UFC Serves Subpoenas on Streaming Sites

[Epidemik]

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Zuffa, LLC, (“Zuffa”), the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®), announced today that it has served subpoenas on two streaming video websites, commanding them to reveal the identities of users who have uploaded video of live Pay-Per-View UFC events.

The websites, Justin.tv and Ustream.tv, enable anyone with an Internet connection to broadcast live streaming video to an unlimited audience. Although originally developed to bring user-generated content to a large live audience, these sites have been exploited by some users to broadcast illegally uploaded content, including UFC events.

For example, on January 2, 2010, over 36,000 people watched a live streaming feed of the UFC 108 Pay-Per-View event that was uploaded from a single IP address. Less than two months later, on February 21, 2010, that same IP address was used to upload multiple live streaming feeds of the UFC 110 Pay-Per-View event, which was watched by over 78,000 non-paying users. This piracy represents a significant loss of revenue to UFC and their mobile, online, cable and satellite distribution partners each year.

“I can’t wait to go after the thieves that are stealing our content,” said UFC President Dana White. “This is a fight we will not lose.”

Under §512(h) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a copyright owner can obtain a subpoena from a federal court ordering a service provider to disclose the identity of a subscriber who is allegedly engaging in infringing activities. The subpoenas served by Zuffa require Justin.tv and Ustream.tv to disclose information in their possession that Zuffa can use to identify those who have been pirating and rebroadcasting recent UFC events online. With this information in hand, Zuffa will prosecute civil actions against the individuals who have infringed Zuffa’s copyrights.

Zuffa is the largest provider of Pay-Per-View content in the world, and delivers exciting matches to fans in over 430 million households across 147 countries and territories. Zuffa encourages the development of new technology to deliver UFC content to licensed online platforms, mobile devices, and gaming systems. However, Zuffa does not condone the use of streaming video or other new technologies to violate intellectual property laws, and it will vigorously protect its copyrighted content against piracy in any medium.

Those who upload live UFC events as free streaming video harm UFC athletes, arena owners, and hard-working Zuffa employees who have transformed the once-obscure sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) into a successful professional sports organization. The UFC brand has created American jobs in the entertainment, fitness, and clothing industries. Zuffa will continue to fight on the cutting edge of copyright law to defend the intellectual property rights that support American economic growth.

http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=84323

[Ravin]

Then lower the cost of your pay per view events. Sorry, I'm not paying like $50 to see maybe two fights that I want to see on a card. Make it reasonable, and I'll think about it. This also goes for every PPV, be it MMA or Wrestling. Actually more at wrestling as well.

[SHOGUN]

Joke's on them.. I just download the torrent the next day.

I do the same thing.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Then lower the cost of your pay per view events. Sorry, I'm not paying like $50 to see maybe two fights that I want to see on a card. Make it reasonable, and I'll think about it. This also goes for every PPV, be it MMA or Wrestling. Actually more at wrestling as well.

Lowering the cost of PPV makes no business sense.

WWE raised their prices last year, and saw no measurable drop in PPV buys. There is nothing to indicate the same thing wouldn't happen for UFC.

Lowering the price just equals diminishing returns. The same people watching illegally now would still watch illegally at $10 less. And let's say you cut the price in half, to $25. Now they would need to double their buys to cover the difference, and that isn't happening.

You are more likely to see prices go up, because roughly the same amount of people will pay for the product no matter what it cost (to a point, obviously), and the scant few extra buys at lower prices just means dimishing returns and less profit. Consider youselves lucky, because UFC could easily go to $60, $65, and not miss a beat.

Studies have shown that very few people who watch illegally would pay for the product at a reduced cost, until you get to price points that simply make no sense.

[Warner2BruceTD]

About 50,000 people on average watch live streams of UFC if I remember correctly. Let's say another 50,000 download the next day (I doubt its that high, but play along). That's 100,000. How many of those 100k would purchase the event at $10 cheaper? A fraction. I'm willing to bet less than 10%. But even at 50%, an astronomical unrealistic figure, it still makes no sense to lower prices.

If the ppv's cost $15, people would still watch illegally. So enjoy those choppy streams, beacsue prices are going nowhere but up.

If they could make more by charging less, they would charge less.

[Epidemik]

Lowering the cost of PPV makes no business sense.

WWE raised their prices last year, and saw no measurable drop in PPV buys. There is nothing to indicate the same thing wouldn't happen for UFC.

Lowering the price just equals diminishing returns. The same people watching illegally now would still watch illegally at $10 less. And let's say you cut the price in half, to $25. Now they would need to double their buys to cover the difference, and that isn't happening.

