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KUKELEKU! “Menselijke Hanengevechten” Groeien Uit Tot Industrie 30 JULI 2016 // JAARGANG 10 // EDITIE 3 Sport&Strategie THE AMERICAN WAY KUKELEKU! “Menselijke hanengevechten” groeien uit tot industrie Ultimate Fighting Championship UFC is een keiharde vechtsportcompetitie. Een jonge sportleague die zich in de afgelopen vijftien jaar heeft ontwikkeld tot een sportieve en economische sensatie. Voor 2 miljoen dollar gekocht en nu gewaardeerd op enkele miljarden. Met dank aan visionair en UFC-president Dana White, een paar bevriende investeerders en een hoop doorzettingsvermogen. FOTO: ANP PHOTO FOTO: De grondlegger van UFC wordt in Denver het eerste UFC-event geor- schoenen wordt verplicht en een aantal 2 miljoen dollar eigenaars van de nog prille is ondernemer Art Davies. ganiseerd met atleten uit diverse vecht- extreme technieken wordt verboden. vechtsportleague, die zij onderbrengen in Hij lanceert begin jaren sporten. De mixed martial arts-show trekt een nieuwe onderneming genaamd Zuffa. negentig het idee voor ruim 86.000 pay-per-view-kijkers en is Na jaren van lobbyen vindt eind 2000 onder Dana White (9% van de Zuffa-aandelen) een uniek vechtsporteve- daarmee direct een groot succes. En dus toezicht van de New Jersey State Athletic neemt ontslag als manager en wordt aan- PIETER VERHOOGT nement waarin atleten uit volgen er meer UFC-evenementen. Control Board het eerste officieel geregu- gesteld als president van UFC. De mannen verschillende vechtsporten leerde UFC-evenement plaats. UFC is nu krijgen medewerking van de Nevada State (martial arts) het tegen elkaar opnemen. Regulering een geaccepteerde sport. De strijd om het Athletic Commission en brengen de sport In het evenement, genaamd War of the Hoewel de UFC-evenementen steeds bestaansrecht eist echter ook zijn tol. Na vanaf UFC-33 weer terug op de kabel (pay- Worlds, maken acht vechters zonder spel- populairder worden, roept de agressieve jaren van investeren en oplopende verliezen per-view). Er wordt vol ingezet op marketing regels uit wat de beste vechtdisciplines en en ongereguleerde sport in toenemende dreigt UFC-eigenaar SEG failliet te gaan. en promotie. Nieuwe sponsoren verschijnen -technieken zijn. Samen met een filmre- mate weerstand op bij beleidsmakers en en UFC-video’s en -dvd’s vinden gretig gisseur en 28 investeerders richt Davies politici. De bekende senator John McCain Dana White aftrek. Connecties in de casinowereld van WOW Promotions op om het evenement spreekt van “menselijke hanengevechten” Het dreigend faillissement komt ook Dana Las Vegas zorgen bovendien voor aanspre- te organiseren en te vertalen in een ver- en voert een stevige campagne om UFC White ter ore. White is op dat moment werk- kende locaties voor nieuwe UFC-events. koopbaar televisieformat. te verbieden. Met succes. 36 staten doen zaam als manager van de UFC-atleten Tito UFC is back on track! UFC in de ban en de sport ondervindt van Ortiz en Chuck Liddell. Hij is overtuigd van In mei 1993 kiest WOW de Semaphore alle kanten tegenwerking. In reactie hierop de potentie van UFC en benadert zijn jeugd- The Ultimate Fighter Entertainment Group (SEG) als tv-partner. besluit het UFC-management zijn compe- vriend en casino-ondernemer Lorenzo Fer- UFC-40 is een belangrijke stap in de ver- SEG vertaalt het concept naar een tele- tities meer te reguleren en UFC nadrukke- titta met het idee om UFC over te nemen. dere ontwikkeling van UFC. Het evene- visieshow, genaamd The Ultimate Figh- lijker te positioneren als sport. Er komen Lorenzo en zijn broer Frank happen toe en ment in de MGM Grand Arena is met ruim ting Championship. Op 12 november 1993 gewichtsklassen, het dragen van hand- in januari 2001 worden de drie mannen voor 13.000 toeschouwers stijf uitverkocht. En WWW.SPORTENSTRATEGIE.NL JULI 2016 // JAARGANG 10 // EDITIE 3 31 Hoewel de radicale stap. Vanuit het verleden weten Ook op andere fronten is er sprake van groei. van dit jaar is ook Nederland aan de beurt. de Fertitta-broers nog hoe de televisie- In december 2006 koopt Zuffa concurrent Rotterdam Ahoy is met 10.421 bezoekers UFC-evenementen serie American Casino een flinke impuls World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) met uitverkocht voor UFC Fight Night-87. In teweegbracht in de casino-omzetten. Zo als doel zijn marktpositie te verstevigen en 2014 wordt Reebok voor 70 miljoen dollar steeds populairder ontstaat het idee voor een speciale UFC-te- een aantal nieuwe vechters onder de UFC- zes jaar lang partner van UFC. worden, roept de levisieserie. The Ultimate Fighter moet een vlag te brengen. In dezelfde maand wordt realityshow worden, waarbij enkele vecht- ook World Fighting Alliance (WFA) over- In 2015 realiseert UFC een omzet van agressieve en sporttalenten met elkaar gaan strijden om genomen. Er is ook iets met Nederland. 