Strikeforce Fedor vs Werdum: Payout Perspective
June 30, 2010
Welcome to another edition of Payout Perspective! This week we’ll be taking a look at Fedor’s Strikeforce debut on Showtime, titled “Fedor vs Werdum”, which took place in the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA. The event featured 4 fights (1 title fight): Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum, Cung Le vs. Scott Smith, Cris Cyborg (champ) vs Jan Finney at 145 lbs, and Josh Thomson vs. Pat Healy.
Fedor loses for first time in nearly a decade
I will provide a quote from Kelsey’s previous post “Fedor Loss Not the End of the World”:
He lost. He’s not the invincible machine that everyone thought. He’s human.
Is that not the beauty of this sport? Mixed martial arts has a way of mimicking the trials and tribulations of life in a manner that few sporting events can. The moment that Fedor decided to become more aggressive is the moment that he became perilously vulnerable. How often is that not the case in real life?
Forget the hyperbole you’re hearing. This is not the end of the world. Fedor lost, but losses happen – to everyone – in life and in sport. It’s the ability of someone to bounce back that really matters, and Fedor will have his opportunity.
That is why I’m inclined to think the situation is still very workable for Strikeforce. There was obviously interest in Fedor fighting Overeem, but there’s now probably even greater interest in Fedor fighting Werdum in an immediate rematch. Why? The fans will want to see whether Fedor’s loss was an aberration or a true representation of his fighting ability.
The key for Strikeforce here is to turn this situation into a positive. Before Fedor vs Werdum took place, everyone assumed that Werdum was nothing but a speed-bump to a potential mega-fight between Fedor and Alistair Overeem. Since Fedor lost, those plans have gone out the window, Werdum vs Overeem is the match-up that makes sense.
Well, not so fast. Everyone is talking about how shocking it was to see Fedor lose his first fight in a decade, specially in the manner that it did. The buzz around this weekends event is high and people want to see the rematch to see if it was a “fluke”. Instead of having just one fight to look forward to, it’s Strikeforce’s job now to market this rematch between Fedor and Werdum as “the most anticipated rematch in the history of MMA”. Putting on this fight on PPV or on CBS and having the winner face the Strikeforce Champ (in a perfect world scenario) is obviously the way to go here.
Fedor’s Fall Return?
I will again provide a quote from Kelsey:
The question is not, will Fedor be back or will the fans be interested, but what will Strikeforce do to leverage Fedor’s next, and potentially last, fight to improve the organization? The company cannot afford to have this fight accomplish nothing; to have this fight become another one-off that leads to zero gain in terms of awareness, interest, and product consumption. If Strikeforce is going to leverage Fedor in any way, the preparation has to start now.
The first step is to address the Strikeforce roster. The company has been working to sign some really great talent, but none of them have really been given the opportunity to fight on the big stage. If Fedor is gone after this next fight (worst case scenario), then who fills the void? The organization can’t ride UFC and Pride retreads into the limelight.
An obvious solution is to devote more time to showcasing homegrown or emerging talent. The forthcoming middleweight tournament is a perfect avenue to do so, but what beyond that is my question. There needs to be some sort of matchmaking structure and hierarchy that pushes these young guys up the ladder and into more prominent roles within each division.
Strikeforce has the roster to create stars, the problem is their inability to do so through Showtime and CBS so far. By default, Fabricio Werdum will now and forever be known as the first guy to really defeat Fedor. Strikeforce has to make a strong push using this angle for the rematch. Fedor’s sell will be quite easy, and should capture everyone’s attention. Will the greatest HW of all time be able to regain his old form or are his prime years behind him? That angle should be good enough to have a successful show whether they have it on CBS or on PPV, that is as long is they also add some buzz creators on there like a Gina or Walker.
Another great boost for a fall event is the release of EA Sports MMA. The release of the game should give an added boost to the brand and it’s fighters. Creating buzz between both events and synergy for a big fall event. The UFC has done this twice now with the release of UFC Undisputed 2009 last year and around the Rashad Evans vs Rampage Jackson fight this year, both considered very successful shows.
