UFC on the big screen: Good, Bad, or Ugly?

Starting at UFC 111 the company formed a partnership with Fathom Entertainment to test the water of showing pay-per-views at the movie theater on the big screen. Call it a four event experiment to see how fans react to the whole look, feel, and price.

The second event shown on the big screen was UFC 115, which was attended by MMA Valor at a local Century Theater. This was our first experience watching on the big screen and we went into the theater with the hope of seeing a good show.

The verdict?

The idea is great, but it’s not without its flaws. Here is the rundown.

The Good

The obvious is the big screen, because no matter how big of a TV you have this one is much bigger and your surround sound has nothing on this either. Throw in a packed house of cheering fans sitting in the stadium seating and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. It’s really almost like you are right there watching all the action live.

The Bad

Since it’s in a theater, most places will not allow (outside) food or beverages in and none of them will allow alcohol. So that’s no fun.

If you want to buy some food and a drink, be ready to drop some serious cash. Plus, if Spike is airing preliminary fights you better TiVo them or you are going to miss them.

The Ugly

Without a doubt the $20 dollar price tag is hard to swallow, especially if you are going in a group. Just you and  one other person, plus a drink, is the whole cost of the PPV.  Throw in some popcorn and another friend and you have the PPV and a party at home covered.

Also, if you are unlucky (like we were) and the theater isn’t full it really ruins the overall feel and ambiance of the experience.

The next UFC on the big screen will be UFC 118.  There will be one more after that to complete the 4 events.

Doing this for every PPV is going to be a tough sell for the general public. Having UFC events on the big screen for a special event or for a card that is stacked might be a better route. Lowering the price to $15 would also go a very long way to getting people to buy into this concept.

Only time will tell if this will be a long term thing or just a short lived experiment.

- For more articles by Joshua Wood check out MMA Valor