EliteXC Loses Ratings Battle to America's Most Wanted

by Brent Brookhouse on Oct 5, 2008 7:45 PM EDT in News Comment 30 comments

The early overnight numbers are in...and they're not exactly great:

Kimbo Slice got back in the ring last night for CBS’s EliteXC Saturday Night Fights and got pounded in the ring, losing to Seth Petruzelli in 15 seconds, and to Fox’s America’s Most Wanted in the ratings by 1.62 million viewers and 0.2 adults 18-49 demo ratings points. That’s exactly the same overnight viewership for Kimbo Slice from his bout on May 31, and just a tick down from the demo, but America’s Most Wanted was even stronger than it was on May 31.

...

9:00pm FOX America's Most Wanted 5.92 2.0/7

CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights 4.30 1.8/6

The first set of numbers is the Viewers Live and Same Day with the second set being the 18-49 rating and share. So EXC got blown away pretty heavilly by AMW last night, they lost their hyped main event and then Kimbo got KO'ed by a "no name" replacement 205 pounder.

Not exactly a good night for the promotion which is a shame considering everything below the main event made for a very solid show.

Update: I should say that CBS executives are claiming to be very pleased with the ratings. My main point is that the ratings didn't go up beyond what they pulled the first show. I'm not seeing an upward trend in the ratings that I would expect from a "growing sport." I'm still amazed that AMW would pull numbers like that though.

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The numbers aren’t bad, but the measuring stick here is different. They needed a big enough number to convince CBS to buy the company. Was this it? I have my doubts.

by Michael Rome on Oct 5, 2008 7:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I dunno...

I don’t consider it a good thing when you can’t win the “target demo” over AMW. I get that by sheer viewership it isn’t bad, but still. If you want CBS to go all in with you then I think the numbers have to be stronger

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Oct 5, 2008 7:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t see why cbs would want to pour more money in.

It has to be cheaper to show reruns, and they had better ratings last saturday with reruns.

by Phildo on Oct 5, 2008 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

As usual, context is essential here. EliteXC did much better than CBS’s other Saturday sports programming, particularly in the 18-49 Adult demo, where they won the 10PM hour. Also consider that Saturday night is virtually always dominated by COPS and Most Wanted. EXC did pretty good considering the other competition, particularly MLB playoffs.

by smoogy on Oct 5, 2008 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think you’re right, but full context includes figuring in the fact that the company is 60 million in the hole and needed to show a bright future for investors.

by Michael Rome on Oct 5, 2008 10:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President for CBS Primetime Television:

Kahl stressed the ratings were a good sign of improvement after a lackluster showing at the second CBS-televised EliteXC card in July, particular impressive for the college football and baseball playoffs they aired against.

"I think we’ve clearly bounced back and we’re very happy," he said.

Kahl said there was no reason CBS wouldn’t broadcast a fourth EliteXC show.

"Our contract calls for four shows. We’ve said all along we’re planning to do four shows, and there’s nothing in these numbers that would suggest we won’t."

In the hours after the show, critics were already proclaiming EliteXC’s doom. Kahl says the promotion’s detractors do not see the big picture.

"EliteXC is bigger than Kimbo Slice," he said. "We’ve always anticipated that Kimbo Slice could take a loss someday. All MMA fighters do. They don’t have a grasp of the things that might be going on right now."

Though it did not eclipse EliteXC’s CBS debut, Kahl is confident that the company’s plans to sign more talent, including former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, will make yesterday’s ratings more commonplace.

"It’s looking like the night is going to tuck into slightly behind the May card, but I think it’s hopefully more representative of the cards that we would do moving forward. Recognizing that there was a lot of hype around the first one, that the second was kind of an anomaly, because we did it in July when we weren’t able to support it as well with our CBS promotion. So I like to think this is the number we can look at going forward, which is a very solid, very sustainable number."