What to make of the Strikeforce HW division
If Strikeforce plays their cards right, they can take Overeem (Strikeforce Champ), Werdum (who now has victories against Overeem and Fedor), and Fedor (waiting to avenge his loss and be crown the best HW in MMA again) and build these fighters up to have huge fights amongst each other. What about the rest of the HW division you ask? Well, take a look at this. Antonio Silva lost a heart breaker to Werdum, so one more solid victory can definitely put him on the driver seat for a title match.
Recently signed HW Sergei Kharitonov has victories over both Overeem and Werdum (you couldn’t write a better storyline for an instant contender), and others like Arlovski and Brett Rogers have some recognition but need to be built back up. While the top of the division unfolds, HW prospects like Daniel Cormier, Shane Del Rosario and Lavar Johnson should use this time to further develop into future contenders. The wild card in the division are the likes of Bobby Lashley and Herschel Walker, who will give whatever event they participate in a boost of interest to the casual fan and mainstream.
Questions that still linger
Quoting Kelsey again:
The other problem is PR. I’ve harped on it before, and I’ll do it again: there’s no consistent information flow between the organization and the fan base. The information gaps might be excusable if Strikeforce were only running four shows a year, but it’s running at least one show per month. Where is the content? This absolutely HAS to change. Strikeforce needs to be communicating with its fans, telling stories and driving interest in its product.
The Challengers Series is just sitting there for all intents and purposes. With the exception of last week, the series has yet to really gain any sort of traction with the fans, the media, or even Strikeforce itself. The organization should be using these monthly events as a way to develop a consistent relationship with the fans.
I think a lot of the dissatisfaction towards Strikeforce has been their lack of consistency and communication to both the media and fans. There needs to be some sort of medium other than fight night for fans to care about the fighters and promotion. UFC does a great job at doing this through Spike TV programming (TUF, Unleashed, Prime Time specials, etc) and social media, utilizing it for updates and one-on-one interaction with fans using websites such as Twitter and Facebook. Giving the fans and media a sense of acknowledgment and importance really goes a long way to creating a dedicated fan-base, which will ultimately drive up the brand and success.
***
Sponsorship watch
It was a really interesting night on the sponsorship side, specifically compared to their Strikeforce Los Angeles show.
EA Sports MMA and GoDaddy.com continued to be major sponsors to Strikeforce along with now veterans Full Tilt Poker and Rockstar Energy Drinks. The new kids on the block were Clinch Gear and GameFly (who purchased commercial slots in the Nashville CBS show earlier this year) on the mat.
If you recall from Kelsey’s post, Tapout was supposed to sponsor Fedor for the event but the deal was nixed last minute due to pressure being placed by the UFC to ban them from the Octogon if they went ahead with the sponsor. Needless to say, Fedor and M-1 were not to pleased with the situation, but Clinch Gear picked up where Tapout left off and sponsored Fedor for the event. Due to this last minute ordeal, Clinch Gear’s role in the event increased significantly. A source at the event told met that Clinch Gear did a great job selling their gear because it seemed like every other fan was sporting a Fedor shirt that night.
As I pointed back in the Strikeforce Los Angeles write-up, BestBuy appeared to be a local sponsor on the mat tied to the EA Sports MMA logo. BestBuy was indeed gone from this event. On the other hand, GameFly had big role as a sponsor, where it’s logo could be seen on the mat and on the cage. It appears that more sponsors are starting to jump on Strikeforce, which can only be a positive for their future events and possibly their return to CBS.
Another big winner in the event was Cage Hero, which heavily sponsored Cung Le and his corner as you can see in the picture above (Channing Tatum). It also had heavy advertisement on MMAJunkie heading into the fight. Cage Hero also sponsors Strikeforce MW prospect Luke Rockhold, who is expected to make his return in August in the upcoming Houston event.
As I mentioned before, BlowOutCards.com was another winner in the show. They sponsored Jan Finney in her 145 lbs fight against Strikeforce champion Cris Cyborg, who incredibly made it to the second round after taking an incredible amount of punishment in the first. Great display of heart and courage by her, though many felt the fight should have been stopped in the first round.
