UFC: Silva vs. Irvin Scores in the Ratings

by Michael Rome on Jul 22, 2008 2:30 PM EDT in News

The ratings are in for UFC: Silva vs. Irvin, and they're excellent:

MMAPayout.com has learned that Saturday night’s broadcast of UFC: Silva vs Irvin on Spike TV drew a 2.1 rating (3.1 million viewers). In the key demographics, the broadcast delivered a 2.8 in M18-49, a 3.2 in Men 18-34, and a 2.0 in P18-49. The event was the highest rated program on television (cable or network) on Saturday in M18-34, M18-49, M25-34, and P18-34.

The broadcast peaked at 11:30PM for Silva-Irvin which drew 3.8 million viewers and a 4.9 rating in M25-34 and a 4.1 in M18-34.

This is a significantly better number than The Ultimate Finale did, and a lot of people tuned in to see Anderson Silva wreck James Irvin. If the fight had lasted a long time, the rating would look a lot better too. A lot of people saw Anderson Silva live up to the hype, the question now is whether they'll pay to see him on television.

I don't think this is indicative of Affliction's number one way or another. They were drawing from a pretty hardcore fanbase, and some of these viewers may have caught UFC on Tivo or DVR after watching Affliction.

Credit to Adam Swift for the ratings information.

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Tivo/Nielsen

FYI: I don’t know if they continued the program or anything, but a few years back, TiVo asked permission to give viewing data to Nielsen Media Research. I don’t know what, if anything, they did with that info, or whether it counts recordings or plays, but I like the idea that I can affect those numbers above two or three shows at a time.

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Jul 22, 2008 2:46 PM EDT 0 recs

Generally these ratings include the amount of people that watched it within 12 hours after the show/event.

by Michael Rome on Jul 22, 2008 2:51 PM EDT 0 recs

Do you know how Tivo/DVR events are measured?

by lovingmma25 on Jul 22, 2008 3:19 PM EDT up 0 recs

By height.

Sorry, just watched Caddyshack, lol.

"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'"

by BJJDenver on Jul 23, 2008 11:07 AM EDT up 0 recs

Either way…those are damn good numbers considering how quickly they put the show together.

http://tharealness.wordpress.com/

by Tha Realness on Jul 22, 2008 2:54 PM EDT 0 recs

Spike TV will be happy

This is good news for the executives at Spike TV. The took a chance putting this on with such short notice. I think it would be wise to have A. Silva on another UFN main event. It can only help when he’s on a ppv card. Or even have a one hour segment on just Anderson Silva – maybe a build up to his next fight.

by lovingmma25 on Jul 22, 2008 3:02 PM EDT 0 recs

Silva’s rumored to fight at UFC 88(same card at Liddell) so that will expose him to even more people given that Liddell is a proven draw….so when Silva’s next fight at 205 takes place…it will HUGE…provided he doesn’t lose to Cote….lol@

http://tharealness.wordpress.com/

by Tha Realness on Jul 22, 2008 3:07 PM EDT 0 recs

I’d like to see his next 205 fight take place on Spike TV again. I’d also like to see him fight one of the following for his next 205 fight: Brandon Vera, Sokoudjou, or Stephan Bonnar.

by lovingmma25 on Jul 22, 2008 3:12 PM EDT 0 recs

Bonnar...

...is exactly who I was thinking. Step up from Irvin, and not afraid to get in a scrap. Irvin shrinks when he gets hit hard. Bonnar does not. That would be a fun scrap…and one that I don’t see any way Silva loses.

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

"The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls and looking like hard work." -- Thomas Edison

by brentbrookhouse on Jul 22, 2008 10:15 PM EDT up 0 recs

Good matchup

Bonnar will definitely go more than one round with him. He may be a smarter fighter than Irvin at 205.

by lovingmma25 on Jul 23, 2008 9:56 AM EDT up 0 recs

I doubt he’ll be fighting again at 205, unless the UFC forced him (or pays handsomely) to do so.
With Okami being hurt perhaps he will have more incentive to play at 205 since there still aren’t many compelling 185 matches.

by pr0cs on Jul 22, 2008 3:16 PM EDT 0 recs

Cote will fight for the title in place of Okami. He says he wants to fight every 3 months. I seriously doubt he will be defending his belt every three months. That is the reason why he tested the waters at 205. He does not want the belt, just a challenge in between title fights.

by lovingmma25 on Jul 22, 2008 3:18 PM EDT up 0 recs

is this confirmed now?

by pr0cs on Jul 22, 2008 4:05 PM EDT up 0 recs

Yes

I read it on mmaweekly

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=6745&zoneid=2

by lovingmma25 on Jul 22, 2008 4:14 PM EDT up 0 recs

He’ll be fighting at 205 again…that’s for sure.

http://tharealness.wordpress.com/

by Tha Realness on Jul 22, 2008 3:57 PM EDT up 0 recs

Dana already said today his next fight is at 185, then another at 205.

by Michael Rome on Jul 22, 2008 4:21 PM EDT up 0 recs

If I had to guess on the 205 fight, I would say it will be a top 10 guy but towards the bottom of the top ten. The guy who makes the most sense looking at whether the UFC would care if they got another loss and whether they could sell the fight as a risk to Silva, would be Keith Jardine.

Jardine is a legit top ten 205er with victories over the current champ and the Iceman. He is also a very scary looking dude. If the fight were to be televised on Spike, they could really build up Silva’s credibility to the masses by beating someone which such an impressive looking resume who also happens to look menacing as hell, all while giving Silva a fight with a guy who matches up horribly against Silva and has the type of chin that lends itself to highlight knockouts.

And hey, if Jardine pulls the upset then the UFC can market a rematch against Griffin (who beat) or Chuck (who he also beat) assuming of course Chuck beats Evans, as a very dangerous fight against the guy who has defeated the MW and LHW champions of the world.

by Day Man on Jul 22, 2008 4:33 PM EDT up 0 recs

If the UFC served Anderson Silva a fight with Keith Jardine and had it on Spike TV – the ratings would be thru the roof. You are right that they could sell the fight alone based on the fact that Jardine beat Forrest and Chuck.

by lovingmma25 on Jul 22, 2008 4:38 PM EDT up 0 recs

Jardine works, so does someone like Brandon Vera.

by Michael Rome on Jul 22, 2008 4:57 PM EDT 0 recs

I second that as well as Sokoudjou

by lovingmma25 on Jul 22, 2008 5:14 PM EDT up 0 recs

I want A. Silva vs. Rashad Evans.

by asa on Jul 22, 2008 10:09 PM EDT 0 recs

There are plenty of rumors that Cote/Silva will headline UFC 89 on Spike. That would make a lot of sense.

by Lynchman on Jul 22, 2008 11:45 PM EDT 0 recs

I will be very interested in seeing how Silva’s next cut to 185 goes. He looked like he was really trying to add some muscle for the Irvin fight, so I’m wondering if it may be a difficult cut.

"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'"

by BJJDenver on Jul 23, 2008 11:08 AM EDT 0 recs