UPDATED: EliteXC Pulls Mediocre Numbers, Down 40% from CBS Debut

by Michael Rome on Jul 27, 2008 5:40 PM EDT in News Comment 85 comments

I really loved last night's show live, and so did almost everyone else. Unforunately, it looks like nobody saw it:

That airing back on May 31, 2008 scored 4.3 million viewers and a 1.9/6 among 18-49 year olds and since the Kimbo Slice bout for that airing aired past primetime (11p) the most viewed portion wasn’t included. But lacking any Kimbo anticipation, last night’s fights pulled a mere 2.62 million and a 1.0/3 from 9pm-11pm.

There's no way around this: It is a terrible rating. They won't be cancelled because the next show is Kimbo and Gina, but this is going to do a lot of damage to MMA's reputation at the networks in the long run.

Dana White is coming away from this whole thing smelling like roses. People bashed him for not getting this CBS deal, but he was clearly right not to put all the power in the hands of people that know nothing about MMA. I have a feeling this rating may hurt the UFC's chances at getting a deal.

*** UPDATE #1 ***
I've changed the title, because apparently people at ProElite expected to get a number this bad, so it wasn't really an unexpected disaster or anything. The bottom line, though, is that the second MMA show on broadcast television in America did a bad number. You can set expectations wherever you want, the number is still bad.

*** UPDATE #2 ***
From MMAPayout.com:

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting the show got a 1.9 rating on the overnight. When all markets finish reporting in the numbers should bump up a tenth or two for either a 2.0 or a 2.1. This would fall into the low 2 range that MMAPayout.com felt would be a decent number for the show, per our show preview.

1 recs | Comment 85 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

I really enjoyed the show to along with everybody at the bar that was watching. I thought it was a huge step up from their last event and twice as better than Afflictions. Unfortunately, it looks like Elite is not going to put up Kimbo vs. Rogers which I was expecting.

by steveoc24 on Jul 27, 2008 5:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Showtime & CBS split the same show?

How did they expect to get decent ratings when they divde their show between two different stations? Why would they put three of the fights on Showtime and the rest on CBS? I think the general public would be fascinated by the size and quickness of Bigfoot.

by Tommy7 on Jul 27, 2008 5:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I’m not sure why they would not put on an event on a weekday when most people are home. Seems to me you would get better ratings.

by steveoc24 on Jul 27, 2008 5:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

CBS wouldn’t let it air in prime time during a weekday because it would get the lowest ratings of the night for sure.

by Beer Monster on Jul 27, 2008 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

“A 1.0 rating on broadcast television on Saturday night is terrible.”

mike …... the 1.0 number is for the 18-49 demographic…not the overall number

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 5:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks, let me change that. The rating is still terrible though.

by Michael Rome on Jul 27, 2008 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL

Sorry, I have a modicum of respect for you as an MMA writer, but your ratings analysis is proven to be totally inept by this statement. There is a gigantic difference between the overall and P18-49 demo figures.

The numbers given are slightly below the expectations I had, but given the circumstances surrounding this show, I’d say calling it a “disaster” without the full ratings in is Henny Penny-level overreaction.

Can you tell us what your expectations were for the ratings? What would constitute success or failure in your opinion?

by smoogy on Jul 27, 2008 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

mike expected a 1.1…he said so on the the radio show….. if he is expecting a bad number, then characterizing it as a disaster is kind of to be expected…

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

A 1.1 in the demo or overall?

by smoogy on Jul 27, 2008 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

overall…..

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, we don’t have the overall numbers yet, but if that was his prediction, then it very likely exceeeded his expectations!

by smoogy on Jul 27, 2008 6:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nothing quite as damning as a simple mistake, huh?

Intentional Blog on Balls

by Richard Wade on Jul 27, 2008 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i figured they would do somewhere in the 1.9 to 2.1 range…... i figure the overall number when it comes in will be 1.5 to 1.6 or so….

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Honestly, when I said 1.1 on the radio show, it was more in the context of the kind of bad rating that could really hurt MMA. It wasn’t a prediction of the overall rating. I was thinking 1.5-2.0. The point I was trying to get across is if the number comes in at 1.1 overall it would really hurt MMA’s credibility as strong programming.

by Michael Rome on Jul 27, 2008 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i’m not sure that mike looked at the place he linked to for the column so that could be where the information got screwy

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 6:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No, I definitely read TV By The Numbers, I just misinterpreted it. Either way, even if its a 1.6 overall or so, it’s a terrible number by any broadcast standard.

by Michael Rome on Jul 27, 2008 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You do realize expectations are significantly lower for summertime programming, and doubly so for Saturday nights, right? A 1.8 or whatever it ends up pulling down looks like garbage next to whatever Grey’s Anatomy does, sure, but compare it to summer fare like Eli Stone and its a whole other ball of wax

by smoogy on Jul 27, 2008 7:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, but it’s still lower than the UFC got a week earlier, on cable.

That’s sad. There’s no other way to put it, but sad

by Phildo on Jul 27, 2008 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think...

...it will harm the UFC’s chances at all. The thing that was lacking from EXC was any stars and a weak brand name. The UFC IS MMA in the eyes of most casual fans and they would never have a card on network TV topped by anything less than a top level star.

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 Brent Brookhouse on Jul 27, 2008 6:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Trust me, I see it the same way as you. I just think network execs are very close minded about this kind of thing, and may use this as an excuse not to do it.

by Michael Rome on Jul 27, 2008 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The UFC killed them with the reairing of UFC 84.

by cyph on Jul 27, 2008 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I still think the next show with Kimbo and Gina will do well. But like always it is stars that draw, not the sport alone, and that’s something people need to remember.

by Michael Rome on Jul 27, 2008 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

While that’s true, casual fans make up the majority of the ratings. If the UFC replay a PPV that casual fans have not watched, I would not be surprised to see EliteXC lose at least 30% of its viewers to the UFC.

EliteXC didn’t help itself much by throwing a disaster of a first show for the curious viewers. You can’t redo a first impression. They’ve lost those new viewers permanently.

by cyph on Jul 27, 2008 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You’re right about Dana coming out like roses in this situation.

The UFN from last week beat this, and a lot more people get CBS than get Spike. That’s going to be huge for him when sitting down with the networks to get a deal done.

by Phildo on Jul 27, 2008 6:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Kimbo/Carano

Let’s say Elite XC’s next show doesn’t bring in expected ratings from CBS. If they drop Elite, does Elite go out of business? I’d be interested to see if Dana purchases Elite and brings their top fighters over to UFC. I wouldn’t mind seeing Silva, Shields, Diaz and Lawler over in the UFC.

by steveoc24 on Jul 27, 2008 6:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If EXC goes out of business, I’d bet the UFC could get most of the guys they wanted without buying the company. To be honest, the only fighter I would really like to see in the UFC is Shields.

by Cannon Jacques on Jul 27, 2008 6:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think Lawler would be a great addition to the roster at 185. Lawler vs Silva, Hendo, Franklin, Leben and Bisping would be some nice stand up fights.

by steveoc24 on Jul 27, 2008 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t think this is a huge impediment for the UFC. The first EliteXC effort proved that MMA can draw good ratings with some star power and a decent amount of marketing. I keep wondering why they didn’t put more marketing behind this thing. It probably wouldn’t have done as good of ratings as the last without the big names, but you have to at least try to get people interested. Why in the hell don’t they put Gina and Kimbo on different cards? They’re their only known assets. Putting them together seems to create a feast or famine cycle.

by Cannon Jacques on Jul 27, 2008 6:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, so I’ve traded notes with a few other people who were keeping an eye on the EXC show, and so far virtually everyone agrees that these preliminary figures suggest that the show more or less did as well as expected, which is of course diminished from the first EXC show, but nothing approaching “disaster”. You might want to consider re-wording your title

by smoogy on Jul 27, 2008 6:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

This is like saying if Bodog expected 10,000 buys and get 13,000, it’s a good number. Those expectations were painfully low.

by Michael Rome on Jul 27, 2008 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Most level-headed people had an expectation of a 1.9-2.1 overall rating and that isn’t painfully low, considering the timing of the event and the competition it had for the attention of fight fans. And now it looks like the overall rating will come in somewhere around 1.7-1.9, so I can see calling that “soft”, but a disaster? Hardly.