Celebrity watch
It has been an interesting trend to monitor, but more and more celebrities are starting to attend Strikeforce events. When I attended Strikeforce in Los Angeles, I was shocked at how many celebrities were in attendance, but I assumed it had more to do with the event itself being in Los Angeles. Needless to say I wasn’t expecting that in San Jose, and I was completely wrong. Actors Channing Tatum, Micky Rourke, Forest Whitaker and many other professional athletes were reported to be in attendance. This is something interesting to keep an eye out on for future events.
Actor Forest Whitaker was so caught up in the moment of Werdum beating Fedor, that he was spotted celebrating with Werdum’s entourage backstage (picture above).
Ratings, Gate, and Attendance
The reported attendance for the event was 12,698 total (11, 757 paid, 941 in luxury boxes) with a gate of $1,066,739.00. If our numbers are correct, this would be their second gate ever over 1 million dollars, which is always a good sign. That attendance number is the sixth biggest attendance and second biggest gate in Strikeforce history.
The ratings are still being sorted at the moment, but MMAJunkie is reporting that the ratings are up 56% from the last Showtime televised event and garnered the third-highest rated Strikeforce event on Showtime.
Early estimates for this past weekend’s historic “Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum” co-promoted event put the average Showtime viewership at approximately 550,000 viewers when including DVR and on-demand figures.
…
As is typical for mixed martial arts broadcasts, the viewership increased throughout the broadcast, and the ratings peaked during the main event between Fedor Emelianenko and Fabricio Werdum with a 2.1 household rating and more than 700,000 viewers when factoring in DVR and on-demand data.
Contrary to those numbers, SpikeTV has a press release which states that the Strikeforce show garnered a 1.38HH rating with an average viewership of 412K while drawing a 1.39 in M18-34 and 1.2 in M18-49.
Since the SpikeTV release, Dave Meltzer has reported updated ratings for the event, which he states as doing a 1.5 HH rating with a viewership of 492k. The main event peaked at a 2.1 HH and garnered 700K viewers. The show itself did a 1.48 in Males 18-34 and 1.08 in Males 35-49.
Fighter Payouts
Fabricio Werdum: $100,000
def. Fedor Emelianenko: $400,000
Cung Le: $100,000
def. Scott Smith: $55,000
Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos: $35,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus and $5,000 champion bonus)
def. Jan Finney: $6,000
Josh Thomson: $60,000
def. Pat Healy: $8,000
Chris Cope: $3,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Ron Keslar: $1,500
Bret Bergmark: $3,000 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Vagner Rocha: $2,500
Yancey Medeiros: $8,000 ($4,000 win bonus)
def. Gareth Joseph: $2,000
Bobby Stack: $2,800 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Derrick Burnsed: $2,000
Total: $789,000.
HT: MMAJunkie
Event Notes:
- Josh Gross: Fabricio Werdum signed a three-fight extension with Strikeforce prior to the Fedor fight, so he’s not going anywhere for a while.
- ESPN: Fabricio Werdum makes ESPN‘s Ford Cross-Sport Power Rankings, ranked #3 in poll. Reason given by ESPN: “He beat a guy who hasn’t lost since 2000. Enough said.”"
UFC 115 PPV Prediction: 460,000
June 22, 2010
MMAPayout.com uses statistical regression analysis to match both the viewership numbers from Spike TV’s Countdown to UFC and the live gate figures reported by athletic commissions against the PPV buyrate numbers for each UFC event. The analysis produces a linear equation, which can then be used to take new Countdown or gate information and predict a PPV outcome.
The Data
We’ll be using both the Countdown to UFC and live gate figures from UFC 115 in this week’s regression analysis, but it’s worth noting that the nature of the UFC’s debut in Vancouver has made the live gate a less reliable indicator than normal (it’s generally the more volatile of the two):
Countdown to UFC 115: 453,000
Live gate: $4.2 million
The Prediction
The prediction process starts with the data set below; each symbol represents the PPV figure (vertical axis) and Countdown to UFC figure (horizontal axis) for an event in the last four years.
