn’t do close to what they needed to do.
They are going to have to really sell a lot of “Cluster Skull” rings to cover the loss they take on this event.
http://www.afflictionclothingstore.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=46&products_id=672
Then again at $240 each maybe they won’t have to sell that many.
LOLOL, wtf
that 2 million gate didn’t cover fedor’s 2 million. And mike buffer got at least 300k
Micheal Buffer used to get a mill every time he said his catch phrase.
Oh yeah did anyone noticed that Affliction Banned was sponsored by Affliction clothing line. I thought that was funny when they actually said that.
lol i agree
with the really high payrolls, affliction will need to stick it out more than six months to become profitable, but the question is, will the owners stick it out that long?
i think they are off to a good start for there first show and the next one they can only get smarter and learn from the few mistakes they made, better prodution no music don’t sign lindland(although i like him) to big numbners and less overhead and there right there in it.
Dude they didn’t sell out the arena, the wage bill will come to 5-6 mill (after bonuses), they are off to a terrible start,….unless they break all known PPV records, which btw is not going to happen, have you seen the spike figures?
did i say they sold it out? 2 million at the gate is great for a first event.do you think the ufc started with better numbners than that Dude?
It does not mater what the UFC started with as the ufc has no comp back then. Affliction can’t start slowly, they need to be up and running quickly or they die. Simple as.
That show ruined any potential upside the affliction show was going to make. The gate revenue was all hardcore fans (Pride USA got similar gate).
I have talked to a ton of random people about the Saturday and they all talk about how awesome Silva is. I haven’t heard one person talk about Fedor.
IMO,the PPV numbers are going to be horrendous. I’ll be suprised if Affliction makes it to the third show.
I still feel in the long run they will fold.
Hopefully, the UFC only needs Affliction’s Heavyweight division and it’ll be complete haha
You have to take into account th $60 they paid the guy to design their ring and the $75 they paid the guy to do their sound.
LOL
HaHa
Wow they were way overpaid!
haha nice.
amd dont forget the 27$ they spent on the Camera work
i don’t think pocketed that much. that 2 mil doesn’t include overhead such as event staff and booking the venue etc does it? fighter pay exceeds $ from ticket sales a cool mil. # of ppvs will give us more idea of the bottom line. they should’ve skimped half a mil on 36 second, rip off, Tim late reaction flop sylvia.
they’ll shatter records with coutoure vs fedor main event with the same supporting cast or even a Tito Ortiz appearance.
UFC might have to start worrying- not about the current size of the company but about the fact they got ALLL the HW talent that matter, and they are all getting paid. Other disgruntled UFC fighters might start looking for greener pasteurs. Funny how this all started from selling $60 tshirts. lol
Good points.
It’s sad to say, but Tito Ortiz is still one of the biggest draws in the sport.
does anyone know why fighters had around 300 deducted from their pay?
It’ll be for some admin shit. Kevin, I noticed you thought they’d go under. Do you want them to?
nope, could care less. I called it, every fight went as predicted! By the way, you guys ranting about Fedor’s pay are just stupid. It has been reported for months that tim was getting 800,000 show and 200,000 win bonus, while Fedor was getting a 2 million dollar show!
Hopefully they will go bankrupt
A typical comment from a UFC and not MMA fan, or maybe a UFC employee. Bottom line is this is all good exposure for MMA in general, and because of this Afliction event the UFC may well have picked up some new MMA fans.
Why does MMA need more exposure????????
Have you not enjoyed the last 10 years of MMA? I think more exposure will make it lame, will soften it up. And the real fans will get ripped off!
your a real fan? of mma or ufc?
WFT has that got to do with anything mate? I live in the UK, so i’ve been watching cage rage and cage warriors for years before I started watching UFC.
I am from the UK and am an MMA and have been watching for a good few years. I am not saying that it needs more exposure, but the UFC are worried about how much business they will lose because of Affliction,I was just pointing out that the attention and exposure that Affliction would have genrated would also benefit the UFC in that there may be a lot more people interested in the sport because of it. And if that means both Affliction and the UFC benefit, that’s just more MMA for all.
Timmy needs to take a pay cut. 800k and Fedor 300k…Fedor’s manager should get shot. Well I bought their first event..and if hteir 2nd is any near the scope of the 1st I’ll be ordering that one 2.. I could just go without Megadeath. that jus took up DVR space. but Timmy 800K? I think he was only making roughly under 300K at he UFC.
i don’t think he was even getting that much because he was crying about lesnar making more than him and he was paid 250k
yeah, I think he earned something around 200k in his fight with nogueira,
which is way more than he deserves anyway
I was at the event and it was very well done for a first time show by Affliction a few glitches yes bit did they put on a great show YES. I would add a few things, if u where at the show I would easliy guess they sold 10000+ tshirts at an average of 40+ bucks a pop thats some serious cash too. I would add one comment, we went to the flagship store and we where in it for about 30 minutes and no one even approached us about anything, service was very poor to say the least….note to Affliction great way to run a store. The event was great on that part we bought several shirts and they where very helpful!
The show itself was great I can not understand how anyone paid Tim 800k for anything something seems odd with that. Donald was in the house Tito and Jenna to, I would think thats a ploy for a better deal from Affliction or Elite XC I think, and yeah a bunch of other celebs. I would think all in all it was a great night for MMA everywhere!
10000+ shirts? so 95% of the crowd bought a shirt??
there where nearly 15,000 people there retry your math.
Ok if u where at the show which it does not sound like u where u would know what I’m takin about. The group of three I was with bought 10 shirts. The booths where non stop before during and after the show it was crazy, I’m sure the ufc does nothing like this. The amount sold at the weigh ins was non stop too. I have been to several events like this and never seen anyting like it, everyone leaving was wakin out with a bag of t’s so my guess would be very accurate if u have evidence otherwise lets here it boys.
Remember too they are a clothing company……..
I believe it,
Remember Affliction is a Clothing Company that is throwing shows to help promote thier main business; clothing.
If this experiment fails and they stop throwing shows, it still has helped them promote their clothing, so in the long run the exposure will still probably be a success for them.
I have doubts if they don’t turn a profit on this one. I mean, if their biggest guy (Fedor) could not draw enough to make a profit…who could headline and make a profit? I watched a lot of the fights on the net but I don’t know if I’d buy one of their PPV’s. I just wonder if UFC will buy them or if they’ll fold. I hope that they go back to just making shirts because I’d like to see the UFC fighters allowed to wear them again.
“I mean, if their biggest guy (Fedor) could not draw enough to make a profit…who could headline and make a profit?”
Tito. Think about it. Take any fighter in their prime, anybody, and come up with someone who would draw as much fans as Tito did for 3 fights against an aging Ken Shamrock. There is NOBODY.
good post pat, you’re right. you’ll get hated on, but these guys all talk with fedors nuts bouncing of their chins instead of using their heads and facts that support your comments!
Amen
Ortiz vs Shamrock IV “This time its personal”.
I think you are right. They will sign Tito. Pay him a pile of money and maybe do better than they did with Fedor.
Tito will only fight someone he can beat, who will be the opponent?
fedor vs. coutoure… that fight is ripe for the pickings TODAY! thats the Ali vs Frazier fight of our time - instant classic. i didn’t order this last Affliction, but will have no choice if that fight happens - with or without spider on UFN on at the same time.
If the Randy and Fedor fight happens, Dana will have his hands in there somewhere, I’d bet money on it.
Good points, but I don’t know man. Wasn’t the last one on spike? Time will tell I guess. I think Affliction’s only hope is to do like 3 PPV’s per year. If they try anything close to like one every other month I think they’ll fail. All that most fans know is the UFC and they aren’t about to jump ship. Even for Tito…
not bad for the first time.