Again I ask, what would have been considered a successful showing?

by smoogy on Jul 27, 2008 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

hey…. i officially qualify as level headed…....thanks smoogy

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

A successful showing would retain most of the viewership from the last show, and hopefully build on it. The fact that it was a shitty card or that people didn’t expect that much doesn’t change the fact that it was a bad rating for Saturday Night Primetime. CBS ended up third for the night going up against no meaningful competition.

by Michael Rome on Jul 27, 2008 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think this is the main point.

The number of viewers dropped off significantly. I certainly think that CBS wanted to maintain the momentum of the first event. Had the first show drawn worse, maybe the expectations would be different. Characterize it however, I wouldn’t call the event a success.

by Cannon Jacques on Jul 27, 2008 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

“A successful showing would retain most of the viewership from the last show, and hopefully build on it.”

You nailed it with that sentence right there. You think the UFC is jumping up and down when their PPV numbers drop 100k from the previous event? Nope! Not that it’s a disaster PPV wise, but TV ratings it is.

by steveoc24 on Jul 27, 2008 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Considering COPs and Most Wanted have been winning saturday nights for eons, I’d say there is always meaningful competition there. And they had UFC nipping at their heels on Spike, not to mention a major boxing PPV.

Doing 3.0 or better this time was never a real possibility, so I’d have to say your expectations were unrealistically high

by smoogy on Jul 27, 2008 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, it wasn’t a possibility as soon as they decided to do a show before they could get any drawing stars on it. It was never inevitable they had to make that decision.

by Michael Rome on Jul 27, 2008 7:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Smoogy and Rome should call each other and record their conversation. This would make for some great audio. :)

by steveoc24 on Jul 27, 2008 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It was inevitable once CBS made the decision they would come back quickly on July 26th. I’m not privy to the details, but I’m sure EliteXC never pressured them into booking this date. That is kind of the whole idea; they were compelled to do another show on short notice, without the youtube appeal of Kimbo, and hence expectations were lowered.

The analysts I talked to were mostly right on if the preliminary figures are indication, with results maybe being on the weak side of the range due to the effectiveness of that July 19th weekend in capturing the attention of the MMA fanbase (and burning out the hardcore MMA fans). But in any reasonable context, it was not a "disaster", and its a shame impressionable young blogs like Five Ounces of Pain are going to paint it that way because they read it here first.

by smoogy on Jul 27, 2008 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Whoa that got messed up. Here is the second paragraph again:

“The analysts I talked to were mostly right on if the preliminary figures are indication, with results maybe being on the weak side of the range due to the effectiveness of that July 19th weekend in capturing the attention of the MMA fanbase (and burning out the hardcore MMA fans). But in any reasonable context, it was not a “disaster”, and its a shame impressionable young blogs like Five Ounces of Pain are going to paint it that way because they read it here first.”

by smoogy on Jul 27, 2008 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

impressionable young blogs like Five Ounces of Pain

that got a chuckle…..

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Many MMA fans felt that the strong rating Elite XC pulled thought it was a good thing. Many thought it would put UFC in a better position for Network deal. Does UFC have better leverage? Are more networks trying to get MMA on TV? Is Strikeforce really in negotiation for live events with NBC. I would have to say no. A lot of viewers tuned in more for curiosity. It was good mma was on Network television, but was Elite XC show a the right foot forward? I’m sorry, I know Kimbo is training hard to be a complete MMA fighter, but that does not change the fact that he was a street fighter. Smith and Lawler should of headline the first show, you got to present these guys as real athletes with great talent in their discipline. When Tim Sylvia was on Inside MMA, he mentioned he did not like the idea of Kimbo headlining the first show because of his streetfighting background because of the image it presented to the youth, Slice lack of MMA experience and that the Lawler-Smith fight should of been last. I really could not believe Bas Rutten debated with Tim that it was good because it will get more viewers to tune in.The May 31 event was a freak show, with exploding ears, WWE style entrance. I’m sorry but that show turned a lot of people off. It put UFC in a tough situation and cost them some dealsin terms of sponsors and networks. It not only hurt UFC, but MMA in general. The ratings should be blamed more on the shitty first show than the lack of stars and promoting of the event.

by The Bronzeville Bully on Jul 27, 2008 6:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

You may have a point; the craziness that went on in the first show couldn’t have helped a lot of people’s perception of MMA. However, I think some marketing could have helped this event. I’m not convinced the next EXC show will match the first. I may be totally wrong about this, but I think it being in the middle of college football season could hurt it also. EXC was set up to be dependent on Kimbo and Gina, and that’s what they have. I don’t think it’s a good long-term solution, but it is what it is.

