This coming Sunday evening will see a first for professional sports. For the first time in history, a live sporting event will take place on the South Lawn of The White House as UFC Freedom 250 unfolds. The card includes seven MMA bouts, a 92-foot, 600-ton, 154-foot-wide outdoor canopy dubbed “The Claw,” and President Donald Trump sitting front row on his 80th birthday enjoying a promotion he has long supported.
The idea was simple. The event evolved over time, yet one thing remains a mystery. With America celebrating the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, why can’t all Americans access this event on CBS television?
If you haven’t noticed lately, there’s a lot more combat sports programming on traditional television. The shift away from the pay-per-view model has accelerated over the past several years. The two biggest behemoths in the combat sports world are the UFC and WWE. Ironically, both properties now operate under the umbrella of TKO Holdings.
A Shifting Broadcast Model
Over the past year, WWE and UFC have begun reshaping their media rights agreements. WWE moved its PLEs (premium live events) from Peacock to ESPN. The company also moved the broadcast rights for Monday Night Raw to Netflix and shifted Friday Night SmackDown from FOX Sports to USA Network.
Since signing that agreement, WWE has placed PLE programming on ESPN and ESPN2 during select windows. The goal was simple: provide some programming on those networks to encourage sign-ups for ESPN Unlimited through the company’s direct-to-consumer platform. WWE has continued this practice for several months, including both nights of WrestleMania, the crown jewel of the promotion’s calendar year.
The UFC has followed a similar model in recent months. After reaching a seven-year, $7.7 billion agreement with Paramount, UFC numbered events began appearing on CBS television. In February, the UFC announced that, for the first time ever, a UFC numbered event would air on network television.
The announcement included the final hour of preliminary fights and the first hour of the main card airing on CBS. The objective mirrored WWE’s strategy with ESPN: provide some content for free on broadcast television in an effort to drive sign-ups for Paramount+.
While there is considerable debate about this approach among networks and their streaming platforms, the early results remain unclear. Neither Paramount nor ESPN has released data regarding the success or failure of the strategy to drive subscriptions.
A Unique Opportunity
However, UFC Freedom 250 presents a greater opportunity than any numbered event in the promotion’s history. It’s taking place on the South Lawn of The White House. The event is being promoted as a celebration of the nation’s semiquincentennial. It also takes place on the 80th birthday of the President of the United States.
Without question, this event offers many more levels of interest than a typical UFC numbered event. So why aren’t CBS and the UFC taking the same approach they have previously by placing UFC content on CBS? Moreover, why isn’t the full event being used as a giant marketing vehicle for the UFC, the President, and the network to drive Paramount+ sign-ups?
To me, the decision not to air the event on CBS in its entirety is a giant miss for both the UFC and CBS.
With so many layers of intrigue, why are reruns of Marshalls and Tracker more important than a once-in-a-lifetime event? While I understand CBS’ commitment to the consistent audience those programs deliver, does the network not recognize how many additional viewers would tune in simply for the shock and awe of what this event represents?
From a competitive standpoint, there’s no NBA Finals to worry about going head-to-head against. And while the Stanley Cup Final could have a Game 6 airing at the same time, wouldn’t there be interest in seeing the UFC compete directly against the NHL’s crown jewel from a viewership standpoint?
The UFC and CBS aren’t just passing on additional television viewers by keeping UFC Freedom 250 behind the Paramount+ paywall. They’re passing on a rare cultural moment that could introduce the sport to millions of people who would never normally seek out a UFC event.
There’s Still Time…
Sports leagues spend years trying to manufacture moments that break through to the mainstream. The UFC doesn’t have to manufacture one. It already has it: a live sporting event on the South Lawn of The White House, the President of the United States sitting cageside on his 80th birthday, and a celebration tied to America’s 250th anniversary.
Whether people love it, hate it, or are simply curious about it, they’re going to be talking about it.
That’s exactly why CBS should want it on broadcast television. There’s still time to make the change.
The purpose of putting premium content on free television isn’t to maximize one night’s revenue. It’s to expand the audience, create new fans, and build future customers. WWE understands it. ESPN understands it. CBS and the UFC appeared to understand it earlier this year when they placed portions of UFC numbered events on network television.
Yet for the most unique event in company history, they’re choosing the opposite approach.
Maybe Paramount+ will see a short-term boost in subscriptions. Maybe the paywall strategy will prove financially successful. But opportunities to introduce your product to an entirely new audience don’t come around often.
Opportunities to do it from The White House come around even less.
Years from now, UFC Freedom 250 will be remembered as a historic first. The question CBS and the UFC may eventually ask themselves is whether they maximized the moment—or merely monetized it.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