CBS EXEC “VERY HAPPY” WITH EARLY ELITEXC RATINGS

by smoogy on Oct 5, 2008 10:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Right, but that still doesn’t answer any of the serious financial questions for EliteXC going forward. Of course CBS is fine with these numbers, it doesn’t mean they’re good enough to buy all this debt.

by Michael Rome on Oct 5, 2008 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nice to see that the “EliteXC is bigger than Slice” talk is already near the top. That being said, seems to be good numbers for a decent show. Still, why would anyone be keen on assuming EliteXC’s debt and buying them? They had the full hype machine behind this show for Slice and Gina and it didn’t beat the first shows numbers. AND Kimbo got ko’d. ElitelXC has to be in trouble.

by LiuLang on Oct 5, 2008 10:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

here’s some interesting context:

CBS is getting this content practically free.

by mmalogic on Oct 5, 2008 11:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

They’re paying the same as Showtime pays for a championship boxing card.

by D.Capitated on Oct 5, 2008 11:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

read the fine print…

for example:

They charge a production fee so most of it comes back.

There is a discounted stock option.

It’s pretty much a time buy creatively structured.

by mmalogic on Oct 5, 2008 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Interesting to note Gina’s fight brought in a million new viewers. This answers the question of whether she is a draw definitively. They kept most of those viewers then until the main event and then got another surge.

by Michael Rome on Oct 5, 2008 7:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm still curious what part of that surge...

was people tuning in for the news. The main event started almost exactly at the time the show went over.

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Oct 5, 2008 8:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m not too shocked with these numbers.The rabbit ears, tv watching rednecks rather try to collect a reward and find out what criminal is living next to them then watch an MMA event.

by KneesnBows on Oct 5, 2008 10:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn’t lump my grandma into the “rabbit ears, tv watching rednecks” category but she surely is more interested in the local news than MMA.
I mean really, are we at a point when people who don’t have cable or choose to watch local news are considered rednecks?

by Simco on Oct 5, 2008 11:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, and that goes for Dial up users. This is the 21 century, it’s time to get rid of the rotary and move into the future.

by KneesnBows on Oct 5, 2008 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well then rural broadband expansion needs to become a priority...

I’m in a rural location and my only choice for non-dialup service is a T1 line for close to $400 a month or satellite. I go the satellite route but it sucks. I am less than a quarter mile from being able to get DSL…but it hardly is my fault that I’m unable to get it.

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Oct 6, 2008 9:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The above reply is some kind of proof that Brent Brookhouse is a nice guy. The assertion that people with rabbit ears and dial up are rednecks who watch America’s Most Wanted to collect rewards on their neighbors is hard to respond to. That’s because it’s a semi-retarded generalization. I have to do everything satellite, and it sucks in regards to broadband and it’s not inexpensive. I may be a redneck, but I don’t watch the above mentioned shows. Frankly, I don’t know why I’m responding to this because the notion is ludicrous to point of being funny.

by Cannon Jacques on Oct 6, 2008 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think...

he was talking about the America’s Most Wanted thing…not the news thing. Not sure why he replied to the news thing. But that makes more sense with the “reward…criminals…” etc

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Oct 5, 2008 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I thought if they maintained the audience number of May it would be pretty good. The other competitors were just stronger, and they were third out of four. The demo number for ABC was nearly as good as EXC. That doesn’t seem like enough reason to buy them out considering the Kimbo situation.

by Cannon Jacques on Oct 5, 2008 7:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

CBS is never going to buy Elite XC… showtime can pick up the pieces once they default the 1m loan.

The only purpose of this show was to hopefully try and generate some financing from an outside source.

I believe if they secured the financing that money would have been blown and funneled out of the company before you can say hallelujah.

With the numbers not exceeding the debut and Kimbo’s bubble bursting I am assuming that financing is not coming.

CBS wasn’t stupid in rushing elite into a second show so quickly… and they will probably be looking forward to a 4th show – everyone has an agenda.

Somebody will be making some coin liquidating Elite…

by mmalogic on Oct 5, 2008 8:22 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

to be clear pro-elite is 55m in the whole… elite xc is a brand/asset that pro-elite owns.