You are more likely to see prices go up, because roughly the same amount of people will pay for the product no matter what it cost (to a point, obviously), and the scant few extra buys at lower prices just means dimishing returns and less profit. Consider youselves lucky, because UFC could easily go to $60, $65, and not miss a beat.

Studies have shown that very few people who watch illegally would pay for the product at a reduced cost, until you get to price points that simply make no sense.

Isn't UFC HD 60 or 65 Dollars?

They also show UFC fights in theaters now

[Warner2BruceTD]

Isn't UFC HD 60 or 65 Dollars?

They also show UFC fights in theaters now

I'm glad you mentioned that. It is either $5 or $10 more for HD, and I read a article a few months ago in either a tv trade journal or meltzers newsletter that said an insane percentage of ppv buyers (like 90+%) will purchase the more expensive HD feed when given the choice, and =# viewers are far more likely not to buy an event if its only offered in SD. I know I fall into that cagtegory, I won't buy SD evengts and always pay extra for HD.

Price point is not the reason people stream. Its the fact it cost money, period.

[Herm]

I'm glad you mentioned that. It is either $5 or $10 more for HD, and I read a article a few months ago in either a tv trade journal or meltzers newsletter that said an insane percentage of ppv buyers (like 90+%) will purchase the more expensive HD feed when given the choice, and =# viewers are far more likely not to buy an event if its only offered in SD. I know I fall into that cagtegory, I won't buy SD evengts and always pay extra for HD.

Price point is not the reason people stream. Its the fact it cost money, period.

if i want to watch in HD i have to go to buffalo wild wings, hooters, or one of the local sportsbars that show the event. Comcast Nashville doesnt even offer the HD feed, only Directv in my market even offers the hd ppv option.



Im like others i just started getting the torrent the next day, the hardest thing is staying away from the mma forum, chatbox, facebook ,etc where someone is always making a post about the fights especially the main event.


I dont know of any movie theaters around here that show the ufc events, that would definitely be an option for me if i could find out some more information.

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

The price point for theater attendance is a little high. Two people going to a theater is as much as the PPV event. Considering the inflated cost of theater refreshments and lack of outside wings/burgers/brew the price point is steep.

[Herm]

The price point for theater attendance is a little high. Two people going to a theater is as much as the PPV event. Considering the inflated cost of theater refreshments and lack of outside wings/burgers/brew the price point is steep.

damn i figured it was about the same as a regular movie, im not paying $20 each ticket to sit in a movie theatre. If its about regular price i can eat before i go to the movies and maybe just get a drink or two while im there.


"You cant stop the internet"- Joe Rogan

[Epidemik]

Ustream Hands Over PPV Broadcast Pirates' IP Adresses to UFC; Company Vows to Go After Illegal Viewers Next

(Argh!. That Free stream you watched a few months back might end up costing you a hell of a lot more than $39.95.)

Apparently Zuffa isn't f-ing around when it comes to enforcing its copyrights.

According to a report by newteevee.com Ustream.com has complied with a request by UFC parent company Zuffa LLC to hand over the Internet protocol addresses of members who broadcasted the promotion's events via the popular Internet streaming site.

Last week, Zuffa subpoenaed both Ustream and Justin.tv, demanding that both sites provide them with the IP addresses of individuals whom it says, quite simply, are infringing on its intellectual property rights.

Here's a statement Ustream (who not coincidentally recently updated its copyright protection security tools to cover its ass from further prosecution ensure this never happens again) gave newteevee today:

“Ustream was subpoenaed by UFC via Zuffa earlier this year to provide identifiable information on certain broadcasters, which Ustream fully complied with in a timely manner. Ustream continues to work cohesively with our premium content partners to prevent piracy, including UFC to legally stream officially-sanctioned UFC events.”

Earlier this year in a presentation the UFC CEO gave to the House Judiciary Committee, Lorenzo Fertitta pointed to figures that indicated that over 78,000 non-paying users watched UFC 111 via a live streaming site. The promotion has identified the party that broadcast the event and has linked him to another feed he supplied 36,000 people with a few months earlier.

Although it seems they are just going after the suppliers at this point, Zuffa has stated that it intends to go after the end users with individual lawsuits in the coming months.

Translation: If you've watched an illegal Internet feed of a UFC broadcast in the past year, quit your job, sell your house and move to Tijuana.

Seriously, buddy, you're screwed.

On the bright side, they do have Internet in Mexico and Tequila is as cheap as bottled water.

http://www.cagepotato.com/ustream-hands-over-ppv-broadcast-pirates-ip-adresses-ufc-company-vows-go-after-illegal-viewers-next

[Warner2BruceTD]