Then the numbers are plugged into a regression analysis formula to derive a linear line through the data set, which allows us to pick a certain Countdown figure (on the horizontal axis) and find the corresponding PPV prediction value (on the vertical axis):
When we plug in 453,000 viewers into the linear equation – represented by the red line above – we’re given a value of 371,000 PPV buys. The same process is performed with the live gate data and results in an estimate of 739,000. Then we plug the two figures into an equal weighted average (50% each, for now) to get our preliminary estimate:
- Countdown to UFC 115 prediction: 371,000
- UFC 115 live gate prediction: 739,000
- Equal weighted average prediction: 555,000
The Argument for 555,000:
- TUF 11: the Ultimate Fighter has always proven to be an effective marketing tool for PPV events and there’s no reason to believe this season (that experienced a slight up-tick in ratings compared to previous non-Kimbo seasons) was any less effective.
- Chuck Liddell: he’s the most popular fighter in UFC history and will always draw some interest. Coming off a full season of TUF promotion, the UFC likely managed to evoke a degree of nostalgia in its fans.
- PPV momentum: the UFC typically sells in cycles, and its currently running a streak of four shows in a row that have sold 500k or more. The many fans that tuned in for UFC 114 might have been persuaded to give Chuck Liddell one more chance.
- Media exposure: the UFC is at an all-time high where media exposure is concerned. ESPN is now dedicating one hour per week to the sport and the UFC is likely still benefiting from all the press it’s been getting from the release of its video game (even if the sales figures have failed to meet analyst expectations).
The Argument Against 555,000:
- Normally, a gate of $4.2 million would indicate serious North American interest in a fight card, but this is a special case where the live gate is more a reflection of, or testament to, the strength of the Vancouver (Canadian) market than anything else. The gate being so high probably skewed the weighted average prediction higher than what it should be.
- Chuck Liddell: part of Chuck’s appeal was his ability to back up his menacing look with downright scary punching power, but without the ability to knock people out, the entire package has become less appealing to the fans.
- PPV momentum: the upswing in UFC PPV buys has to stop or slow at some point, and UFC 115 is the most likely event for such a slow down to occur. Just look at the events from UFC 111 clear to UFC 118 – it’s easy to identify the weak link in the chain.
- The NBA Finals: the casual market was likely still tied up in an NBA Finals that turned into a barn burner of a series that went seven games.
- UFC 115 a non-title fight: it’s a fact that non-title fights far under-perform title fights (the average being 370k to ~600k).
Conclusion: 555,000 likely a little too high
The event will probably generate a buy rate above the 400,000 mark, because the UFC likely benefited from some of its momentum and some great media exposure in May. However, the argument against 555,000 is pretty strong and it would seem a long shot that this fight does that well (note: although Dave Meltzer is reporting trending estimates at 520k).
If we adjust the weighted average to reflect a more accurate allotment (something like 75-25 in favor of the Countdown show, which is typically what we do when one of the variables is skewed), we arrive at a final prediction of 460,000 buys.
TUF 11, Episode 11: 1.24 HH
June 10, 2010
MMAPayout.com has learned that Spike’s final episode of the Ultimate Fighter Season 11 earned a 1.24 HH on the strength of an average audience of 1.6 million viewers on Wednesday night. The special two-hour broadcast also earned a 2.0 in the M18-34 and 1.7 in M18-49.
Quarterlies: 1.09, 1.01, 1.08, 1.24, 1.32, 1.42, 1.37, 1.43
Payout Perspective:
The final ratings are in and Season 11 ranks 5th on the series list in terms of overall HH ratings with a 1.27; which is a decent up-tick from what the series was doing prior to TUF 10. Although, it remains to be seen whether this year’s show experienced a bump due to TUF 10 or whether the mild renewal of interest is a sign of the UFC’s success in the larger sports landscape.