Too bad they needed to be great. People under-estimate first impressions in business. Your first entry into the market is your most important. Just look at TUF 1 for example. If the Griffin-Bonnar fight wasn’t a slugfest, that could have been the end of TUF, and we would have never had the boom in fanbase.
not bad which i mean not very good but okay. what about UFC, they nearly bankrupted back then till Fertitta bros bought the UFC and retain its vigor. every mma organization have up and downs especially UFC and even Affliction in the future. there’s no such thing as perfect mma organization.
Lets say they lost 10 Mill do you realize how much is that to Donald nothing you have to consider they get to write-off all of this due to capital losses at the end of they year (Taxes) I do agree nobody likes to loss and loss, sooner or later I believe sooner they will have to create profits which I believe they will. the first show wast just to create interest now that people know who affliction is you start getting more filler fights and a few good main card fighters and drops your fighter payroll drastically.
Do you think Trump is in it for the good of MMA? He’ll be the first to jump off the bandwagon if they’re not making money. And how exactly are they gonna grow their roster without increasing payroll? That’s just ridiculous. Their first PPV wasn’t anything to write home about. And even if they did, they just don’t have the branding that the UFC does. Affliction is like the underground indie band. They can make better music than their mainstream counterparts, but they still won’t sell nearly as much records.
i know dana is only in it for the love of the sport
Well we know they saved about $300,000 on camera work and production. Still, it’s always nice to see young kids getting a chance to hone thier skills and all.
at least we didn’t have to hear Goldberg ask Rogan a thousand questions.
Does it mean they’re here to stay? Did they at least reach a break-even on this stellar event?
i’m thinking affliction didn’t really pay the whole salary amount that was reported. maybe they paid half or part of the amount and adrenaline (who silvia, arvloski, rothwell, and i don’t know who else signed with) paid the other half. and maybe fedor got paid less that the other fighters because of his brother, who i know didn’t fight, but maybe he took a paycut to have his brother paid nicely.
just some thoughts i’d like to share.
oh and so called “mma fans” why would you want another mma organization to fail. this only gives everyone more fights to watch especially talented fighters that ufc doesn’t have. its a shame that dana white decided to put on another show the same night as affliction. that really doesn’t help the sport in gaining more fans. seems like they want to be a monopoly but whatever, i still watched both. i would really love to see arvloski vs fedor. hopefully by new years or before. hopefully. and come on, fedor has to be the first if not second best fighter in mma right now, dana white is just holding a grudge since he did not sign with the ufc. fedor beat minotauro i believe in his prime, not saying he has lost it, but he looks pretty vulnerable now and we saw it against heath hearing and tim silvia.
Who gives a sh$t what they make as long as they put on a good show. and that was better than some of UFC’s show’s but still a fan of mma no matter what org. it is.
Sorry for the grammer i was typing like lighting lol.
Dont the venues actually pay to have these fight take place in there arena. I know in boxing where a fight lands usually depends on which venue puts up the most money. Thats why a lot of those fights end up in casinos. The venues make there money through consessions and that sort of thing and casinos use them to bring in high rollers that they can comp tickets to.
I gotta ask a couple of questions, and feel free to flame me, I guess, if I’m not making any sense here. I read the postings and respect a lot of the members on this site but this shit has now started bugging me and I gotta put it out there:
Why do so many people seem to get off on predicting Affliction’s demise. Are you guys getting some kinda special prize if you’re right or are you hoping the rest of us will look back and see what a genius you are if they do fold? It’s starting to seem more and more like you simply don’t want to be bothered with anything that isn’t UFC/WEC or Japanese, to the point where we’re trashing cards for the craziest and most minute reasons. Now we’re not willing to accept an organization who put on some good fights if the sound production isn’t top tier?!?
Also, what is all this garbage about certain people not doing everything “for the love of the sport” as the cliche seems to be puked out so often? I’m willing to bet that douchebags like the Donald will learn real quick what makes fans happy. Cuz what makes fans happy will seel more tickets and PPVs. And he won’t do it becuase he loves MMA, he’ll do it to make money. Remember, he loves money, and knows that the only way he’s gonna make any is to give fans what they want. Give him a shot or two before you abandon the entire goddamn idea. I could give a shit if he doesn’t love MMA, as long as he puts together great fights.
