Was UFC 324 A Success?
UFC 324 concluded last weekend, as we look at whether the event lived up to the hype.
The event, which saw Justin Gaethje capture the interim lightweight title by beating Paddy Pimblett in a unanimous decision, peaked at 5.93 million concurrent streams, officially becoming the most-watched exclusive live broadcast in Paramount+ history. According to data verified by Adobe Analytics and Nielsen Media, the elimination of the traditional $79.99 pay-per-view fee in favor of the $8.99 monthly subscription sparked a major viewership surge.
Credit: Zuffa LLC
- Main Card Average: 4.96 million (Live Average Minute Audience).
- Household Impact: 7.18 million global households tuned in—the highest reach for a numbered UFC event in nearly 10 years.
- Social Engagement: The headliner alone generated 5.5 million social interactions, making it the most socially engaged exclusive telecast the platform has ever hosted
UFC officials are aiming to carry this momentum into UFC 325 this Saturday, January 31, as the promotion returns to the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. The card features a featherweight title rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes.
Issues
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Looking back, the event had some issues. There are suggestions the broadcasting had too many adverts. Dana White defended that, stating there had to be a way to generate revenue for those advertisers, given the massive Paramount+ deal that equates to $7.7 billion over seven years. There was also some suggestions that the main event failed to deliver a competitive bout. While Pimblett made it to the final round, he was on the defensive for most of the fight.
“Wow. That was one of the WORST UFC main events in a while. Two capable and dynamic finishers, fighting like a couple of newbies. Such a terrible display, stretched over 5 awful rounds. This was [a] match for the prelims,” Josh Barnett (former UFC heavyweight champion) said
White Reacts
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Overall, White felt the event was a success.
“It’s unexplainable how enthusiastic and incredible these guys have been leading up to the first fight. We’ve got a real good feeling this is going to be a great relationship for the next seven years,” White said
“I haven’t seen it yet and all of this is a work in progress. It’s $8.99. You’re not paying f**king however much anymore. These guys (at Paramount have) got to make some money, too, so yeah. That is a fact (that they paid for it and get to decide) – let’s start there. But these guys are incredible to work with already, so we’ll figure it out,” White added
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