• View topic - Reed Harris Attempts To Justify WEC 48’s $45 Price Tag

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"We talked about pay-per-view last year and actually had (Zuffa owners) Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta's blessing," Harris said. "But we decided to wait because we really wanted a (fight) card and main-event fight that reflected the WEC. And I wanted it to be a fight that people definitely wanted to see. I think we have that.

"Aldo vs. Faber could be the best fight we've ever heard in the WEC going back all the way to WEC 1."

But what about that hefty $44.99 price tag? The UFC, the undisputed worldwide leader in mixed martial arts, also charges $45 per PPV event. Additionally, WEC Vice President Peter Dropick told MMAjunkie.com just last month that the WEC PPV price tag would likely cost "less than the UFC" charges for its shows.

Harris said the company has a few reasons to keep the PPV prices the same but that the decision ultimately came from above.

"The decision as far as the pricing came from Lorenzo and Dana," Harris said. "They felt our product is every bit as good as the UFC's since we're actually a part of the UFC, and they felt the value is there."

Harris concurred with their assessment.

"You know what you're going to get with a WEC card," he said. "We always hear that our cards never disappoint. So we felt it should be priced similarly, especially with a card of this magnitude."

However, while UFC events cost $45 once or twice per month, don't expect the WEC to follow suit. Harris said the WEC plans to do a major show or two per year that air on PPV, but otherwise, the organization will focus its attention on Versus, its longtime cable home. Despite WEC 48 airing on PPV, Versus will still get its contracted seven events this year, including WEC 47 on March 6.

"We certainly won't have the same model the UFC does," Harris said. "I think the bulk of WEC shows will be on free TV on Versus, and maybe a couple times per year – maybe more in the future – we'll go to pay-per-view depending on how the company grows and the fight cards we have."

Harris said the primary reason for launching the PPV shows is to continue the company's growth. The additional revenue, he said, will lead to more events, additional fighter signings, and bigger bouts.

"But it also means the growth of the sport benefits," Harris said. "The same people criticizing the pay-per-view (plans) are the same ones thinking there should be more than one organization out there. This will help the sport grow, and it gives the lighter-weight guys the platform they need for more exposure and the chance to make big money."

Speaking of the fighters, perhaps no segment of the fight community is happier about the WEC's PPV debut that the organization's roster of fighters. Harris contractually can't say which, if any, fighters will get a piece of the PPV revenue, though the top guys – as in the UFC – likely will.

Simply having that additional earning potential in the future means WEC fighters don't have to look at their UFC counterparts and feel there are opportunities in the octagon that they can't find in the WEC cage.

"They're very excited," Harris said. "They think the fans will support them. Mike Brown was saying how he's got friends who will buy [the event] to watch him. They excited about this, and they should be."

But what about the Average Joe fan who's already stretched thin with the continual PPV purchases?

In a recent MMAjunkie.com weekly poll (full results posted this week), 45 percent of respondents said they won't purchase a WEC PPV event. And only 2 percent said they'd pay for one if it cost $45 or more.

What do you tell fans who just don't have the funds to make another pricey PPV buy? Is the WEC risking the loss of their loyalty?

"I'd just ask the fans to support us," Harris said. "Get 10 friends together, buy the event, and I promise you, you'll be satisfied. If you know the WEC, you know what you can expect."

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