TUF 10 debut delivers huge numbers.

by Lynchman on Sep 17, 2009 5:43 PM EDT

Tuf 10 premier did 4.1 million viewers last nite!!!! Thank you all very much. You are the best fans in sports!!!

This has to exceed pretty much all expectations. Both Spike and Zuffa have to be thrilled with this. I am curious to see how well the UFN did. It was a great show to introduce new viewers to the UFC. If numbers can hold strong, the broadcast of 105 could break the previous UFC/Spike record.

A couple of things come to mind:
Will there be any backlash with all of the blood?

Did that fight (such as it was) deliver enough to keep newer folks coming back?

UPDATE: Here is the Press Release from SPIKE:

UFC HEAVYWEIGHTS ARE A RATINGS KNOCKOUT ON SPIKE TV!

RECORD VIEWERSHIP FOR PREMIERE OF
“THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: HEAVYWEIGHTS”

Draws More Young Men Than Anything On Television On
Wednesday, September 16 Including “The Jay Leno Show”
And “America’s Got Talent” Season Finale

September 17, 2009, New York, NY – While the ratings for most television series erode over time, “The Ultimate Fighter” on Spike TV continues to defy the norm. Illustrating the ever-growing popularity of the UFC and its stable of stars, the premiere of the tenth season of Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter” on Wednesday, September 16 (10:00pm-11:00pm ET/PT) was not only the most watched episode in the series history, but also in network history for an original.*

The series, featuring the best up-and-coming mixed martial arts heavyweights, including YouTube sensation Kimbo Slice, garnered 4.1 million viewers, besting the previous “The Ultimate Fighter” high of 2.8 million viewers for the finale of season three in 2006.

The show debut also garnered 3.2 million Persons 18-49, demonstrating a substantial amount of co-viewing between men and women.

“The intriguing cast of ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights’ has true mass appeal, and the numbers show that this sport is not just for a niche audience anymore,” said Kevin Kay, Spike TV President.

The Spike TV telecast bested all competition on television in the advertiser-coveted demographics of Men 18-34, M18-49, M18-24, M25-34 including the highly-promoted network originals “The Jay Leno Show,” “America’s Got Talent” season finale, “Glee,” “So You Think You Can Dance” and the premiere of “Beautiful Life.”

Overall, the record-breaking Spike TV telecast drew a 5.3 rating (1.5 million) in Men 18-34, a 4.3 in M18-49 (2.4 million), a 2.9 household rating and 4.1 million total viewers.

“The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” features former UFC light heavyweight champions “Suga” Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as coaches and is the only installment in the show’s history to include only the heavyweight weight class (206+ lbs). The cast includes a list of notable athletes with impressive and diverse pedigrees including four former NFL players, UFC veterans, a former IFL heavyweight champ, and a highly-publicized former EliteXC fighter, Kimbo Slice, who gained prominence through his non-sanctioned bouts on YouTube.

*previous record for a Spike TV original episode is 3.4 million for “The Joe Schmo Show” season finale in 2003.

UPDATE: According to the Observer, the UFN did a 1.9. A very nice rating but the real story is obviously the TUF numbers.

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

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Comments

Very impressive. I wonder if that was the average or peak number.

by Sliup on Sep 17, 2009 6:02 PM EDT reply actions

Very good point about the fight itself on the show. My friend and I held a Fight Night party with a friend of ours who has never watched MMA before. He loved the fights delivered on the Fight Night, who couldn’t? He was actually getting into TUF also up until the fight. The blood had nothing to do with it, he was completely bored with the fight. A kind of funny moment too was during the second round when they would be stood up he kept asking why the hell didn’t Wagner move or try to stop being taken down?! Hmm…kinda wondering that myself.

by Chadsac on Sep 17, 2009 7:07 PM EDT reply actions

My Dad's girlfriend said the same thing...

and she’s never seen MMA

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Ben Franklin

by donkeypunch on Sep 17, 2009 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions

That’s like when your buddy’s girlfriend is watching football and she’s asking “why doesn’t the guy run away from the group of guys?”

Although, Wagner’s inability to sprawl indicates to me that he has no survival instinct whatsoever. I’m pretty sure if you took him about, oh, 100 yards into the woods, he’d die of exposure inside of a half an hour.

...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.

"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard

by Brett Jones on Sep 18, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions