SpikeTV has distributed another ratings comparison press release in the wake of last weekend’s Strikeforce on Showtime head-to-head with the replay of UFC 113. The release states that Strikeforce garnered a 1.38HH rating with an average viewership of 412,000 viewers while also drawing a 1.39 in M18-34 and 1.2 in M18-49.
By comparison, the UFC 113 replay drew a 1.1HH rating on an average audience of 1.5 million people and drew a 1.2 in M18-34 and 1.3 in M18-49.
Payout Perspective:
If completely accurate, the 412,000 viewers will be the third highest rated Strikeforce on Showtime event ever:
1.) Carano vs. Cyborg (576,000)
2.) Strikeforce: Miami (517,000)
3.) Fedor vs. Werdum (412,000)
I think many people expected this show to be Strikeforce’s highest draw to date, but it’s still a pretty good result and I’d expect the next fight to generate even better ratings. The fact that Fedor lost has surprised so many people that he’s probably even more popular now than he was prior to the fight (or if he’d won).
Those numbers are not super, but I guess without a mainstream name, it’s pretty good. A lot of people I know who watch MMA did watch.
If there is a Fedor vs Werdum II, it will be on CBS.
MMAJunkie also reporting this:
http://mmajunkie.com/news/19734/source-fedor-vs-werdum-ratings-up-56-percent-rates-third-highest-ever-for-showtime.mma
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.
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.
The sources also indicated that Showtime executives are pleased with the results and that “Fedor vs. Werdum” now ranks as the third-highest-rated Strikeforce card in Showtime’s history behind the August 2009 “Carano vs. Cyborg” event and January’s “Strikeforce: Miami.”
While 412,0000 or even 550,000 are good numbers for Showtime, Strikeforce really needs to figure out what it’s long term goals are. If they want to remain a niche product with a few meaningful shows a year on network TV, and a few more meaningful shows on premium cable, than they can continue doing what they’re doing. If their goal is to continue to grow by gaining more exposure and brand awareness, Showtime will not help them. Their marketing sucks, their matchmaking mostly sucks, their live show and TV production has major problems, and they have virtually no communication with fans, and even very little communication with the media. Until these things change, and there is no evidence that that will happen anytime soon, they will continue to be in the exact same position within the context of the MMA landscape as they are now.
If I could advise Dana White on anything, I would tell him to merely ignore Strikeforce in the media. Any time Dana White mentions Strikeforce, even if it is in a negative context, it gives them exposure. He should merely never mention their name, and deflect any questions about them given by the media. If the UFC were completely silent on Strikeforce, it would show people that they really, really don’t feel any threat from them whatsoever. I think that would be the most powerful statement, as the only reason people are interested in the “threat” that Strikeforce may pose is because Dana White reacts to their existence. Why bother to lobby criticism and insults towards a company that poses no real threat, has poor brand awareness, and ISN’T MAKING ANY REAL PROGRESS?
If you disagree, please tell me what real progress has Strikeforce made since they’ve gotten on CBS? They’ve had a single show that did great ratings for MMA in November, and they finally got their heavyweight champion to defend his title against a fighter coming off of a loss. It sucks, and it’s very disappointing.
I really, really want them to succeed, but I feel like all the problems with their organization have been laid out plain and simple, and they simply do nothing to fix them. NOTHING. It’s gotten to the point where I feel that I’m wasting my time for even caring this much, and when fans that have supported an organization feel that way it is a great indication of FAIL.
Its true Machiel Van,I love and appreciate Strikeforce for all that they have done in the last few years but its also frustrating and hard to get behind them knowing that they could be doing so much more since they got back on network tv.
I asked this on a previous post,but Im gonna assume that the reason Strikeforce has not made any real progress is that they dont have the cash and limited connections to take them to the next level? anyone know?
Also,another way to look at this is that for whatever reason Strikeforce has not made any real progress, it all boils down to them doing the best they can can providing the rescources (i.e.connection and money) they have to work with.We can speculate/analyze all the right and wrong ways Strikeforce is running their business but at the end ot the day it come down to the proveberial ..”It is what it is!”
UPDATE:
Meltzer updates Saturday’s MMA Ratings: UFC 113 on tape 1.1 HH, Strikeforce 1.5 HH.
Machiel Van, Sergieo:
I will do my best to answer some of your questions in my event summary piece.
Michael Van.
Great insight man. I agree with a lot of what you said. Let’s go consult for them.
Kelsey,
On another note, MMA in New York has just received another setback –
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/06/29/2010-06-29_mixed_martial_arts_ok_faces_ko.html
Machiel,
Well put. I think we all feel that way about Strikeforce. I want them to succeed, but they don’t seem to have any real road map beyond the next event. For example, they have a real tough decision to make with Fedor, do they give him the rematch and put it on CBS for a one night ratings bonanza or do they do the right thing by giving Werdum the fight with Overeem which would be the natural thing to do?
Also, Dana is giving Strikeforce more exposure then they would be getting otherwise. I’m sure Dana realizes this and may have a method to his madness but all that attention does not make business sense.
MMAJunkie also reporting this:
http://mmajunkie.com/news/19734/source-fedor-vs-werdum-ratings-up-56-percent-rates-third-highest-ever-for-showtime.mma
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.
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.
The sources also indicated that Showtime executives are pleased with the results and that “Fedor vs. Werdum” now ranks as the third-highest-rated Strikeforce card in Showtime’s history behind the August 2009 “Carano vs. Cyborg” event and January’s “Strikeforce: Miami.”
Michael, I agree once again. Strikeforce have backed themselves into a corner, They have overpaid fighters like Hendo and Fedor and not recieved the benefits that they had hoped for. They have allowed fighters like Jake Shields to completely fly under the radar and ruin any long term plans they already worked out. Short sited management combined with sheer ignorance and at times utter apathy is no way to run a MMA company. Especially, when they are attempting to compete with the UFC. The UFC are many things, but, the above criticisms are not one of them.
It’s my opinion, Strikeforce would be better off without all the additional hands in the cookie jar. Tell me how? Strikeforce, Dream, M-1 Global, CBS and Showtime can all coexist? and make money? The whole thing started out on the wrong foot. Fedor was the pound for pound number 1 fighter in the world, but, how are they gonna sell a Russian to an American audience? Americans, like everyone else in the world, want to be able to identify themselves with who they watch on tv or in sports. Zuffa took alot of heat in the beginning for creating TUF, but who is laughing now? They are, all the way to the bank. UFC sold Americans to Americans. Not, Russians and Europeans. Strikeforce may as well tried to sell ice to Eskimos.
TUF was Zuffa and Spikes way to connect to the audience. The fighters were like the guys we grow up with, the guys we see on tv, and the guys we looked up to. Strikeforce, brings in a Russian, the copromotes with a Japanese MMA company and neglicts to introduce the Americans they have under contract. That is just ignorant. It didnt matter if Fedor was the baddest man on the planet or not, no one outside of the hard core fans know him. When you say mma to most people, they think Liddell or Couture. Therein lies the problem, the Hendo signing was a step in the right direction. But, again, the didnt sell him properly, and he got beat by a lame duck champion. If there were an idiots guide too running an MMA company, Strikeforce has already went thru the book and decided not to listen to any advice.