"$5 is a world of difference" - Brendan Schaub doesn't understand why the cost of UFC PPVs has been hiked
Brendan Schaub has questioned why the UFC is increasing their pay-per-view prices by $5.
It was announced recently that, starting with UFC 270, the UFC will be charging fans $74.99 instead of $69.99 for pay-per-views on ESPN+. It's the third time during the UFC and ESPN relationship that there's been a price hike.
While there's a business element to consider, fans will continue to protest or, at the very least, campaign for better fighter pay to come with it.
UFC PPV price increases since 2004...
February 2005: $29.95
April 2005: $34.95
2006: $39.95
February 2008: $44.95
2009: $54.99*
2015: $59.99
2018: $64.99
2021: $69.99
2022: $74.99
*UFC 168 in December 2013 was an exception of the time at $59.99 twitter.com/LaMonicaMark/s…
Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub has now given his thoughts on the matter. During an episode of The Schaub Show, 'Big Brown' questioned the logic behind the UFC doing this after Dana White claimed the promotion had its "best ever" year in 2021.
“$5 is a world of difference when you increase pricing. From a comedy touring perspective, if you increase your ticket prices by $5, man. It depends who you are but a lot of guys see a 30-40% dip in ticket sales... It’s a dangerous game to play, man. It’s a marathon, not a sprint and I’m so curious - they obviously have analytics and people who do this. After coming off the best year you’ve ever had, now you increase it? ... I wonder if they’re doing it because of all the illegal streaming like, we gotta make up for this, man.”
Catch Schaub's comments in the video below:
Does Brendan Schaub like the UFC?
Ever since retiring from mixed martial arts and heading off on his own path, Brendan Schaub has made it clear that he's had his fair share of disagreements with the UFC. More specifically, he's clashed with Dana White.
The "Eskimo brothers" scandal was the most notable instance in which Schaub tried to "out" White and embarrass him in the media. While the two have seemingly kept their distance since then, it's worth repeating that Schaub hasn't been afraid to voice his opinion on the state of the UFC and how it could be improved.
Now Schaub has moved forward with his post-fighting career with a comedy and YouTube run that has made him one of the most notable MMA personalities outside the promotion.