UFC on Xbox Live begins PPV service with UFC 143, free UFC RIO offered as apology

Microsoft embarrassed itself when it told UFC fans to "seek alternate means" of watching UFC 141. The company has issued an apology, free access to the next fight, and has said the app will be available for 'paying customers' with UFC 143.

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Microsoft embarrassed itself when it told UFC fans to "seek alternate means" of watching UFC 141. Technical issues plagued the live streaming event, preventing eager fans from watching the game, which would normally cost $45. Microsoft has since apologized for the outage, and is currently distributing apology emails.

"We are offering UFC RIO on Xbox LIVE for free and a month of Xbox LIVE Gold membership to all who were affected by the outage," a Microsoft representative told us. "Our hope is that this gesture conveys our sincere apologies, and helps restore confidence in our customers and fans."

UFC RIO: Aldo vs. Mendes will be available on January 14th. However, regular users of the Xbox Live app will not be able to access the stream. Instead, Microsoft notes that the application will be open to "paying fans" beginning with UFC 143.

Microsoft has a lot to prove with its "second chance" stream of this weekend's game. "I was furious over this debacle," Shacker vmf214havok said last week. "Poor planning, poor management, and a piss poor infrastructure was too blame."

After such a shoddy launch, will fans reconsider using Xbox Live, or will they stick with their cable providers?

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    January 12, 2012 8:00 AM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, UFC on Xbox Live begins PPV service with UFC 143, free UFC RIO offered as apology.

    Microsoft embarrassed itself when it told UFC fans to "seek alternate means" of watching UFC 141. The company has issued an apology, free access to the next fight, and has said the app will be available for 'paying customers' with UFC 143.

    • reply
      January 12, 2012 10:00 AM

      Do they automatically add the free month of gold or did they send it in the email and you have to redeem it?

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        January 12, 2012 10:02 AM

        You didn't get a free month of gold, and you had to have "purchased" the last fight to get Rio for free.

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          January 12, 2012 6:27 PM

          Yeah but I thought you tech "purchased" it when you got it for free.

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      January 12, 2012 10:03 AM

      And of course nothing to those of us who tried to get into their app to "purchase" the free fight.

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      January 12, 2012 10:20 AM

      Offer it free to anyone with an Xbox and youll win back some customers, otherwise, PISS OFF

    • reply
      January 12, 2012 1:28 PM

      watching "the game" seriously?

      this and the wrong xcom article make me sad.

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      January 12, 2012 1:42 PM

      Lame. Been with Xbox Live for 5 years now and while I did get an apology from Microsoft for the problems with UFC 141, because I wasn't able to get a ticket for the failed event, I'm not eligible to get a ticket for UFC RIO, despite trying for hours and hours to get a ticket for UFC 141. Thanks Microsoft, I got exactly what I expected. =)

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        January 12, 2012 1:45 PM

        Yea, I asked on twitter (to both @UFConXboxLive and @XboxSupport) if anything was going to be done for those of us who tried to purchase, but couldn't because of their issues. @XboxSupport replied, but has no info. @UFConXboxLive hasn't replied and I don't expect them to. They were not replying much during UFC141 failing spectacularly and were continuing to give out bad information (like exiting the app) to those of us trying to get in.

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