Elite XC along with other assets will be picked up on the cheap officially….

Pro-elite is done.

What showtime will decide to do with the assets is now the question.

With kimbo losing the value goes down greatly.

by mmalogic on Oct 5, 2008 11:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

So the most likely scenario is an unwinding in which Pro Elite sinks, CBS buys up the EliteXC assets, and then works with a partner to keep running shows?

by Michael Rome on Oct 5, 2008 11:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That’s been the scenario all along. If someone wanted, they could choose to buy other ProElite assets or even the company itself, then claim Chapter 11 to reorganize the company. What would be interesting to see is if anyone else is interested in it. If you’re Affliction and you’re able to buy EXC or at least a good size share of them, congrats, you’re on TV!

by D.Capitated on Oct 5, 2008 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pro-elite has already sunk.

showtime pretty much owns the assets at this point as it doesn’t look like pro-elite can pay back the loan… it will formally be done by june/july.

You will see showtime continue to grow in influence to outright management control as days go by.

How they utilize those assets is now the question.

Do they run everything in house?

Do they use the quarterly CBS shows to drive viewers to more frequent showtime programming – which can then sell ppv’s – if they get enough of a following?

So far that’s what they have been trying to do.

Can they operate this without losing too much money?

If showtime wants to keep running shows they don’t need a partner… they will just keep certain staff from elite xc and pretty much liquidate everything else.

Ortiz is a good indicator for what showtime wants to do.

We will know where showtime is with this and where they want to go based on the ortiz situation.

If they sign him they will try to make a go at it… if they don’t they will most likely liquidate the assets.

by mmalogic on Oct 6, 2008 12:07 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Once Elites fighter contracts are up showtime will have second thoughts on the industry.

by mmalogic on Oct 6, 2008 12:17 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

According to Meltzer they were very close to doing a faux argument between Frank and Ken in the opening moments of the program… obviously to hype an upcomming fight I suppose.

These are the type of retards running this thing. This is the type of respect they have for this “sport”.

So far this is the best assessment of what has transpired:

http://www.cagepotato.com/2008/10/05/now-that-kimbos-been-kod-let-the-spin-begin/

by mmalogic on Oct 5, 2008 8:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

So, basically, they must have seen how fake pull aparts worked for TUF 3?

by D.Capitated on Oct 5, 2008 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Man!

I was at a wedding last night so I DVR’d the show. I was trying to stay away from any spoilers all fricken night but at the after party my drunk ass buddy comes up and sais “man, Kimbo got KTFO!” and I said “damn, stop right there I dont wanna hear anything else” so in my mind I’m thinking ole Ken Shammy opened a can on Kimbo. I was so happy it was ridiculous, and it wasnt just the buzz I had going either. Then I get home…

I’m still happy he got his ass handed to him but I wish Ken had done it :(
Overall I was very pleased with the show. Gina loves to fight you can see that shit in her eyes. Arlovski put on a nice show as well. Production values are getting better and better and Guss J did a decent job with the exception of “best fight ever in the history of MMA” that was a huge lol, also “ROCKY IS HERE” was pure gold. Kimbo getting KOd should wake EXC up IMO. Focus on the real deal guys.

by xFenixKnightx on Oct 5, 2008 10:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Not bad, but not enough?

I’d expect a significant dropoff from the first show to this one. Any time you have something hyped as much as the first Kimbo bout was, you’re setting yourself up for a drop the second time around because you lose the curiosity viewers. It’s like opening a new baseball stadium — you’re going to sell out Game 1, but Game 32? Probably not.

I’m surprised the ratings were this high.

I don’t know if I buy the argument that EliteXC should focus on “real” fighters, though. If they’re UFC Lite, they’ll come across that way. Hardcore fans will watch, but they’ll watch just about anything — if CBS suddenly started showing some of the weaker Dream or Sengoku cards for free, hardcore fans would still check it out. EliteXC needs the casual fans.

by Beau Dure on Oct 6, 2008 9:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs