Spike TV's Kimbo Slice vs Roy Nelson Gets 6 Million Viewers on The Ultimate Fighter
by Kid Nate on Oct 1, 2009 6:54 PM EDT
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Reports are that last night's episode of The Ultimate Fighter: The Heavyweights featuring Kimbo Slice vs Roy Nelson broke all records for MMA on Spike TV with an average of 5.3 million viewers for the whole episode and 6.1 million views for the fight itself.
This puts Kimbo Slice vs Roy Nelson as the fourth most viewed MMA fight in U.S. history. Kimbo has now fought in three out of the four most viewed fights in American MMA history.
TV By The Numbers is reporting that TUF was competitive with the big three networks in viewership in that time slot -- "CSI: NY" on CBS drew 12.87 million viewers, "Eastwick" on ABC drew 6.62 million, and "The Jay Leno Show" drew 5.99 million.
I was saying last night that Kimbo vs Nelson was a metaphor for the first ten years of MMA in the American consciousness -- the impressive looking guy gets taken down and beaten in an unsatisfactory fashion by someone who doesn't look tough at all.
I'll be very interested to see if Kimbo actually brings new fans to the sport of if he's the American Bobby Ologun. As someone who watched Japan's MMA boom and bust this has an ominous and familiar feeling. Freakshow matches don't build a sport.
Update from Michael Rome: The show did a 3.7 Household rating according to MMA Payout. That is the highest household rating a mixed martial arts show has ever done, though admittedly it's not fair to compare a one hour show to two or three hour broadcasts.
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Dana was right about 6 million.
And this proves Kimbo is a draw, whether he can fight or not.
Your metaphor is apt, except in the old days, a tiny guy won against larger opponents with great skill, and in this case, a fat dude laid on his big belly and played “stop hitting yourself” till the ref stopped it.
Not sure if that will bring the same acclaim as Royce, but maybe it defines the new era.
█♣█
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who -- Jay-Z
Did we really need more proof that people will tune in to watch Kimbo?
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
People could have been done with him after he got dismantled by Petruzelli, so that was a bit of a question mark, since he hasn’t competed since then.
"You guys are jerking eachother off with some pseudo deep bullshit." - Kid Nate
by Kaleb Kelchner on Oct 1, 2009 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Holy Shit
Thats a lot of viewers.
"You guys are jerking eachother off with some pseudo deep bullshit." - Kid Nate
wow ... thats alot
i can just imagine what will SF ratings be for Nov. 7 if they advertise 20 % of UFC. the UFC hype machine is the biggest draw ever. if SF has such marketing, they will catch up real quick
On top of this...
If they bring Kimbo back and he fights anyone outside of the top 1/4 of people in the house…he’s going to look a helluva lot better than he did against Roy.
Good for the UFC, good for Kimbo, good for MMA. And people aren’t put off by Kimbo losing, they just dislike Roy Nelson now. lol
"You guys are jerking eachother off with some pseudo deep bullshit." - Kid Nate
So....
Setting the over/under for Fedor-Rogers at 6.1 million, what are you guys taking? I’ll go under.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
Depends on their marketing, if they do a wonderful job like they did with Carano-Cyborg I agree with you.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
Under
My wife watches CBS at least an hour every night and we’ve not seen one ad or mention of this. Which wouldn’t be a big deal, except it’s only 5 weeks away. If they don’t start hyping it within the next week, they won’t at all.
PS: Who’s Bobby Lashley?
Don't argue for the sake of arguing....
by Screwface on Oct 1, 2009 8:05 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Meh, I don’t think they need to do it that soon, some ads on NFL games a couple weeks in advance should do the trick. The question is are there enough people interested in seeing Fedor and whoever else they book to beat Kimbo? I’m thinking no.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
The UFC starts running ads for their next major event the day after their last one. I started seeing UFC 104 ads on the sunday after 103. Would Strikeforce not think this was the intelligent thing to do?
