Following the historic MVP MMA event on Netflix, Nakisa Bidarian appeared on a podcast to discuss the massive viewership numbers and what the platform’s reaction could mean for the future of the promotion.
Bidarian was direct when reflecting on how successful the event turned out to be.
“Ronda and Gina delivered on a global scale in terms of viewership. Obviously, record setting in the US,” he said. “I think the world got to see a product that was as good as any MMA product that’s been out there.”
He went on to describe the achievement as unprecedented for a first-time event, pointing out that MVP not only matched established MMA brands in viewership, but surpassed them.
Additionally, Bidarian pushed back against the idea that the success was simply due to Netflix’s reach.
“While 1,000% Netflix is an unbelievable platform, it’s also about product market fit, it’s also about storytelling,” he explained. “It’s also about making something resonate beyond just the massive reach of the platform. And I feel Netflix and MVP have figured that out together in a very unique way.”
To support his point, Bidarian referenced Netflix’s opening day Major League Baseball broadcast featuring the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants, noting that it finished second that week behind NBC Peacock despite the platform’s massive audience.
Bidarian also highlighted how the structure and pacing of MMA helped the event stand out to Netflix executives.
“Everyone was blown away by the night in terms of the action, the pace, and the energy in the building,” he said. “It’s very different than boxing in terms of how it builds up to the main event. I think people were pleasantly surprised that viewership started to be very high very early on.”
When asked directly whether MVP expects to continue its partnership with Netflix for future MMA events, Bidarian did not hesitate with his response. “Absolutely,” he said.
Although he avoided discussing specific deal structures, Bidarian revealed that MVP is already planning for the future.
“We are actively looking at how we structure MVP MMA on a go-forward basis to allow us to take advantage of the opportunity that we see,” he said.
He also framed the company’s ambitions around becoming a clear No. 2 player in the MMA space, arguing that there is room in the market for a fighter-focused promotion.
“MMA is not fragmented. There’s other players, but there’s a clear winner as of today,” Bidarian said. “The good news is that winner is doing 10 different things in addition to MMA and that winner has a reputation of not being athlete first and this company MVP is all about being athlete first.”