Lastly, when will we all realize that MORE uneducated fans (or “exposure” as some of you like to call it) does NOT necessarily mean better things for the sport. Has anyone noticed on the Yahoo home page there is a poll asking who should be the next challenger for Fedor and the most popular answer is…..Kimbo Slice?!?! I wish I was kidding. I don’t know how many more noob fans this sport can suffer before these assholes outnumber US! Then, my friends, we’re in trouble.
Hell, two years from now, all “more exposure” might mean is ridiculously inflated fighter salaries, the forming of a union (…shudder…), and more startup leagues many of you love to hate so much. Where I DON’T want to be two years from now is saying to someone, “Remember the good ol’ days before all the hype and media latched onto MMA when it was GOOD?”
Bottom line I guess, is I wish more people would appreciate where the sport is now and try to be a little more appreciative. Personally, I like where MMA is at the moment and don’t really feel like it NEEDS more exposure, but that’s just me.
But hey, maybe if we’re reeeeally lucky, in the near future, Affliction will collapse and UFC can go back to putting on mediocre cards since they’re the only dog in kennel, Affliction and Adrenaline’s fighters can all sign with the UFC where they’ll go back to making HALF as much money so you can complain that they don’t make enough again, people who have the financial backing to put on expensive, spectacular shows (complete with ritzy sound production for you “fans”…) will vanish because they “don’t truly love MMA”, we’ll have so many newly exposed fans of the sport (read: uneducated and trend-following Kimbo Slice nuthuggers) that the voices of the true fans can no longer be heard in the crowd, and you can all congratulate each other for wisely predicting it all.
…Cuz that’s great for the sport, ain’t it.
Well put Skeleton Key! Wow, they really voted for Fedor vs Kimbo? Dear God! I am not a fan of Slice, but that would be a massacre!
the $2 million gate is very promising
wage bill $3million
other costs are probably atleast that again… probably more
promotion
hiring th e venue
sound
lighting
announcers
refs
all the cash they had to bribe fedors management with
(i would hope that they negotiated that in return for the low fedor fee that he and his management got the lions share/all the profit from the asian and russian sales
if that was the case it would be a very smart business decision as it isnot shelling out the initial cash and also gives fedors team and managers a serious incentive for promoting it in a major way)
they need to have had good ppv sales otherwise they are staring at a loss
even if they get the full $40 per ppv sale (which they wouldnt as tv companies take some)theyd need atleast 100,000 ppv buys to cover the rest of the costs
but there is also the merchandise etc that they will have offloaded at the event
close to 19000 fans is going to bring in a packet
id guess upwards of $50 per fan…thats about what 1 tshirt costs
also there is the future dvdsales of the ppv… if they do take off then there is a good chance that the bigger they get the more they make from dvds
ufc still makes a packet from the pre dana dvds
randy fedor is the next big fight
tito would also be a huge addition to the roster
AFFLICTION would destroy the ufc… they have the money and they would pirate the best fighters..and the fighters are human beings and they would want the best deal is for them… if ufc sues them for it..affliction would have the money to go to court and fight them there…and it would be a long and costly trial… and the ufcwould eventually tap out.. thats bussiness..trump with the affliction brand together has more money than the fertitas…and dont forget the elite X is there as well to compete in the price war…
to answer skeletonkey–a lot of people in this site are ufc professional bloggers hahaha..just kidding
what was clear in the affliction card is— ufc is sooo hyped.randy beat tim by decision. vera(the ufc hyped kid) got beat by tim… and fedor demolishes tim(and ufc is spreading the word he took a dive–crap!!) and dana dare say fedor is not in his top 5??dana is a marketing genius.he’s using the POWER OF SUGGESTION—a textbook marketing technique…he says a lot of hype–and does it in a “full of certainty and ultra confident manner” and people beleive him!!! common he had 2 big announcements that turned out to be duds..budeweiser.and fertita being ceo….stop believing this guy!!! give affliction a chance….