MMAPayout.com has learned that the premier episode of The Ultimate Fighter 10 saw a material benefit to its viewership from DVR/TIVO playback. The episode which debuted on September 16th saw a ratings increase of 9% across all demographics:
Ratings with DVR
HH average: 4.5 million viewers
M18-34: 5.73 rating
M18-49: 4.66 rating
Ratings without DVR
HH average: 4.1 million viewers
M18-34: 5.1 rating
M18-49: 4.3 rating
Payout Perspective:
The good news keep on rolling in for the UFC and Spike TV. It’ll be interesting to see what, if any, impact DVR had on last week’s episode featuring Kimbo-Nelson.
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The idea that sports are DVR proof is something that has somewhat helped sports sponsorship and advertising survive in the last year. However, the 9% increase in viewership ratings related to DVR playback would seem to slightly contradict the notion that MMA also fits into that category.
The reality show nature of TUF has certainly contributed to its DVR-ability – it’s not the same as a live-score contest in any one of the sports leagues. Moreover, MMA fans seem far more inclined to watch the sport – regardless of whether they know the outcome – and for two main reasons:
- The entertainment value of MMA lies within the sport itself – not the outcome.
- Watching an event requires a small level of investment relative to other sports (e.g., a two hour basketball game). It’s a demographic that demands instant gratification, and for the most part the demographic gets what it wants with MMA.
The playback feature that DVR’s provide is a concern for advertisers and sponsors, because most using the feature skip through the commercials. But the nature of MMA also lends itself to being a DVR-friendly product, because a great deal of the advertisement and sponsorship that we see in MMA happens within the programming itself.
It’s always tough to gauge ROI in this instance, especially involving a new sport and relatively uncharted demographic, but I see no reason why advertisers and sponsors need to be afraid of these numbers. MMA is a healthy property regardless of its format.
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