Institute of Art Design + Technology
Dún Laoghaire

Cian O'Carroll 

BA [Hons] New Media Studies

I'm a New Media Studies final year student who loves making videos. I've been making YouTube videos since 2017. I am passionate about sport and I'm fascinated by the media's relationship with it. From Wrestling to MMA, Football to F1. I also have a huge interest in Music and Radio Production. My goals are to work in Radio, TV and Online Content Creation.

Project Description

The UFC was first founded in 1993. Upon its launch it was met with strong criticism, so much so that it was outlawed in most US states in the 1990's. In 2001 the original owners sold the company and by 2005, it was on the brink of financial collapse.
Since then the UFC has gone on to shatter PPV buy rate records, strike global television deals and sell out arenas all over the world.
My Final Year Project investigates how the UFC managed to go from the brink of extinction to a global mainstream success and more specifically, the role that Reality TV and Social Media played in the growth of the UFC's global popularity.