The Staff at MMAJunkie have revised their report stating that WEC 49 garnered an average audience of 244,000. The official numbers have been reported as 324,000 on the average with a peak of 528,000.
However, initial reports of an average audience of just 244,000 viewers have since been revised, and industry sources have indicated to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the new tally indicates an average audience of 324,000 viewers.
“WEC 49: Varner vs. Shalorus” took place June 20 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
In addition to the revised average audience figure, industry officials also report that the event peaked with 528,000 viewers.
The event – which followed “Strikeforce: Los Angeles” on Wednesday, Bellator 22 on Thursday, and The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale on Saturday – remains the lowest-rated show for the WEC since the promotions’s record-breaking WEC 34 event (1.54 million viewers) in June 2008.
Payout Perspective:
The situation remains more or less the same, and so does the analysis:
Zuffa has taken some odd steps with this brand in the last six months, and I’m not sure that the casual MMA fan knows what to think. The WEC threw all of its eggs in one basket with WEC 48 in the hopes of jumping the brand over that hardcore-casual audience chasm that’s currently a major hurdle for the company. However, while the PPV was a resounding success, the WEC was unable to capitalize on much of the immediate aftermath, because it was unable to brand itself during the event.
Thus, the WEC was faced with the situation of having to run its follow-up to WEC 48 (Aldo vs. Faber) with no credible headline and no sustained momentum. Even if the promotion had wanted to engage in a quick turnaround on Versus, the competitive sports landscape in May was such that the promotion really couldn’t nail down a night without facing competing events/sports.
These ratings are a function of the risks the WEC took in putting together its first PPV.
The good news? The WEC should see the return of many of its headline-worthy fighters in the next few months: Dominick Cruz will put his title on the line in August, Aldo will be ready for the Fall, Faber is dropping down to 135, and Henderson will likely defend against Shalorus in the Fall. If the WEC can emerge with a solid ratings spike over the next six months and a bona fide attraction in Jose Aldo (which should come eventually, so long as he continues to demolish people), then WEC 49 will be seen as a necessary sacrifice for the greater good.
If not, it’s likely evidence that Aldo vs. Faber didn’t help the WEC achieve what it should have.
For pure sporting event and entertainment value in MMA I currently think nothing can touch the WEC. As for a future for this league, there just isn’t enough interest in it as a brand among the “casuals” for it to garner big ratings anymore. UFC took a risk removing the brand from the last PPV. As you have written, we’ll have to wait and see what’s next …
The WEC puts on entertaining fights but their talent pool is to shallow, so they have to keep going to the same fighters over and over. I expect to see a Henderson v Ceroni 4 & 5 down the road.
I’ve heard that Vs. had some sort of rights to the WEC name, that’s why it went unbranded, did a little googling and couldn’t find anything, so who knows.
Stan,
That was for the undercard because it was on Spike TV, and yes, the broadcast rights are owned by Versus for the moment.
Yes, it has been made known that the branding issue had to do with the the broadcast of the prelims on Spike TV. What I don’t understand, and hasn’t been explained AT ALL is why the brand wasn’t all over the PPV broadcast that had nothing to do with television deals or broadcast rights. They could’ve removed the logos on all the fighters’ gloves who fought BEFORE the guaranteed card, when given the PPV combatants the standard branded gloves. Same logic could be applied to the commentary, etc. I think that Zuffa really missed out on an opportunity to get exposure for the WEC brand here. Sure, the event was made to look and feel like a UFC PPV event, but IF your going to remove the brand from the broadcast entirely, then why not just go ahead and FOLD THE WEC INTO THE UFC. Sure they’d have to cut more UFC fighters, but you’d also have more title fights, and more MEANINGFUL fights with title implications on PPV main cards in general.
OR they could even have entire UFC events that revolve around the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, which would merely shadow what WEC events really are now (especially with Bruce Buffer as the permanent(?) WEC announcer), which are essentially UFC caliber events without the UFC brand. If they are going to have unbranded PPVs, why not just get rid of the brand altogether and use the much stronger UFC brand? You could have shows with lightweights, featherweights, and bantamweights on VS, and shows with some other lightweights and the other weights on Spike. Nothing would change except the brand name, and TV deals would still be honored Of course I’m sure there are complications involved in a scenario like this, but damn, the WEC brand just isn’t taking off. If all the incredible fights they put on aren’t cutting it for the brand, than just get rid of it already. There are so many WEC fighters who deserve the spotlight of the UFC, and it could only help the UFC to have even more incredible fights directly associated with the brand.
I guess the question is, what would people estimate the ratings would have looked like for the exact same show on the same channel behind the UFC brand? I would guess they would be higher. End of story.
I didnt expect the card to get ratings. Shlaoris what ever his name is was rushed up the ladder to face a worthy headliner. But he wasnt a name and only had 2 fights in the WEC and 5 total. I am a big Varner fan and i wasnt crazy for the event. It was just a card thrown together to capitolize on the canadian fanbase staarved for a mma event with a reputable brand name attached.
On the event
Varner got screwed. i like most saw first 2 rounds to Varner plus the point deduction. He lost the 3rd but there should have been a second point deducted for the 3rd low blow. Even so Varner wins 29-27.
The Hominick fight was one of the best fight i ever seen. Much better then Garcia vs Korean. The action and speed was the same but the moves were much more technical with more credible strikers. Also many of the same moves were done. Spinning back elbows. It was basically a more skilled version with better cardio then the Garcia fight.
If you want to just see a back and forth fight you can go to a bar and see that. But seeing it done with guys using what thye are taught to do, they way its supposed to be done, with tecnique. Puts this fight on another level.
MMA Junkie has since reported that the event peaked at 528,000 and averaged 324,000.
Noted: I’ll revise.
I’m supposed to be getting the same PR e-mails as Junkie and Weekly, but they haven’t been coming in from Versus. I’ll have to get on them.
I think you are right about the lack of branding. This is going to continue to hang over the WEC til Zuffa finally decides to absorb the roster and make it all UFC. This is an odd stategy, considering the way Zuffa has been brand meavy in it’s promotion of UFC. I really think the lack of branding, allows Zuffa to take its time, then ultimately decide to combine the two orgs. It makes sense, the strategy of selling the WEC’s stars via PPV is good business for Zuffa, it’s only a matter of time til Zuffa includes Faber, Aldo and company on its roster, then has the ability to have more title fights, better PPV cards and more Spike/Versus cards.