MMA Junkie reports that the debut telecast of UFC Primetime: St. Pierre vs. Shields received 610,000 viewers. The first of three original episodes, the show accompanies The Ultimate Fighter as part of Spike TV’s Wednesday night’s lineup.
Via MMA Junkie:
The debut episode of “UFC Primetime: St-Pierre vs. Shields” earned the smallest audience to date for a first episode of the “UFC Primetime” series.
The full list of debut episode audience size for the series, as compiled by MMAjunkie.com, includes:
- “UFC Primetime: Rampage vs. Evans” (UFC 114): 1,200,000 viewers
- “UFC Primetime: St-Pierre vs. Hardy” (UFC 111): 1,000,000 viewers
- “UFC Primetime: Lesnar vs. Velasquez” (UFC 121): 974,000 viewers
- “UFC Primetime: St-Pierre vs. Penn II” (UFC 94): 880,000 viewers
- “UFC Primetime: St-Pierre vs. Shields” (UFC 129): 610,000 viewers
Payout Perspective:
Disappointing ratings considering St. Pierre’s previous ratings success with UFC Primetime. The numbers are lower than its lead-in, TUF, as episode 3 garnered 1.3 million viewers. However, with the record setting attendance at the event, it seems that the Primetime ratings will not correlate with the actual financial success of the event.
WWE’s Jim Ross sums up what may be the sentiments of many that watched the Primetime episode Wednesday (H/t: Bloody Elbow):
Watched the GSP-Jake Shields 30 minute UFC Prime time special Thursday night. It was OK but not a compelling show largely in part to both fighters being somewhat low key and remaining professional. I’m going to buy the PPV nonetheless from Toronto but the TV special, while having good production values and being well edited, felt sort of like a nice bowl of oatmeal with nothing on it.
In case you were wondering, Spike TV’s Coal, which follows TUF scored 932K viewers with a 0.4 for Adults 18-49. via Television by the Numbers.
I would be a bit concerned with those numbers. Maybe the event sold 55,000 tickets but I suspect a fair percentage to be in hands of scalpers.
If i remember correctly didn’t this Primetime show air after the tv show “Coal”. If so that might explain the low numbers. TUF had 1.3 million viewers. “Coal” received 800K viewers. The Primetime received 600K. This is a poor choice as Coal, a very good show which i never miss, does not retail the TUF demographic. The 1.3 million TUF viewers leave and Prime Time is trying to retain as many of the 800K Coal viewers as is possible.
Spike TV has the line up for next week. Prime Time is not even close to airring after TUF. After TUF is over Coal is next. Then a rerun of TUF, then Prime Time. So viewers have to wait 2 hours after TUF to even watch Prime Time. Even worse than the wait is they have to sit through a show they have no interest it and a show they already watched. Add this to a midnight time slot and it is clear why the numbers suck. I dont remember any of the past Prime Times not have TUF as a lead in.
9:00PM The Ultimate Fighter A Bad Dream TV-PG
10:00PM Coal Buried in Coal TV-PG
11:00PM The Ultimate Fighter A Bad Dream TV-PG
12:00AM UFC Primetime St-Pierre vs. Shields
It would be interesting to see how many viewers the TUF rerun had. Because that was the true lead in for Prime Time. My guess would be 200-300K at best. The rerun for TUF needs to be cut out or shown after Prime Time. To air TUF twice before original programming is not smart move at all.
the ultimate fighter replay at 11pm leading in to primetime did 771,000 viewers…
Thanks Marty!
If PT airred after TUF it would have held almost all the 1.3 viewers. Which im sure Spike wants to push Coal more than a show only 4 episodes long. But even if PT airred before the rerun it would have still drawn about 800K rather than 600K. Maybe more. Im sure more people would have waited through Coal to see Priem time. BUt few were going to wait through coal and a rerun at midnight. If you watched the first airring of TUF and PT you would have to be in front of the TV for 4 hours and finish at 1 am est. Not surprising few choose to see PT.