by Cannon Jacques on Jul 27, 2008 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

But here is the thing, everyone is catching on to Kimbo after all they hype, The record may it as a victory for slice in the fight, but he lost a lot of credibility with that showing. He was booed in Newark after the fight. He got a mixed reaction among the crowd at Stockton. He is literally one lost away from being back on youtube.

by The Bronzeville Bully on Jul 27, 2008 7:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And that is why I think EXC is hesitant on putting on Kimbo/Rogers.

by steveoc24 on Jul 27, 2008 7:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

We knew Pro Elite as expecting a bad rating.....

The question is, what did CBS expect since they are the ones that demanded it?

by The Bronzeville Bully on Jul 27, 2008 7:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

CBS Average rating

Their average rating for the 18-34 demo is .7 on a saturday night. They want to improve that and probably reached a 1.2 – 1.5 in that demo.

For what it was and what was expected… the rating was fine.

by ghettoiam on Jul 27, 2008 7:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Elite needs to get their head out of their ass. At this point I find it mind numbingly dumb to rest the future of Elite’s rating on Kimbo. Don’t get me wrong I’m born and raised in the dirty and I loved Kimbo. Yet to expect him to keep drawing in the masses he will need to keep winning in simular fashion that propelled him to his status. The only way I see him doing that is fighting cans who don’t know how to protect their chins and work around his power. They won’t be able to keep him protected forever. What will happen to Elite when the mighty Kimbo gets KO’ed if they bank their future on him? I love Gina as well, but can womens mma carry the company? No. They need more fighters who have names and build the ones they have into stars.

by Tommy7 on Jul 27, 2008 7:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wrestling Observer

Had the rating at 1.9 on the fast overnights with 2.62 million viewers.

As far as I know a 1.0 != 2.62 million viewers.

I think the 1.0 is a typo. I’m not sure, but I think it is.

by ghettoiam on Jul 27, 2008 7:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

if it is a 1.9 on the overnights, then they may gain a 2.0 or 2.1 when the figures all come in they gained a few tenths this way last time….which would be considered an okay rating….....

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I wasn’t off by far…I predicted 3 million.

http://tharealness.wordpress.com/

by Tha Realness on Jul 27, 2008 7:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I’m not sure last night’s show will do that much damage, if any. There are legit reasons why their show didn’t do that well; lack of big name fighters, competition with a PPV boxing match, very poor marketing for the show, and coming on a week after a huge MMA weekend. If the show had an all star card and got crap ratings, then it might be time to panic.

by monkeyfightclub! on Jul 27, 2008 7:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What was UFC's rating last night?

What kind of rating did the UFC counter programming get on Spike last night?

That has to play into this discussion somewhere doesn’t it?

by mattman73 on Jul 27, 2008 7:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

that rating won’t be out til tuesday morning…....

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I doubt they did too well. I do think that Elite should promote Gina/Cyborg as a Women’s Title match and maybe as the main event for the next show. There’s just a very easy story to tell there, and it looks like Noons will not be on CBS because he won’t sign what they’re asking of him. My guess is they are smartly backing off Rogers, and they will do Kimbo vs. Ken Shamrock.

by Michael Rome on Jul 27, 2008 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kimbo vs Shamrock?

I haven’t heard that one yet. Only problem is that Shamrock folds after one punch now. I love how they find old UFC retired vets/champs and put them in the cage with their top prospects and then try to sell them to me as if they are the real deal.

by steveoc24 on Jul 27, 2008 8:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That’s more of a benefit than a problem. I just don’t see any point in putting Kimbo up against a tough guy with no name value. If you’re gonna sacrafice him, sacrafice him to a big star.

by Michael Rome on Jul 27, 2008 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

he is the ideal candidate for kimbo in prime time…....name value with a paper mache chin

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Even if Kimbo loses to Rogers but puts up a good fight, he might get some respect from the MMA fans.

by steveoc24 on Jul 27, 2008 8:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

if Kimb loses at least he us losing to a hall of famed a legend.

by The Bronzeville Bully on Jul 27, 2008 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sometimes he folds after zero punches…

by smoogy on Jul 27, 2008 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL.. good one..

by steveoc24 on Jul 27, 2008 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Will a Women’s Title match work with Gina?