Here’s a final look at the numbers:
| TUF 11 | Overall | M18-34 | M18-49 |
| Episode 1 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 1.8 |
| Episode 2 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 1.54 |
| Episode 3 | 1.3 | 1.63 | 1.53 |
| Episode 4 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 1.9 |
| Episode 5 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 1.92 |
| Episode 6 | 1.3 | 1.54 | 1.4 |
| Episode 7 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| Episode 8 | 1 | 1.54 | 1.2 |
| Episode 9 | 1.1 | 1.53 | 1.33 |
| Episode 10 | 1.25 | 1.7 | 1.4 |
| Episode 11 | 1.24 | 2 | 1.7 |
| Season Ave. | 1.2718 | 1.894545 | 1.5836 |
| Season Med. | 1.3 | 1.9 | 1.54 |
| Season | Overall | % Change | M18-34 | % Change |
| 1 | 1.6 | 2.2 | ||
| 2 | 1.4 | -12.5% | 2.5 | 13.6% |
| 3 | 1.7 | 20.7% | 2.9 | 15.6% |
| 4 | 1.2 | -26.6% | 2 | -30.1% |
| 5 | 1.2 | -4.8% | 1.6 | -20.3% |
| 6 | 1.1 | -5.1% | 1.5 | -4.3% |
| 7* | 1.1 | 0.00% | 1.6 | 6.70% |
| 8 | 1.15 | 4.17% | 1.46 | -8.91% |
| 9 | 1.11 | -2.98% | 1.50 | 3.20% |
| 10 | 2.21 | 99.21% | 3.89 | 158.68% |
| 11 | 1.27 | -42.57% | 1.89 | -51.31% |
| Average | 1.3 | 2 |
This season wasn’t fantastic in terms of entertainment value – though it did have its moments – but I think the one true point for concern is that there doesn’t seem to be a bona fide star coming out of the show (nor has there been from the last few years). I wonder if the UFC might begin to channel some of these prospects it’s signing through the TUF program to give them a little more exposure and birth their star a little earlier; this as opposed to giving them a few fights on the under card of various PPVs.
Then again, the secondary purpose of TUF has always been to promote the fight between the coaches and that’s something the show has done pretty well with in the past. Next season’s contest between Team St-Pierre and Team Koscheck should fare no worse.
TUF 11 & Primetime Ratings
May 28, 2010
MMAPayout.com has learned that episode nine of TUF 11 drew a 1.1 HH rating on the strength of 1.5 million viewers Wednesday night, which is an improvement from last week’s episode (season low 1.0). The broadcast also drew well in the M18-34 and M18-49 demographics with a 1.53 and 1.33, respectively.
Quarterlies: .99, 1.06, 1.05, 1.26
UFC Primetime: Rashad vs. Rampage aired its final episode the same night to an audience of 1.1 million viewers.
Payout Perspective:
The “firing” of Tito Ortiz was likely responsible for the up-tick in ratings for this week’s show and the way Spike cut the episodes leads me to believe they’ve left enough on next week’s episode to help it draw beyond the 1.0 mark as well.
Primetime delivered a very strong 1.1 million viewers in which the conversion from TUF was more than 73% (up from 67% in the previous two episodes). UFC 114 is gaining a great deal of momentum and is looking to be a stellar show for the company.
TUF 11, Episode 8: 1.0 HH Rating
May 20, 2010
MMAPayout.com has learned that the eighth episode of The Ultimate Fighter season 11 earned a 1.0HH rating on the basis of 1.3 million viewers on Wednesday night. The show earned a 1.54 in the M18-34 and a 1.2 in the M18-49.
Quarterly hours: .91, .92, 1.05, 1.02
Payout Perspective:
This was the 1.0 drop that I had anticipated coming a little earlier in the season; it’ll be interesting to see if the ratings bounce back. However, even if the show draws a 1.0 in the next three straight episodes it’ll still end up in the top-five TUF seasons in terms of HH rating averages.
TUF 11, Episode 7: 1.3HH
May 14, 2010
MMAPayout.com has learned that the seventh episode of TUF 11 earned a 1.3 HH rating on the strength of 1.8 million viewers; the broadcast also drew a 1.9 in the M18-34 and 1.7 in the M18-49 demographics.
Payout Perspective:
The ratings have leveled off at the 1.3 marking over the last 3-4 weeks and enough episodes have passed to suggest that 1.3 is likely where this show will end up in aggregate. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see an up-tick in interest on account of the Tito-Franklin angle in the next couple weeks.
