MMA Junkie reports that the FX prelims for UFC 150 scored just 974,000 viewers. The ratings were the third lowest since the prelims moved to FX.
The other two prelims (rated lower) were UFC 147 and UFC 142. Notably, both of those events were out of Brazil. To further the evaluation the buy rates for both were pretty low. UFC 147 scored just 140,000 PPV buys and UFC 142 had 235,000 PPV buys.
Payout Perspective:
Based on the small evaluation above, you may conclude that UFC 150 PPV buys won’t be good. I would argue that UFC 150 had a better card than 147 and 142. One might argue that the Olympics may have played a part in the low ratings for the prelims.
Wow. The FOx deal seems to have really backfired for Zuffa. Everything is headed downwards instead of up. No wonder Dana is always mad.
Meh, it’s been a bad year so far overall, but these things happen in business, especially when they changed the entire structure and partner for their TV deal. It’s been a growing experience but the line-up for UFC on FOX 5 shows they’re making adjustments. The biggest problem that Zuffa will continue to face with FOX is that they’re not flexible with their programming schedule at all, at least not this year. Hopefully what FOX said was true, and the reason for some of the oddly scheduled events is that the UFC deal was hammered out too late last year to really adjust the 2012 programming schedule to optimize event placements. If not, they’re already starting to make adjustments and both sides will have learned things about what will help the relationship by the close of 2012. Over-saturation is the thing that Zuffa has the most control over, and they need to ditch events like UFC 147, even if it means slimming the roster a bit. This year hasn’t been THAT bad, and I have hope for the UFC/FOX relationship yet, although I’Il admit that the benefits of the deal have been pretty one-sided thus far.
This year has been bad for the UFC. If you want to play like an ostrich and stick your head in the sand to forget your troubles, that’s your prerogative.
Ratings, PPV, and live gate have been significantly down all around.
Facts are plain and simple facts.
Not to mention competitor… VIACOM will be ramping up their programming in 2013.
How much did Viacom pay for Bellator?
Numbers being down are meaningless if there is legit reasoning for it. Thats what the issue is here. You want to pretend UFC is dying while others see the UFC not getting to use its stars. When you put all the biggest draws on the sideline its safe to assume numbers will decline. It doesnt have to mean there is a popularity decline or anything.
Second every programs struggles when it changes on TV. Some great sitcoms were put under by changing time slots. Im sure everyone was aware that changing to Fox will leave some people behind at first and it will take time to build up the new time and network. Thats why they signed for 9 years. When you add a star on the card like a GSP it has a trickle down effect. It pushes one of the top two fights that were on the card down to another card.Then one of those two fights moves down. Until avery card is stronger across the board just from 1 fighters being active. By the time GSp fights the UFC will have been without him for 19 months. Silva will have only 1 fight in 2012.
The big names are not fighting as much in 2012 or even 2011 like they did any year before that. That has a huge effect. Next year the timing will work out and all the guys will fight early in 2013 and be able to get an extra fight in at the end of the year and everyone will be talking about how the UFC has turned it around. Then in 2014 all the guys who fought at the end of the year will only get 1 fight in and it will be a down year again. Thats what happens when guys fight once every 6+ months.
Glass half-full, glass half-empty Sampson.