I mean they can’t change the weight class for the title every time she defends it can they?

If she missed weight it would make it a non-title fight and look very bad.

by mattman73 on Jul 27, 2008 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I guess. I tend to think it gets overblown online. Seriously, almost nobody gave a shit about it that watched Gina Carano fight last time. They can make the weight 145.

by Michael Rome on Jul 27, 2008 8:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i agree…... folks lost their mind last time about the weight….and glossed over the fact that she camoe out of that fight a superstar…..... the hardcores can’t see the forest for the trees sometimes

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 8:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I honestly think it’s deserved.

What if they would have made her last fight for a title and promoted it as that then she missed weight?

If she misses weight it can’t be a title fight right?

by mattman73 on Jul 27, 2008 8:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

.....yeah… i posted something similar about shamrock earlier over there

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 8:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I kinda figure they can put him against any old name that people recognize and it would work. Don Frye, Ken Shamrock, etc. Hell, I think if they could get a commission to sign off on it, Royce vs. Kimbo would be the easiest sell ever.

by Michael Rome on Jul 27, 2008 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

hadn’t thought of frye…good call

..... good thing you changed that 1.0 mike….... fiveounces is slowly twisting in the wind over there, they still haven’t figured it out…..can someone get a screen cap of that for me…....

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I just misread their bit over at TV By The Numbers. I still think the number is very bad for MMA in the long run, but I guess we’ll all see.

I like Frye cause he can talk up a good game.

by Michael Rome on Jul 27, 2008 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

smoogy had to go and spoil the fun….

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 8:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good point. How could the commission sign off on Kimbo/Shamrock but not allow to let Sylvia/Mir fight. No wonder EXC hasn’t held an event yet in Nevada. They are dodging the NSAC.

by steveoc24 on Jul 27, 2008 8:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

they are in the process of applying for a promoters license in nevada so they will prob be going there at some point

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Besides Nick Diaz, who was crazy over because he’s from Stockton, Gina Carano was the most popular star of the night. When Antonio Silva won, nobody chanted for Kimbo. When Cyborg won, the fans demanded the Gina fight.

by Michael Rome on Jul 27, 2008 8:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

How come UFN numbers haven’t came out yet but EXC numbers are already out?

by steveoc24 on Jul 27, 2008 8:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

the netwrok have someting called metered market….... affiliates in the big cites….....they can get a quick number from those folks…... the cable folks don’t have an affiliate structure…therefore it take slonger for nielsen to collect data

by robnashville on Jul 27, 2008 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

There seems to be some confusion.

The announced 1.9 appears to be the overall rating, while the 1.0 is the 18-49 demo rating.

The one thing that is clear is that Kimbo draw folks. That was the plan all along. BUT it was also expected that folks would be impressed by guys like Lawler and Smith and would see them as stars.

That did not appear to happen.

While they may have expected a big drop, expecting it does not make it a good number.

by Lynchman on Jul 27, 2008 8:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

bloody elbow is keeping it real....

unlike mmapayout.com, sherdog and mmajunkie.com who’s like the fox news for the bush administration (spinning anything against the ufc and in favor for ufc’s competition because these geeks cant get credentailed) bloody elbow keeps it real… this has been my favorite mma site because it’s the least biased.

No matter how you spin it this was a disaster…

first the viewer ship was down 40% from the previous show.

Now lets looks at normal numbers for cbs saturday night:

EXC did 2.62m

CBS average for Sat the 19th: 4.72 million
CBS average for Sat the 12th: 4.15 million
June 28th: 4.00 million

Just because exc or the geeks at mmapayout expected the ratings to be low doesnt mean it wasn’t a disaster.

The truth is exc is running out of operating capital (remember when they canceled a show in june). they were fronted around 3m by showtime to hopefully make it through the year.

they are now in the second to last stage of “ifl” (when they got rid of the teams, coaches, etc…) soon exc will be in the last stage of “ifl” (the hex) and I estimate that will be sometime in the first quarter of 09.

EXC and affliction are now in a race for who will fold first :)

over 50% of the people watching exc on cbs think its the ufc… all they are doing with new fans are feeding UFC’s funnel.