600 miljoen dollar. En de groei is er zeker nog een lucratief UFC-contract. Geen zender is In juli 2006 neemt de Nederlandse UFC- niet uit. Het aantal UFC Fight Pass-abonne- ongereguleerde geïnteresseerd. Ten einde raad weten de topper Bas Rutten (elf jaar ongeslagen menten (7,99-9,99 dollar per maand) groeit sport in mannen Spike TV te overtuigen met het kampioen zwaargewicht) afscheid van de gestaag. Televisiebeelden van UFC worden aanbod om zelf de productiekosten van sport. Hij wordt in 2015 opgenomen in de inmiddels in 150 landen en 22 talen uitge- toenemende mate 10 miljoen te dragen. The Ultimate Fighter UFC Hall of Fame. zonden. In 2018 loopt het bestaande tv-con- gaat in januari 2005 van start en blijkt direct In maart 2007 volgt met de aankoop van tract met FOX af. De verwachting is dat UFC weerstand op bij een geweldig succes. het in Japan gevestigde PRIDE Fighting met zijn volgende contract een bedrag van beleidsmakers en Championships een volgende grote stap. In circa 250 miljoen per jaar tegemoet kan Groei de jaren daarna worden wereldwijd diverse zien. Inmiddels gonzen er geruchten over politici Dankzij de tv-exposure groeit de popula- televisiedeals gesloten, komen UFC-action een overnamebod. Met name vanuit Azië riteit van UFC snel. UFC-52 trekt 300.000 figures op de markt en verschijnen meer- zou er interesse zijn om de UFC-aandelen pay-per-views, een verdubbeling van het dere UFC-videogames. over te nemen. Volgens Dana White is ver- vorige record. UFC-57 genereert 410.000 koop vooralsnog niet aan de orde, mar een maar liefst 150.000 kabelkijkers sluiten een kijkers. En zo gaat het door: via 620.000 Vrouwencompetitie bod van 4 miljard zal zeker worden over- pay-per-view-contract af om het evene- (UFC-60), 775.000 (UFC-61) naar 1.000.000 UFC dendert maar door. In maart 2011 wordt wogen. Van 2 miljoen naar enkele miljarden, ment te kunnen zien. Het is voor het eerst kijkers voor UFC-66 en 1,7 miljoen kijkers concurrent Strikeforce overgenomen. En sportbusiness the American Way! sinds de sport in 1997 in de ban ging dat voor UFC-100. In 2006 verdient UFC via op 18 augustus van dat jaar is er echt groot • UFC zichzelf terugvindt in de schijnwer- pay-per-view het recordbedrag van maar nieuws: UFC sluit een zevenjarige tv-deal pers. Ook gevestigde media als ESPN en liefst ruim 222 miljoen dollar. UFC-129 zorgt met televisiezender Fox, die de league jaar- USA Today nemen UFC weer serieus. voor een nieuw toeschouwersrecord. In het lijks circa 90 miljoen dollar oplevert. In 2012 Rogers Centre in Toronto is het gevecht start UFC ook een vrouwencompetitie met Financieel is de situatie echter zorgwekkend. tussen Georges St-Pierre en Jake Shields voormalig olympisch judoka Ronda Rousey Zuffa heeft enkele jaren fors in de league goed voor 55.000 bezoekers en een tic- als boegbeeld. UFC brengt zowel haar televi- geïnvesteerd. Het totale verlies bedraagt ketopbrengst van ruim 11 miljoen dollar. sieshow als haar events naar het buitenland. Pieter Verhoogt is directeur van sportecono- misch adviesbureau Sport2B (www.sport2b.nl). inmiddels 44 miljoen dollar. Met de rug Canada, Brazilië, Engeland, Azië – overal Hij is tevens gastdocent sporteconomie aan de tegen de muur besluiten de mannen tot een trekken de vechters volle zalen. Op 8 mei Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen. Vervolg van pagina 23 trokken naar 800 euro per maand en dat een kritische onlinekrant die in Nicaragua De desintegratie van de Cubaanse sport mocht hij helemaal zelf houden, in tegen- wordt gemaakt, met Cubaanse corres- heeft de laatste tien jaar onrustwekkende balland in Midden- of Zuid-Amerika. Vol- stelling tot spelers die vrijwillig mochten pondenten. “We hebben te veel teams vormen aangenomen. Daar zijn verschil- leybal is de derde sport die het meest te vertrekken naar andere landen dan de VS voor te weinig talent.” lende oorzaken voor. Zoals de DRR destijds lijden had en die zelfs na 2001 (zie verder) en tot dertig procent afgeroomd zagen De grootste sporttalenten (uit andere heeft Cuba te lijden onder een negatieve voor jaren is onthoofd door een massale door de INDER. sporten dan baseball) worden vervolgens bevolkingsaangroei: er wonen vandaag uittocht. Contracten in Italië, het verre doorgestuurd naar de ESPA Nacional maar evenveel Cubanen op het eiland dan Oosten, Polen of Rusland zijn vaak een Sportsysteem – Escuela Superior de Perfeccionamiento een kwarteeuw geleden, maar ze worden half miljoen euro waard, maar in tegen- Terugkeren zit er voor de meeste traidores Atlético – waar toptalent wordt afgewerkt. steeds ouder. Met name bij de jonge bevol- stelling tot een baseballspeler, die snel (verraders) of desertores (deserteurs) niet Romero zat op de EIDE in Pinar en later king is weinig animo om te blijven en de aan de slag kan, eist de internationale vol- snel in. Rey Romero, al lang in het bezit bij de ESPA Nacional, maar hij studeerde sporters zijn daar geen uitzondering op. leybalbond een twee jaar durende ont- van een Belgisch paspoort, kon pas in 2014 en speelde volleybal aan de Universidad Ook de handel in Cubaanse knowhow dreigt luizingsperiode waarin de weggelopen voor het eerst weer naar Cuba.
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