The 1.3 average is materially higher than what the show did pre-Kimbo (TUF 10), which suggests that some of the new viewers he brought to last year’s season have stuck around for this one as well. His recent departure raised some eyebrows considering how big of a draw he was for the organization, but I’m reluctant to call the departure a bad move. In fact, I think it was probably the right time for him to be cut: the UFC gave him a shot, got what it wanted out of the deal, and was able to move on without hurting its credibility to any significant degree.
TUF 11, Episode 6: 1.3 HH Rating
May 7, 2010
MMAPayout.com has learned that the sixth episode of TUF 11 garnered a 1.3 HH rating on an average of 1.7 million viewers on Wednesday night. The show held steady in average viewers, it experienced a meaningful drop over the last episode in the M18-34 and M18-49 demographics; while still good the 1.54 in M18-34 and 1.4 in the M18-49 are down from the 2.6 and 1.92 of last week.
Quarter hours: 1.13, 1.22, 1.3, 1.41
Payout Perspective:
The show appears to be headed for a consistent 1.3 HH ratings average on the year as this is the third episode of the six in total to generate a 1.3 (or roughly 1.7 million viewers). If this trend continues to bear out, TUF 11 will sit 5th in the series’ ratings ranking.
Here’s the season to date:
| Overall | M18-34 | M18-49 | |
| Episode 1 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 1.8 |
| Episode 2 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 1.54 |
| Episode 3 | 1.3 | 1.63 | 1.53 |
| Episode 4 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 1.9 |
| Episode 5 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 1.92 |
| Episode 6 | 1.3 | 1.54 | 1.4 |
| Episode 7 | |||
| Episode 8 | |||
| Episode 9 | |||
| Episode 10 | |||
| Episode 11 | |||
| Season Ave. | 1.35 | 2.0283 | 1.6817 |
| Season Med. | 1.3 | 2 | 1.67 |
TUF 11, Episode 5: 1.3 HH Rating
April 30, 2010
MMAPayout.com has learned that the fifth episode of The Ultimate Fighter Season 11 drew a 1.3 HH rating on the strength of an average audience of 1.8 million viewers. The show fared well in the M18-34 and M18-49 demographics with a 2.6 and 1.92, respectively.
Interestingly, the 2.6 in the M18-34 was not only the highest rating the show has received all season, but it also beat out the NBA’s Hawks/Bucks playoff game on TNT (2.4).
The quarter hour progression was as follows: 1.13, 1.25, 1.34, 1.38
Payout Perspective:
We’re starting to notice some interesting trends where this season is concerned.
- The show has yet to drop to the typical 1.0 HH mark, which is unusual considering this is now the 5th episode. However, this week’s episode might have turned a few people off given the nature of the contest itself (two gassed opponents resting on each other for much of the fight).
- The ratings in the M18-34 are well above the average (2.1 > 1.6), which is obviously great news for the UFC, Spike, advertisers, and sponsors.
Here are the ratings on the season thus far:
| TUF 11 | Overall | M18-34 | M18-49 | |
| Episode 1 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 1.8 | |
| Episode 2 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 1.54 | |
| Episode 3 | 1.3 | 1.63 | 1.53 | |
| Episode 4 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 1.9 | |
| Episode 5 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 1.92 | |
| Episode 6 | ||||
| Episode 7 | ||||
| Episode 8 | ||||
| Episode 9 | ||||
| Episode 10 | ||||
| Episode 11 | ||||
| Season Ave. | 1.36 | 2.126 | 1.738 | |
| Season Med. | 1.3 | 2.1 | 1.8 |
TUF 11, Episode 4: 1.5 HH Rating
April 22, 2010
MMAPayout.com has learned that the fourth episode of The Ultimate Fighter Season 11 earned the highest rating yet on the season with 1.5 HH rating on an average audience of 2 million viewers. The show scored very well in the M18-34 and M18-49 demographics with a 2.4 and 1.9 respectively.
The quarterly hours tracked as follows: 1.33, 1.49, 1.58, and 1.64.