It takes time to build buzz, the longer they wait, the less anticipation there will be. ABC is already running ads about the Rose Bowl and the BCS Championship game. Which aren’t until January. How long had Spike been running TUF 10 ads? Movies are another thing, the original Transformers ad started running 13 months before it premiered.
The farther away you start advertising something, the more you build anticipation and buzz.
Don't argue for the sake of arguing....
by Screwface on Oct 1, 2009 9:01 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s most watched mma show in history with over 8 million viewers. The reasons:
1) The UFC hype train since 100 will only help Strikeforce. Especially since there was so much speculation over Fedor. A few million will tune in to see what it’s all about, mostly hard core UFC fans but that’s all it takes.
2) Jason Miller and Bobby Lashley will add to the viewers. Lashley may not be a ppv draw but will help in adding 400,000-700,000 curious wrestling fans.
3) I’m assuming CBS along with the assistance of EA sports goes all out for this, hyping it on all the games a month in advance. Also generating a lot of coverage in the non-mma media.
4) And I’m also assuming that a late Hurricane in the Southeast and early and early Winter storm in the north keeps millions indoors and a captive audience.
There I called it.
don’t count on the hype carrying over from the UFC. They aren’t putting a card out that night, and it looks like dana will be smart and keep his mouth shut.
The hype about Fedor’s signing drama only started with the story that the deal with the UFC was done, especially because it was right after 100.
8 million is a lot.
Freakshow matches don’t build a sport, but they can help sell a sport. That’s why I believe the UFC has been successful because they’ve built themselves on real competition and great athletes and professionals. A Freakshow Match here and there doens’t kill a great organization, but they can be fun every once in a while.
What the hell are you talking about? Kimbo is the topic at hand.
by Michaelthebox on Oct 1, 2009 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions
The UFC didn't have to market Kimbo
People knew who he was long before he joined TUF.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
Kimbo fought in the highest rated MMA fight in TV history BEFORE he joined TUF.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
i know that...but that didnt stop UFC to use his ass as the face of TUF 10
like he is the best fighter in the house…they are just using his name
And what in the hell is wrong with that, man?
It’s called “effective marketing”. How else are they going to get people to watch a show on Heavyweights?
Yes. Fedor IS a Freak.
He works with shady russian-mafia-owned M-1 Global and has an unhealthy obsession with Ice cream.
How dare he!!! :p
But in all seriousness, though. If Fedor was a freak, he’ll have a better shot at attracting viewers than he will now.
Pretty impressive numbers.
Never thought CSI would do 12 million that is insane, I’ve never seen the show(s) however, but they must be good.
That 12 million just isn’t that special on network tv, American Idol has been known to hit over 30million.
It’s impressive when you consider how long that show has been going on, as well as all the spin-offs and imitators. Americans and their love of police procedurals just amaze me.
I love me some Sexyama!
What’s even more impressive is that CSI: NY is the second spin-off and the lowest rated out of the 3.
Don't argue for the sake of arguing....
by Screwface on Oct 1, 2009 8:12 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Kimbo has now fought in three out of the four most viewed fights in American MMA history.
This is why Dana will keep Kimbo around. At least until the mystique wears off.
Honestly, I don’t see this as too big a problem. Yeah, there’s the odd freakshow match, but Nelson is a legit fighter, and the UFC has built the last ten years around solid, compelling fights that people want to watch. Their roster is full of highly athletic guys who are also great fighters, and the UFC is run with good business sense and integrity (for the most part). I don’t think we’ll have the problems that Japanese MMA has had. Japanese MMA has had a host of problems, with the whole freakshow aspect being a huge part of it. The UFC will be fine with or without Kimbo.
I love me some Sexyama!
I think these ratings are helping the buyrates. No way Rich-Vitor does 400k without the huge Kimbo ratings getting eyeballs on the product.
That ain’t bad at all.
"You guys are jerking eachother off with some pseudo deep bullshit." - Kid Nate
by Kaleb Kelchner on Oct 1, 2009 9:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Kimbo has now fought in three out of the four most viewed fights in American MMA history.
