Interesting list to look at. From December 2006 to early December 2007.

1. Boxing - Oscar de la Hoya-Floyd Mayweather - 2,400,000 buys
2. UFC - Tito Ortiz-Chuck Liddell - 1,050,000
3. Boxing - Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton - 850,000
4. WWE - Wrestlemania - John Cena-Shawn Michaels - 760,000
5. UFC - Chuck Liddell-Quinton Jackson - 675,000
6. UFC - Tim Sylvia-Randy Couture - 540,000
7. UFC - Randy Couture-Gabriel Gonzaga - 520,000
8. UFC - Chuck Liddell-Keith Jardine - 475,000
9. UFC - Tito Ortiz-Rashad Evans - 425,000
10. UFC - Anderson Silva-Travis Lutter - 400,000
(tie) UFC - Georges St. Pierre-Matt Serra - 400,000
12. Boxing - Manny Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera - 350,000
13. WWE - Summerslam - John Cena-Randy Orton - 344,000
14. Boxing - Miguel Cotto-Shane Mosley - 340,000
15. UFC - Anderson Silva-Rich Franklin - 325,000
16. WWE - Royal Rumble - John Cena-Umaga - 314,000
17. Boxing - Bernard Hopkins-Winky Wright - 305,000
18. Boxing - Fernando Vargas-Ricardo Mayorga - 300,000
19. Boxing - Marco Antionio Barrera-Juan Manuel Marquez - 225,000
(tie) Boxing - Miguel Cotto-Zab Judah - 225,000

The average (minus Wrestlemania) WWE show was around 140,000. They had one terrible show that got only 55,000. Everything else was above 115,000. TNA's best show did 36,000.

Quote :

" Even though the perception is that UFC is declining and boxing had a banner year, when you compare the top 15 PPV shows, you note a different story. Boxing had one record setting fight that skewed things. If anything, from a monthly get your friends together and watch the PPV aspect, UFC looks to have become No. 1 far more decidedly this past year. And keep in mind we don't have a number for UFC's November show with Bisping vs. Evans, but the belief is it cracked top 15, which would knock the Rumble out of the last, and UFC would actually have ten of 15 as compared with two for WWE. Survivor Series, which we won't have a number on for a week or two, would have likely done in the neighborhood of 240,000 to 275,000 domestic buys. Boxing, because it's biggest fights have the ability to charge more or tickets, did two gates above $10 million this year, which is a realm UFC isn't yet at. In 2006, UFC beat $3 million three times and $2 million three more times while this year it topped $3 million four times and $2 million six more times, so even though PPVs overall will be slightly downdue to the biggest potential money matches falling through, the live gates are still on the rise."

1/2/2008 10:35:43 PM

there is a perception that UFC is declining? I dont really like it but I thought it was the "hot new shit"

1/2/2008 10:39:07 PM

Quote :

"Even though the perception is that UFC is declining and boxing had a banner year"

i'm pretty sure the perception is the exact opposite

who wrote that? he's a moron

1/2/2008 11:10:39 PM

^^ Some of their top draws are leaving or have lost, hurting their star.

The writer said this past year showed that UFC, planted some good roots to show it is more than just a fad.

Quote :

"However, in 2008, Couture will be gone, Ortiz won't be a big draw, and unless Liddell beats Wanderlei Silva this week, he won't be a top draw next year. UFC looks to do solid business but the door is wide open,whether it be Quinton Jackson, Georges St. Pierre, or a Liddell comeback, when it comes to who will become No. 1. ... Last year WWE's Wrestlemania did 636,000 buys, so this year was substantially up. SummerSlam was very slightly up while Royal Rumble was a little down. The "B" show range in 2006 included three shows topping 200,000, while this year's "B" high was 163,000, so from a rank-and-file standpoint, there is a decline. Even more, in 2005, the highest "B" show did 285,000 domestic buys with a HHH vs. Batista Hell in a Cell. From the average show standpoint, there is an almost identical gain in UFC popularity corresponding with a decline in WWE popularity. I'm not saying they are directly related, and if I believe both could thrive, or decline, at the same time, but the direction Thomas Hauser when investigating PPV called with wrestling fans turning to UFC around the age of 18 seems to have some merit. WWE did better in its two big shows this year, but from a monthly standpoint, its regular PPV audience was down. UFC's regular base PPV audience was way up, but didn't have the monster shows after Liddell vs. Ortiz. Last year WWE had five shows under 150,000 and three under 140,000 while this year we had nine under 150,000 and five under 140,000. Interestingly, we have UFC following in the path that hurt WWE, and that WWE is slowly trying to get away from. Over the next few weeks, there are three UFC PPV shows (12/29, 1/19 and 2/2), and it was that kind of an increase in PPV dates where the WWE declines started becoming more prominent. WWE has cut back from 16 PPVs to 14 by eliminating December to Dismember and New Year's Revolution. They'd probably be best off cutting back to 12, because the decline in buys got worse when they increased from once per month. For the same reason, UFC can probably survive 12 PPVs per year, but it would be a mistake to try any more than that. ... As Japan, which had its MMA boom before the U.S., shows, UFC has not proven yet that is it more than a fad, but this year, more than last year, had positive long-term signs. This year showed UFC can stay strong when the breaks don't come their way, plus when it comes to the media, which is so important in the U.S., UFC has gained an incredible amount. A year ago, a mainstream article anywhere was big news. Today, there are dozens of mainstream articles daily. A year ago, UFC may have been a fad. But this year, they grew roots in being part of the sports culture. My own experience working with Yahoo!, which is the most widely viewed sports web site in the country, is an example. A year ago, UFC was almost never covered. Now, it's not unusual for UFC to be on the front sports page 2-3 days during a week when they don't even have a live event. FoxSports, NBC and CBS Sports web site's also have consistent coverage, particularly of the big events. The negative is that ESPN Sports Center went crazy for the Liddell-Jackson fight, but for whatever reason, decided against that kind of coverage the rest of the year. UFC got on the cover of Sports Illustrated and ESPN magazine at about the same time, something that would have been unheard of in 2006, but neither followed up by doing either regular coverage of the sport or even the kind of big event coverage they continued to give something like a Cotto-Mosley level boxing match that didn't do nearly as good as an average UFC PPV event. The only troubling sign is UFC does need a weekly television vehicle, and Ultimate Fighter is growing long in the tooth. The claim is there will be a fresh coat of paint put on in the new season, which it needs. But it's badly lacking a show that gets its fights and personalities over, like "Inside the UFC." "

[Edited on January 2, 2008 at 11:19 PM. Reason : .]

1/2/2008 11:13:55 PM