Payout Perspective:
This is the second straight week the ratings have increased for the show. It’s not a HUGE increase, by any means, but my expectation was that the ratings would drop to their average levels as they’ve been shown to do over the last 7-8 seasons. That still may happen, but there’s certainly a resiliency in this season that others didn’t have.
Perhaps there’s renewed interest in TUF as the result of the new fan push the UFC made last summer (after TUF 9, but before and during TUF 10) that has risen the baseline – more so considering its Chuck vs. Tito. Maybe the ratings are a reflection of Spike using a new schedule strategy that tries to pair strong shows together to make the viewers continue watching the station for longer periods of time. It’s even possible that last weekend’s brawl on CBS pushed some people towards this week’s episode of TUF.
I think it’s likely a case of all three having a part in the ratings, but in judging the quarterly results I’m also inclined to think that people who started watching the show figured out there were going to be two fights and called their friends (especially when it was discovered that this season’s villain, Jamie Yager, was fighting in the second bout).
Here’s a look at the ratings thus far:
| TUF 11 | Overall | M18-34 | M18-49 | |
| Episode 1 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 1.8 | |
| Episode 2 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 1.54 | |
| Episode 3 | 1.3 | 1.63 | 1.53 | |
| Episode 4 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 1.9 | |
| Episode 5 | ||||
| Episode 6 | ||||
| Episode 7 | ||||
| Episode 8 | ||||
| Episode 9 | ||||
| Episode 10 | ||||
| Episode 11 | ||||
| Season Ave. | 1.375 | 2.0075 | 1.6925 | |
| Season Med. | 1.4 | 2 | 1.67 |
MMAterial Facts (04/20/10): UFC Takes Over WEC PPV, Books August Events
April 20, 2010
- Q&A: Dana White touts WEC, scorns Strikeforce, points to UFC rematch
- UFC files for Aug. 1 event in Salt Lake City, UFC 117 on Aug. 7 in California
- MMA gets knocked out in primetime
- Movie theaters turn to live event screenings to fill seats
- UFC Fan Finds Gold and Wins Dream Trip
Q&A: Dana White touts WEC, scorns Strikeforce, points to UFC rematch
Q: How come the regular UFC faces, if you will, are taking more of an active role this time for WEC?
White: The way I look at it is, it’s a Zuffa promotion, and this is the team for pay-per-view. Obviously when the WEC is on Versus, they have their team and everything else, but this is the pay-per-view team.
Q: So any time Zuffa does a pay-per-view, it would be you guys out there for it?
White: Absolutely. (USA Today)
***
MMAPayout Note: Assessing the situation (no WEC brand, event titled “Aldo vs Faber”, production team replaced, etc) and from what I have gathered from others within the MMA industry, it appears that Zuffa may be slowly phasing out the WEC. Dana White did mention that the LW division in the WEC will eventually be folded into the UFC as lighter weight divisions are added to the WEC.
For their upcoming WEC PPV, the magic number, in terms of PPV buys, appears to be somewhere between 50K and 75K PPV buys (Dana White had previously stated that he expected 150K buys, but admitted in the interview above that it was just a wild guess, to put it nicely). Below 50K PPV buys would be considered a failure, anything above would be considered acceptable, and 100K PPV buys and above would be considered a home run.
UFC files for Aug. 1 event in Salt Lake City, UFC 117 on Aug. 7 in California
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has officially requested to hold a Sunday-night event in Salt Lake City.
The mixed martial arts promotion plans to hold a UFC on Versus card Aug. 1 at EnergySolutions Arena, according to Bill Colbert, director of the commission that oversees the sport in Utah. (The Salt Lake Tribune)
***
MMAjunkie.com first reported last week that the UFC planned to host a show in Utah. However, the date we initially reported – Aug. 7 – instead will feature a traditional UFC pay-per-view event, UFC 117, in “northern California,” a source close to the organization said. (MMAJunkie)
MMA gets knocked out in primetime
The return of Mixed Martial Arts fighting to primetime net work TV this weekend ended with a loud thud — in the ratings and the ring.
The show, called “Strikeforce,” was the lowest-rated program of night with just 2.6 million viewers.
And the match ended with a brawl in the ring — or cage, as MMA fans call it — when fighter Jason Miller stepped in to challenge the winner of the fight, Jake Shields, to a rematch.
