On a recent episode of the Mighty Cast, host Demetrius Johnson and guest Michael “Venom” Page had discussions about the UFC’s broadcast deal, athlete pay, and the baffling reality that Power Slap has a television deal while jiu-jitsu does not.
MVP set the tone early when asked about the UFC’s new Paramount Plus deal, making clear he was not celebrating on behalf of his employer.
“There’s no reason for me to be excited by my employers getting bonuses,” Page said. “If I was to say, you know, if there was news out that all of Congress in America, they’re all getting massive pay rises, would you guys be excited? Is that going to do anything for the people? Until it actually does something beneficial to these athletes, it doesn’t mean anything.”
Page acknowledged the deal was significant but kept his focus on what it means at the athelete level. “It’s a great deal in theory. Amazing for the UFC, but then how does that trickle down to the position that I’m in?”
Johnson agreed and then raised an important question.
“How does Power Slap have a broadcasting deal and jiu-jitsu doesn’t yet?” Johnson said. “Jiu-jitsu is one of the most fascinating sports, but it’s very hard to understand and it ain’t got a televised deal. It does not make sense.”
He continued: “But slap competitions. I think it’s all about marketing and finding the right networks and being able to put those sports on the platform where people are going to tune in, where it’s not the hardcores. It’s just like, ‘Hey, man. You see that slap that guy last night? You knocked his a** straight out.’ That’s what I think they’re able to do.”
Page said he could not explain it either, but attending a live Power Slap event gave him some understanding of the appeal.
“I’m in exactly the same place as yourself. I don’t quite understand it,” Page said. “But I went there, I was invited, and it was a lot of networking. A lot of celebrities just there to be in a room with other celebrities. And every now and again you’re chatting and then boom, you look up on the screen.”
Page continued: “What they’ve done is create that celebration moment that everybody looks for in every sport. If I’m watching soccer, I don’t go for the passing and the skills in between. It’s that moment where they score the goal and everybody erupts. They’ve basically created that to happen more likely in a smaller space of time, which means you get those endorphin kicks a lot more often.”
Johnson connected that idea to the challenge facing the UFC under the Paramount Plus deal, arguing that without free-to-air promotion the way UFC on Fox once provided, building new stars remains a problem regardless of how large the network deal is.
“When UFC was on Fox,” Johnson said, “they would show so much more advertisement during NFL games. UFC Countdown would air right after NFL Sunday. They had that type of motion. Now when I turn on the TV, I don’t see the advertisement for the next UFC match. I just don’t.”
Both agreed that until the money and the visibility reach the athletes themselves.
