Countdown to UFC 109: 881,000 Viewers
February 2, 2010
MMAPayout.com has learned that Countdown to UFC 109 enjoyed a tremendous lead-in from the Brock Lesnar: UFC Unleased and UFC 107 replay to draw 881,000 viewers with its debut on Saturday night. That’s the highest Countdown to UFC program debut since UFC 100, which garnered 1.1 million viewers.
It’s been anticipated that UFC 109 will be the UFC’s PPV sales low point of the first half of 2010, if not the entire year, but it will surely benefit from this tremendous lead-in and Randy Couture’s presence. If UFC 108 did a confirmed 300,000 – which many believe to be the UFC’s current base - it’s possible this event draws the same or slightly more.
13 Responses to “Countdown to UFC 109: 881,000 Viewers”
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“If UFC 108 did a confirmed 300,000 – which many believe to be the UFC’s current base – it’s possible this event draws the same or slightly more.”
I sure hope not. Not to be a schmuck, but I don’t want the UFC brass to get any ideas that less-than-acceptable cards are still going to make them money (even though they clearly will). I would like for them to have to put together good, compelling shows.
I’m thinking at least 450K buys, but i was wrong last time as well.
Source for UFC 108 doing 300k, everything is seen is well under 300k.
I can see complaints about 108, but I don’t see why everyone has such a big problem with this card. You can’t have a title fight every 2 weeks, guys. This has a pair of entertaining fights between still skilled vets (Serra-Trigg and Coleman-Couture) which I’d honestly much rather watch than see those guys get demolished by someone who’s way past their skill level. Then you have a middleweight #1 contender match, a pair of top 10 WWs going at it and a top 10 MW going up vs a strong upcoming fighter. I’m even interested in the undercard as there are a few decent HW prospects down there.
Do people just bash every card that comes around? We get it, they can’t all have Brock Lesnar on them. That doesn’t mean they aren’t good fights. I honestly would like to know what guys like Peter Griffith consider “good, compelling shows”. Apparently filling the card with top 10 fighters and a few big names that aren’t in the title hunt isn’t enough, so what is? 2 title fights on every card or it’s bullshit? Get real. By the way a lot of these keyboard warriors talk, they end up watching 2-3 MMA events a year because the rest just aren’t “compelling”
How was 108 a less than acceptable card? Fans should value the fights higher than the “stars” they feature. Said stars are not always gonna deliver while the still hungry fighters, as 108 proved, will give usually give you your money’s worth. 108 delivered in my opinion.
wow. And it re-aired on Monday. Could the gap between events help UFC 109 in sales? Maybe.
Jason -
UFC 110 on will mean non stop amazing cards. It’s going to be good to be an MMA fan.
[...] UFC did however get a boost this week with the news, courtesy of mmapayout.com, that the Countdown preview for the event on Spike pulled in an impressive 881,000 viewers. That [...]
@Peter Griffith – “Not to be a schmuck, but I don’t want the UFC brass to get any ideas that less-than-acceptable cards are still going to make them money (even though they clearly will). I would like for them to have to put together good, compelling shows.”
This makes no sense to me. So you think the UFC will decide to put on weaker cards that won’t make them as much money just because they can?
There is no incentive to put on those types of cards under normal circumstances. Nothing about UFC 108 was normal. That card had so many injuries that was the best possible card they could put on without taking away from other cards. The UFC will look to put on the best possible cards they can each month because that is what will make them the most money.
“Source for UFC 108 doing 300k, everything is seen is well under 300k.”
Meltzer he just released the final estimate about a week ago, I actually expect UFC 109 to be in the 400k range the card has bigger names and has a good ammount of off time between shows which should help.
Why care about the numbers? I will order yet again the ufc ppv, buy some more tapout t-shirts, action figures, ufc magazines, trading cards, watch the free fights and enjoy every moment of it. And you know what, I DONT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THE NUMBERS! Gosh, just enjoy the fights and move on, who are we to analyze everything!
[...] 109 Countdown Draws 2nd Highest Rating. Thanks to Brock. Countdown to UFC 109: 881,000 Viewers : MMAPayout.com: The Business of MMA [...]
Rick:
This is a business website. It’s what we do.
Thanks for reading.
Kelsey