Fans believe the incident was probably planned to boost interest in the sport. (NY Post)
Movie theaters turn to live event screenings to fill seats
The event [UFC 111], beamed live to the Burbank theater and other venues around the country from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., is the latest example of how theater owners are harnessing the latest digital technology to program alternative entertainment such as broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera and live concerts from the likes of the Black Eyed Peas, whose March 30 show at Staples Center was transmitted live to 500 movie theaters. (LA Times)
UFC Fan Finds Gold and Wins Dream Trip
Topps announces UFC Super fan Alfonso Rodriguez of Melrose Park, IL is the first to find the special triple autograph card featuring Dana White, Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz from packs of the all-new Topps UFC Main Event. (photo attached)
Rodriguez and a guest will receive an all expenses paid trip to Las Vegas to be Dana White’s guest at the UFC Training Center. While there, they will tour the gym, meet the coaches and contestants from hit Spike TV show, The Ultimate Fighter Season 12, and sit cage side with Dana during one of the TUF preliminary matches.?
Topps created 10 of these unique cards, which were randomly inserted into packs. Nine other lucky fans finding this card will receive a pair of UFC gloves signed by Dana, Chuck, and Tito. Fans finding the card should e-mail ? UFCprize@topps.com to claim their prize. (Topps)
VIDEO OF THE DAY
QUICK HITS
- Video: Strikeforce ‘Nashville’ Weigh-ins (Sherdog)
- Ash Cloud Forces Wallhead’s Bellator Withdrawal (Sherdog)
- ‘Mayhem’ Issues Apology for Role in Brawl (MMAFighting)
- Goran Reljic to Fight at UFC 116 (MMAFighting)
- Nevada commission approves July 3 for UFC 116 event in Las Vegas (MMAJunkie)
- Josh Barnett not scheduled for Tuesday’s CSAC meeting (MMAJunkie)
- Tennessee Athletic Commission to investigate “Strikeforce: Nashville” brawl (MMAJunkie)
- “EA Sports MMA” video with game-play footage (MMAJunkie)
- EDGAR CONFIRMS PENN REMATCH LOOKS LIKELY (MMAWeekly)
- HENDERSON KNEW HE’D HAVE TO REMATCH COWBOY (MMAWeekly)
- Ryan Thomas Back In Bellator Welterweight Tournament (Heavy)
TV LISTINGS
- TUF 11: Liddell vs Ortiz at 10 PM ET on Spike (4/21/10)
- Bellator Fighting Championships XV at 7:30 PM ET on FSN (04/22/10)
- HDNet Fights Vault: Shinya Aoki at 8 PM ET on HDNet (04/23/10)
- Fighting Words with Mike Straka (feat. Bobby Lashley) at 8:30 PM ET on HDNet (04/23/10)
- InsideMMA (BJ Penn, Chael Sonnen, Jens Pulver) at 9 PM ET on HDNet (04/23/10)
- HDNet Fights: Sengoku Raiden Championship 12 at 10 PM ET on HDNet (04/23/10)
- WEC 48: Aldo vs Faber at 10 PM ET on PPV (04/24/10)
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Bellator Fighting Championships XV at 7:30 PM ET on FSN (04/22/10)
- WEC 48: Aldo vs Faber at 10 PM ET on PPV (04/24/10)
- Bellator Fighting Championships XVI at 7:30 PM ET on FSN (04/29/10)
- Bellator Fighting Championships XVII at 7:30 PM ET on FSN (05/06/10)
- HDNet Fights: MFC Vindication at 10 PM ET on HDNet (05/07/10)
- UFC 113 : Machida vs Shogun 2 at 10 PM ET on PPV (05/08/10)
- Bellator Fighting Championships XVIII at 7:30 PM ET on FSN (05/13/10)
- Strikeforce St. Louis: Overeem vs Rogers at 10 PM ET/PT on Showtime (05/15/10)
- Bellator Fighting Championships XIX at 7:30 PM ET on FSN (05/20/10)
- UFC 114 : Rampage vs Evans at 10 PM ET on PPV (05/29/10)
