[Jmend255]

Originally Posted by who me

I think you might be seriously overestimating the size of MMA's audience in the US and I know you are vastly overestimating the size of HDnet's viewer base(estimated currently to be around 9 million subscribers). Furthermore HDnet isn't carried by Comcast cable(except in Houston)the largetst cable provider in the US. Hell currently it's estimated that only around 30% of US homes have a HDtv, yea it's the wave of the future but it's still years into the future(and HDtvs aren't "cheap" they are just less expensive than they used to be, they still cost 3 times as much as regular tvs do). Then there is the fact that it's estimated that only around 44% of HDtv owners are actually watching HDTV programming. Of course not even close to everyone who has a HDtv is a MMA fan either so what you have is a fraction of a fraction of a fraction; your talking about viewers who are MMA fans, own a HDtv and are also subscribers to HDnet. It's just not a significant number at this time, their are over 300million people in the US and HDnet is currently only being subscribed to by 9million of them, when you are only reaching 3% of the population you are a fringe player at best. Mark Cuban is gambling on the future of tv not the present.

Yes, if you are talking about the present, I would agree. But it is the law that HD will be the future, so Mark Cuban is investing on something that is inevitable, and not on legacy technology. You should call your cable providers. They refer to non HD equipment as legacy equipment. That goes to tell you how long that will last. People succeed by being prepared for the future, not by milking the present with it's foreseeable end coming soon.

[Cup]

Originally Posted by MrPissant

Well, ESPN, when talking about Mayweather's interest in going into MMA with Mark Cuban, referred to CUban's organization HDNETFIGHTS as a "Fledgling" organization.

So it probably is going in the shitter.

Look at it from pure exposure. Not everyone has HDNET. Mostly DIRECTV subscribers. So there you don't get the access.

And only Internet geeks believe that people will log onto the internet just to look for MMA fights.

Do you know what Fledgling means?

[Salmonella]

Let's hope that isn't true. HDNet Fights is the only startup who seems to be going the right route of building the organization slowly. They could be a force in a few years. I just hope Cuban gives it some time.

[mcuban]

that says the guy is full of shit.

we are accelerating our efforts with HDNet Fights. Not pulling back.

The only thing we havent set yet is our next fight. We had hoped to do feb15 or in March, but there is a fight we want to facilitate, but we have to get contractual clarification first. We thought this fight would be an amazing headliner, so its worth waiting for.

In the meantime we are working with our partners to get more and more live fights on HDNet and to expand our MMA programming.

When we come back with our next HDNet Fights card, like our last one it will be bigger and better than the one before it.

In the future, rather than wondering about "sources", all anyone has to do is ask me

mark@hd.net

[Shoot or Sprawl]

Originally Posted by who me

It's not funny if you are Mark Cuban because that vast majority of people aren't ordering his network even if they have the ability to. Seriously who's going to even look into HDnet if they don't have a HDtv? Hell for that matter almost half the people who do have HDtvs don't watch HD content anyway. Even among people who actually own HDtvs HDnet is a small time channel to start with.

I don't have HDnet and or a HD tv but i do have a HD ready TV which allows me to watch all the HD programs which i do. If i had HDnet i'd watch it just as much as i do spike.. Hd tv is really addiciting bro...

[mcuban]

Originally Posted by who me

I think you might be seriously overestimating the size of MMA's audience in the US and I know you are vastly overestimating the size of HDnet's viewer base(estimated currently to be around 9 million subscribers). Furthermore HDnet isn't carried by Comcast cable(except in Houston)the largetst cable provider in the US. Hell currently it's estimated that only around 30% of US homes have a HDtv, yea it's the wave of the future but it's still years into the future(and HDtvs aren't "cheap" they are just less expensive than they used to be, they still cost 3 times as much as regular tvs do). Then there is the fact that it's estimated that only around 44% of HDtv owners are actually watching HDTV programming. Of course not even close to everyone who has a HDtv is a MMA fan either so what you have is a fraction of a fraction of a fraction; your talking about viewers who are MMA fans, own a HDtv and are also subscribers to HDnet. It's just not a significant number at this time, their are over 300million people in the US and HDnet is currently only being subscribed to by 9million of them, when you are only reaching 3% of the population you are a fringe player at best. Mark Cuban is gambling on the future of tv not the present.

Dana is that you ? I thought we were going to be friends

HDNet is doing just fine. HBO has only 28mm subscribers. They seem to be doing OK as well. They started in 1976 and are at 28mm... wont take us as long. I promise !


m

[mcuban]

Originally Posted by who me

It's not funny if you are Mark Cuban because that vast majority of people aren't ordering his network even if they have the ability to. Seriously who's going to even look into HDnet if they don't have a HDtv? Hell for that matter almost half the people who do have HDtvs don't watch HD content anyway. Even among people who actually own HDtvs HDnet is a small time channel to start with.

about 15mm people get HD programming. Take our subs and we are in a nice percentage of total homes. Take out the 5mm Comcast homes and the numbers look even better . And I wouldnt count out HDNet on Comcast

We will grow with the industry and then some and do just fine. And just think, because of our structure we can afford to offer fights live and free while other organizations need PPV to survive.

PPV should be for special events, not monthly or quarterly events. Thats far too expensive for the average fan who is already shelling out for cable and satellite. Lets see, 49.95 x 4 or more fights per year. You could make the payments on an awful nice HDTV and get HDNet and have enough money left over for beer and pizza

m

[Fat_Kid]

Originally Posted by Gantoris

Well I just saw Mark Cuban at the airport and he said he is dropping HDnet fights to purchase UFC.

the vegas airport? I saw him there too...he was with bj penn...he told me he was going to throw fedor to pretty boy floyd as a warmup match

[Nightowl]

lol is that actually mark cuban? if so its hilarious and cool at the same time
I wonder if dana has an account on sherdog as well
I hope HDnet does well, I like the "inside mma" show for example.

[Bnot]

Originally Posted by mcuban

about 15mm people get HD programming. Take our subs and we are in a nice percentage of total homes. Take out the 5mm Comcast homes and the numbers look even better . And I wouldnt count out HDNet on Comcast

We will grow with the industry and then some and do just fine. And just think, because of our structure we can afford to offer fights live and free while other organizations need PPV to survive.

PPV should be for special events, not monthly or quarterly events. Thats far too expensive for the average fan who is already shelling out for cable and satellite. Lets see, 49.95 x 4 or more fights per year. You could make the payments on an awful nice HDTV and get HDNet and have enough money left over for beer and pizza

m

If this is really Cuban: Good job with the holiday programing. Loved all four events.
(I know five guys who subscribed to hdnet just for the fights.)