Mixed martial arts attracts mixed male audience

JUNE 30 | URBAN MARKET GUIDE: Martial arts films have attracted disproportionately strong interest from urban youth, but is the same thing happening with the related sport of mixed martial arts? MMA suppliers don’t necessarily see a correlation, arguing that although their DVDs might well attract urban audiences, they also strongly appeal to young males across the board. Regardless, the growing popularity of MMA, marked by its recent foray into network TV, has some suppliers doing a victory dance. Though DVD sales of 10,000 to 25,000 units are typical for MMA releases, primetime pushes might portend a more robust forecast for the gut-busting genre.

“Whenever you move a show from cable to the main networks, it obviously expands your exposure to mainstream audiences,” says Nick Lamer, marketing VP at Image Entertainment. In November, Image will release the three-hour Elite XC Saturday Night Fights, broadcast on CBS, as a two-disc set, including fighter bios and behind-the-scenes action. “I don’t recall seeing a sport grow at such a rate as MMA. It’s poised to outdo pro wrestling,” Lamer says.

EliteXC attracted the most viewers in its timeslot on CBS during its debut. About 6.5 million viewers, mostly men ages 18 to 49, watched the Memorial Day weekend grand finale.

Cable and MMA have been squaring off for years, and there have been few losers. Ultimate Fighting Championship is Spike TV’s crown programming jewel. UFC 75 won over nearly 5 million viewers in September, setting an all-time ratings record for the Viacom-owned cable network and became one of North America’s most-watched MMA events.

“What’s proven is the longevity of the UFC brand at retail stores,” says Don Gold, executive VP of entertainment for UFC, whose DVDs are mainly distributed by First Look Studios. “Retailers trust the brand, and they order accordingly. We’ve put out more than 50 DVDs since the company was formed in 1993 and have sold millions of units in North America alone. Our DVDs include bonus footage and fights not seen on our pay-per-view shows.”

MMA’s lightning-quick kicks and jarring jabs are a perfect fit for today’s uber-energized youth culture, says Houston Curtis, CEO of Big Vision Entertainment, whose titles, also distributed by First Look, include the recently released Fatal Femmes Fighting: Asian Invasion. “Boxing has never been a huge DVD seller, and [football, baseball and basketball] have never been big on home video because so much is already on TV,” Curtis says. “A long MMA match is 25 minutes, not a three-hour game. It’s street fighters against jujitsu masters.”

With roots dating back to Bruce Lee martial arts action films, MMA also shares a bloodline with backyard brawling videos. Today’s slick and polished MMA bouts boast broader appeal, says Amy Killian, DVD marketing executive for Navarre’s BCI, which recently released UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter Season 6. “It’s great to see such a diverse group of people that fill the UFC Octagon,” Killian says.