Who in here thinks this is a good thing? Seriously?
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
Well, it’s not like Chuck Liddell or Brock Lesnar hs ever fought for free on network TV, there isn’t a whole lot to choose from here. It may not be a good thing but nobody knows who Robbie Lawler is.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
I, for one, am thrilled Kimbo and company bitch slapped Jay Leno’s show.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
lol
It’s horrible.
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on Oct 1, 2009 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I do think, as others have said, that we should cool on the Kimbo hyperbole. Who knows what the ratings would be if Brock Lesnar or Chuck fought on free TV.
Would be awesome.
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on Oct 1, 2009 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions
What about Brock vs Chuck on CBS, with Kimbo as guest referee? TV’s would explode! Expecially Brock destroys Chuck only to have Kimbo smash him in the face with a folding chair… :)
I love me some Sexyama!
“Bah God he is broken in half, King!”
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on Oct 1, 2009 7:55 PM EDT up reply actions
I wonder how many of those viewers stopped watching..
When Roy took Kimbo to the mat..
I loved the flurry of punches Kimbo threw at Roy when he was against the fence. The duck low, hook to the body followed by an uppercut and straight jab. Loved it
UFC has to walk a tight rope now. There is a lot of benefit to using Kimbo at first, but over time the value diminishes and he will become a liability. Why? Because he sucks. And as such, these kinds of promotional tricks work in the short run but hurt long term. The real skill is knowing how to cut it off before it does any real harm.
Using Kimbo is kind of like dating a smoking chick who is also a complete retard. Pretty great for a couple weeks, then it gets annoying, then it becomes a fucking nightmare, then you get herpes.
by Michael Rome on Oct 1, 2009 7:55 PM EDT reply actions 5 recs
sounds like a line from mmalogic
Yes, time flies. And where did it leave you? Old too soon...smart too late. - Mike Tyson
Cowherd’s not all bad, just a little preachy sometimes…
Don't argue for the sake of arguing....
by Screwface on Oct 1, 2009 8:18 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Romey is nothing more than a parody of himself. Pathetic, to say the least…
Don't argue for the sake of arguing....
by Screwface on Oct 1, 2009 8:22 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Cowherd is awful.
I was referring to Rome’s use of the girlfriend analogy. Rome’s clearly much easier to swallow than that no-talent assclown.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
It’s too bad that this season is doing such great ratings when all the fights have been terrible so far, Rampage is not even fighting Rashad so it killed that side of it, nothing interesting is really happening. The only real interesting part of the season is more or less over now.
I can only see the ratings decline from here on out, because what is there left to show?
I wish 6 million people had seen a different fight.
Another problem is that Spike is going to start pushing for some kind of freak attraction for every season, rather than go with the typical show. Maybe it’s Bobby Lashley next time…who knows. But Nate’s concern about freak shows and their potential harm is legitimate. They really help at first, but help less and less over time and eventually do damage when ratings plummet without them.
In my mind, if Kimbo embarrasses himself again in December he should be cut. This is still a sport. He’s already had more chances than anyone else would due to his name.
I like Kimbo and did before this, although I knew he was hyped up way to much for his level of skill, I never blamed it on him and he always seemed humble. I have to say though, after seeing that fight, although I hope he gets better, he hasnt seemed to improved at all and I not sure he will ever be able to beat even mid level competition in the UFC (maybe if he was younger). Definitely reminds me of Houston Alexander, once he hits the floor he just has no idea what to do. Also, while I agree the exposure is a great thing for the sport and UFC, if you were not really into MMA and tuned in for the last three episodes to check it out, I dont think you would have come away very impressed. Those three fights were just aweful and I am wondering if people tuning in for the first time with think that is what the sport is like and be turned off to it. An exciting fight and a few knock outs during this first few episodes with increased viewership probably would have brought a whole new group of people as fans and kept them viewing throughout the season. Eventually, especially if he keeps losing, people will stop caring about Kimbo, if they havent started to care about the sport by then, they will be lost as potential fans.
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