This is EXC’s last stand and I’m betting pretty soon deluca will be singing UFC”s praises just like larkin… “This is a UFC boon not MMA”

IF people are smart they would ride the real wave which is “UFC” and focus on UFC training gyms, clothing, ufc farm system, ufc management and recruiting, etc…

peace

by mmalogic on Jul 27, 2008 9:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

I’ve been noticing this a lot more lately, especially with MMAJunkie and MMAPayout.. They’re still part of my “rotation”, but it’s amazing how much they crap on the UFC while trying to hold up any bit of another orgs success as a major story.

It just goes to show that MMA journalism has a very long way to go before being credible. Always take what you read from any site with a grain of salt and try to apply a bit of logic.

It’s the main reason I like BE so much, is that they shit on everyone pretty evenly and praise when deserved. It’s ridiculous that anyone thinks that a major drop in the viewership of their major demo for their sophomore effort is okay. It may have been “expected”, but do you really think it’s acceptable?

by LiuLang on Jul 27, 2008 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This is really a big negative for Elite XC. They did worse than reruns of the Unit and 48 hours mystery the week before. CBS isn’t going to keep shelling out cash for new content when they can get more viewers by showing reruns of stuff they’ve already paid for.

by Phildo on Jul 27, 2008 11:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

MMALogic cited my numbers from Five Ounces…cool.

One thing I mentioned elsewhere is this: The one big problem with last nights numbers was the drop in the 18-49 demo. It was only slightly higher than that demo for it’s lead-in.

Elite was brought in to deliver strong numbers that that demo. If they did that, the overall audience was not as important.

So let me add that demo to the numbers that MMALogic cited:

CBS average for Sat the 19th: 4.72 million .8 average in the 18-49
CBS average for Sat the 12th: 4.15 million .9 average in 18-49
June 28th: 4.00 million .8

If nothing else, Elite needs to keep that number up. If that number had been a 1.3 instead of 1.0, I would say that Elite had nothing to worry about. But the drop does put more pressure on them to bounce back. CBS did not bring them in for a .1 or .2 increase, they want a .4 or so. An increase of .4+ makes the smaller audience much more palatable, because they are getting the kind of rating that can bring in more ad dollars.

by Lynchman on Jul 27, 2008 9:31 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Thanks for the numbers. I kind of backed off calling it a disaster, but the more people I talk to, I’m coming back around to that view. 2.62 million is only a justifiable number with a huge boost in the 18-49 numbers. They are now in a position where they absolutely need a great number in October.

by Michael Rome on Jul 28, 2008 12:01 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

put "disaster" back in the title

nuff said.

put “disaster” back in the title…

and tell sherdog, mmapayout.com and mmajunkie instead of being baised against the UFC and displaying poor journalism in spinning any news on their competitors they should kiss the UFC’s ass.

Why? because I bet more than a 1/3rd of their new (unique) traffic comes from events or fighters promoted by zuffa.

And instead of these geeks who think they know anything about business spin and become mouthpieces for whoever will give them credentials they should instead write about reality… and the reality is how the heck is zuffa thriving while everyone else is dying.

this is unheard of in any industry.

FSN and HDNET is quickly becoming the morgue for mma company’s.

PS. I second the note that bloody elbow shits on everyone equally and tends to have the most grasp on reality in the mma blogosphere.

by mmalogic on Jul 28, 2008 12:03 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

1/3rd?

1/3rd? i meant 2/3rds…

by mmalogic on Jul 28, 2008 12:04 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Found this on the UG forums:

I work at the CBS station in Birmingham and we literally just got the overnight ratings emailed to us from the weekend.

EliteXC pulled a 0.68 rating!!!

To put that in perspective here is what was also on the other networks at that time.

ABC: Disney’s Peter Pan 1.74

FOX: America’s Most Wanted 5.52

NBC: Law and Order 4.68

Also, the first EliteXC on CBS pulled like a 5.6 here so this a HUGE dropoff.

Not sure what kind of overnight numbers are going to come in as far as how the show did nationally, but if this is any indication, then the whole CBS deal getting resigned after this first batch airs is not likely.

Be interesting to see if Kimbo being on the next one will help at all, or if those first numbers were just curiousity and the rest will fail like this one did.

Sales reps upstairs are already groaning because nobody watched the 10pm news because nobody was watching CBS by the time the fights ended.

by Nick Thomas on Jul 28, 2008 10:12 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs