UFC Prelims on Ion TV Indicate Negotiating Ploy With Spike TV
by Nate Wilcox on Dec 28, 2010 5:19 PM EST
in Business of MMA
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The UFC announced yesterday that three UFC 125 preliminary fights would air on the Ion TV network. MMA fans might recall that the ill-fated Bodog Fights had a deal with Ion.
Dana White commented:
"I am excited for our fans because I've been looking for ways to broadcast UFC prelims free and to as many homes as possible," UFC President Dana White stated. "ION is the largest broadcast television station group in the U.S. and this deal will put the UFC prelims in almost 100 million homes."
Josh Gross speculated on twitter:
I'd bet UFC 125 prelims on Ion TV have everything to do with the current state of UFC/Spike contract talks. Final year of that deal is 2011.
Ray Hui had more analysis:
While the debut of the UFC on network television can be considered a new landmark for the promotion and the UFC is touting UFC 125 prelims' reach of almost 100 million U.S. households through ION, that number is right there with the basic cable channel Spike TV, which is available in 99.4 million homes.
It also draws curiosity as to why the show isn't airing on Spike TV, the UFC's longtime television partner and usual home of the UFC prelim shows. The current UFC-Spike TV deal will run into 2011, but the two are also currently in negotiations for a new deal. When reached for comment, a Spike TV representative declined to comment on any ongoing contract talks, per company policy.
Zach Arnold has info on how to figure out if your TV system carries the Ion network:
To see if your area has the ION channel on cable or antenna, use Antenna Web or TV Fool or Rabbit Ears. On Rabbit Ears, when you get a list of TV networks on your search, the blue links can be clicked on and you'll get a listing of main channels and sub channels.
The ION network will air three preliminary fights for this Saturday's UFC 125 event from Las Vegas. (ION airs in 720p resolution for over-the-air. If you have a free-to-air set-up with a satellite dish, you can pick up all ION channel feeds including an HD version on bird AMC 1 at 103W. However, the frequency is C band, not Ku band.)
For a complete listing of ION affiliates in the States, click here.
Dana White recently told USA TODAY that the UFC would cut a network deal when they could control the production. Looks like this is that deal since Ion certainly doesn't have a major sports division that will want to get their hands on the UFC.
UPDATE: Micheal David Smith tweets:
UFC preliminary fights on IonTV are a step down from Spike--fewer households, worse demographic.
Ion's demographic is "people who buy things off infomercials"
One possible alternative angle is that Ion could easily become the long-rumored "UFC channel" which would be an audacious and ambitious, but risky, move.
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how dare you
Supermarket Sweep is the truth
by cmons on Dec 28, 2010 1:26 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 9 recs
that show was pure strategy
First, the meats – jumbo hams, turkeys n grab a giant cheese block while you’re there.
Next, diapers, coffee and then the giant inflatable thing FTW.
by cmons on Dec 28, 2010 2:48 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 3 recs
I loved this show I am not sure why…
by Zak Woods on Dec 28, 2010 2:49 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Me too.
Used to watch it with my grandparents. Probably why.
"I'll rock your body with big nasty hooks!"
same
"In this fight, Anderson showed he was human," Nogueira said. "He showed he could be weak. But he showed he is a fighter and he brings something from his heart. It was beautiful."
by Broke Lesnar on Dec 28, 2010 5:57 PM EST up reply actions
It was a great show
Walter Cronkite wasn’t known as Kid Cronk for a fucking reason.
"Unfortunately, it won’t shut anyone up, but if (the Falcons) get a Lombardi, I’m going to spend all of 2011 not giving a rat’s ass what anyone says." – Dave Choate
by Anthony Pace on Dec 28, 2010 7:09 PM EST up reply actions
In retrospect this program was the essence of American culture
I’m not going to even outline it for you. If you’ve seen it before, just think about it for a moment. Goodness, it works on so many levels, if I was academically inclined I’d be working on a thesis right now.
What a weird channel pick-up.
It’s like trying to make your hot ex-girlfriend jealous by dating her less attractive, chubby friend from another school.
MMA Fan Since Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar
Twitter: @KenTheGreat
MBN's Current 5 Favorite Fighters: Nate Diaz / Chris "The Crippler" Leben / Miesha "Takedown" Tate / Shinya Aoki / Georges "Rush" St-Pierre
by McKinley B. Noble on Dec 28, 2010 2:32 PM EST up reply actions
Could be better
Maybe the chubby friend takes it in the butt.
by NO82 on Dec 28, 2010 5:20 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
hilarious
Walter Cronkite wasn’t known as Kid Cronk for a fucking reason.
"Unfortunately, it won’t shut anyone up, but if (the Falcons) get a Lombardi, I’m going to spend all of 2011 not giving a rat’s ass what anyone says." – Dave Choate
by Anthony Pace on Dec 28, 2010 7:10 PM EST up reply actions
FYI
If you have Direct TV, it’s channel 305. (use the menu → search for shows → by channel feature)
BOOSH
by Farthammer on Dec 28, 2010 12:08 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Hey, thanks for saving me 30 seconds
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 28, 2010 1:03 PM EST up reply actions
I looked on the channel guide
and UFC is not listed for Saturday any time betwen 6-12 that night.
"I cover Baltimore, not the state of Maryland. And would rather have my eyes ripped out with a fork than study your state." - Jen Royle
Yup, still ain't there
http://www.directv.com/entertainment/guide
"I cover Baltimore, not the state of Maryland. And would rather have my eyes ripped out with a fork than study your state." - Jen Royle
Really?
I got it right now, coming on after the outstanding Time Cop where we see Sloane Peterson’s boobies.
BOOSH
this may be true.
a little off topic, but was it the ufc’s original plan to have these prelim shows? the first one was on ufc 103 when the ufc was battling mayweather’s fight. did they see the success and decide to do more? because it really benefits both parties; spike gets a mil plus viewers and the ufc gets a decent amount of bonus ppv buys.
Future episode of Manswers...
Why is Dana White such a jerk-faced jerk?
Rogers Sportsnet is airing it
@TylerTreese on twitter
www.thatmmablog.blogspot.com/
by TylerTreese on Dec 28, 2010 12:26 PM EST up reply actions
North Carolina TWC
Has it in HD chanel 1147
Sweeeeet
My thoughts exactly.
If Bellator signed a deal with Ion, we’d all be talking about how they are dying. Obviously the UFC isn’t dying, they live on PPVs, but that’s where this deal is.
I wonder how many bars get Ion as opposed to Versus or Spike. Even in standard def, but also HD.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
Ion is on more channels than either spike or versus
so exactly how is this a step down?
by mcpeepants23200 on Dec 28, 2010 1:06 PM EST up reply actions
I'd like to know how that works
since I don’t have the dang thing and neither do a lot of people.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
by Nate Wilcox on Dec 28, 2010 1:06 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
It's a step sideways
it’s on in a few more homes, but it’s less known than Spike.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 28, 2010 1:07 PM EST up reply actions
Also...it's less watched...
so there’s not going to be the target audience getting hit with ads all week reminding them to check it out.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 28, 2010 1:08 PM EST up reply actions
People are also conditioned to look for UFC on Spike.
With less than a week of notice that there will be fights on Ion, who knows what will happen to viewership? And again, lots of people will be going to bars to avoid the PPV costs, so the lack of availability on certain carriers/regions is really noteworthy.
All that said, I’m glad that negotiations aren’t going smoothly with Spike. They are a terrible station for the growth of the sport (rather than the meathead entertainment) and loves them some tape delay. I truly hope that 2012 sees a new television partner for the UFC, even if it is Versus.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
Happy to See It
I’m just happy to see it, plus its on a channel that everyone gets. People might be reading too much into it, but it beats UFC.com. I’m sure that almost none of their event revenue comes from airing prelims and if they aren’t making money on the ION deal, I don’t care its a nice gesture to the fans.
There's no way I believe that
I live in Maryland, a state with 6 million people, and there’s no a single affiliate in the state. And whatever version of Ion is on DircTv doesn’t have UFC listed in its programming guide for Saturday. No way they get in more homes than Spike or Versus.
"I cover Baltimore, not the state of Maryland. And would rather have my eyes ripped out with a fork than study your state." - Jen Royle
Ion IS a channel
So how could a channel be on more channels than another channel?
Your post, I have trouble finding sense of it.
Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold.
No go in Baton Rouge either >:(
It's official. Les Miles DOES NOT have a deal with the devil. He beat him Nov. 6th, 24-21.
Dear God I hope this is a one-and-done thing. Even if it’s a broadcast “network,” Ion is a step down for them from Spike. I mean I’m a bit biased, since I couldn’t see the first preview match anyway thanks to my crappy work schedule, but this still is not a good long-term home for them, and I think the UFC is well aware of that.
I definitely think it’s a negotiating tactic. I think Spike might have aired the first few prelim shows for free and probably wasn’t paying much for subsequent ones despite pretty decent ratings (for Spike), since the shows are as much advertising for UFC PPVs as anything else. Since I don’t know the sort of money being offered right now, I’ll leave it at that.
Maybe not a Habit
If Spike only picks up prelims for 6-8 events I’m all for the rest being on ION. Obviously this is a step down from Spike but it’s better than not watching it.
Just checked my HD
No Ion! At all.
The new editor of HeadKickLegend.com
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WHOA WHOA WHOA
TRE is no more?
New England Patriots: We don't rebuild, we reload
by Austin Martin on Dec 28, 2010 1:47 PM EST up reply actions
Looks like this is that deal since Ion certainly doesn’t have a major sports division that will want to get their hands on the UFC.
No broadcast network has a major sports division that wants to get their hands on the UFC. Every time an MMA organization has negotiated with the networks, it has always been with the entertainment side, not the sports side. The networks still treat MMA as if it were pro wrasslin’. Their sports divisions want nothing to do with it.
I’m pretty sure CBS Sports dealt with StrikeForce (which is why you had Gus Johnson involved in StrikeForce). I suppose I could be wrong about that.
Anyway, I don’t think Ion has a sports division period, so any sports programming they might air would have to be produced entirely by someone else.
Just wanted to tell everyone that ION is on channel 216 on DISH
Just checked my channel guide, and a lot of this channel is paid programming.
I won't jump off the bandwagon just because you lost.
Many thanks
So much cock. A cock guy.
Read my stuff at SMG.
by inadvertentgroinstrike on Dec 28, 2010 1:49 PM EST up reply actions
Thanks, saved me lots of time
Go get that bread, Kimbo Slice. - Mike Fagan
by SouthAlaBamaRampage on Dec 28, 2010 1:53 PM EST up reply actions
"lot of this channel is paid programming."
Don’t forget ‘Criminal Minds’ and ’Without a trace" LOL
Never argue with idiots.....from a distance, no one can tell which is which...
There's a bunch of us
No ION in ATX on TWC.
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Follow me on twitter @HeadKickLegend
by Matthew Roth on Dec 28, 2010 1:03 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah
I checked guide and did a search for UFC 125. No dice.
The new editor of HeadKickLegend.com
Follow me on twitter @HeadKickLegend
by Matthew Roth on Dec 28, 2010 1:06 PM EST up reply actions
Luckily, I'm going home for NYE so I'll have Verizon Fios which I'm sure has it
and if then then I’ll see if my friend Justin has it on his tv.
The new editor of HeadKickLegend.com
Follow me on twitter @HeadKickLegend
by Matthew Roth on Dec 28, 2010 1:09 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
with such a late notice
It may not show on the guide yet, but you may still have ION. That is the case for me and I’ve had that problem on Spike too. The prelims may not show on the guide till Thursday.
Try channel 38.
I’m not seeing UFC 125 on the guide but we do have the channel. It might take time to show up.
Yeah have it near Dallas too. Twc all the way just wish they’d get an nfl package
Always leave em laughin
by Bobillarious on Dec 28, 2010 1:04 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Yeah have it near Dallas too. Twc all the way just wish they’d get an nfl package
Always leave em laughin
by Bobillarious on Dec 28, 2010 1:04 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
In Houston
with AT&T U-verse…anybody…?
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it."
-Mark Twain
"If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting. If I tell you I'm no good, you know I'm lying..."
-Bruce Lee
"People griping about this matchup need to stop using fight finder as their primary source of MMA information and watch some fights already."
-smoogy2
by The American Ronin on Dec 28, 2010 3:53 PM EST up reply actions
In Houston
but Directv, however the Prelims ARE showing up on my guide for Saturday.
Cablevision for North New Jersey is channel 3
by bigc4277 on Dec 28, 2010 1:04 PM EST via mobile reply actions
No
Folks should keep in mind that Versus has spent more to get some UFC programming and that Versus will eventually become the NBC sports network.
If the UFC leaves Spike, it will likely be for the planned NBC channel.
That’s almost a certainty.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Dec 28, 2010 1:32 PM EST up reply actions
Just out of curiosity
What do you know about the merger? I’m interested in the long-term future of the UFC, etc. What are the chances of the merger happening?
I would put it as less than 50%
Look, ABC didn’t want to merge ABC Sports with ESPN for years. It wasn’t until it became completely obvious that ESPN was this holy cash cow and ABC Sports was a redundancy that the merger happened.
Besides NBC Sports has been far from innovative and Versus/Comcast has really dropped the ball on content creation to get people to watch the network or visit their website with any sort of regularity.
not terribly complicated.
viacom = MTV2 & spike
nbc/’universal = versus etc.,
by destructivist on Dec 28, 2010 3:16 PM EST up reply actions
not sure what this means.....
and maybe it hasnt been updated yet,
but the spike schedule still says that ufc 125 prelims are still a go on comcast in seattle.
nothing listed on ion or ionHD. btw, in seattle its channel 3 or 103 for ion HD
That was a real kick and good for laughs and lashings of the old ultraviolent.
The announcement came from the UFC. It’s happening.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 28, 2010 1:25 PM EST up reply actions
Check out http://www.ionline.tv/ the ion link.. what a horrible tv lineup they have.
without a trace and criminal minds is like 5 hours a night every night. who watches these shows?
Criminal Minds is good shit
Without a Trace, I honestly can’t tell you what kind of shit that is.
I don't want to say he's dirty, but Forrest Griffin looks like directly after a workout his crotch might resemble a cajun swamp.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
The biggest thing I noticed that indicates potential Spike issues
Is UFN 24 is on March 26th instead of on March 30th, when TUF 13 debuts. UFN was routinely a lead-in for TUF but now it isn’t. Wonder what was up there.
Accustomed to mediocrity.
FX is looking to aquire either UFC or Strikeforce programming and there is also ESPN which has had success with the UFC internationally.
by MattParker117 on Dec 28, 2010 2:09 PM EST up reply actions
Good News Everyone
You can watch Time Cop before the Prelims. It was a pretty recent movie.
The new editor of HeadKickLegend.com
Follow me on twitter @HeadKickLegend
by Matthew Roth on Dec 28, 2010 2:04 PM EST reply actions 3 recs
ATT Uverse in Dallas
ION is channel 68 and HD is channel 1068
BTW the people bitching about Baroni/Tavares airing over Brown/Nunes
Should realize the Tavares fight will end in 30 seconds so you’ll probably get to see Brown/Nunes anyway.
Accustomed to mediocrity.
Dana White recently told USA TODAY that the UFC would cut a network deal when they could control the production. Looks like this is that deal since Ion certainly doesn’t have a major sports division that will want to get their hands on the UFC.
I really, really, really, really doubt this. By “broadcast deal” they meant one of the Big 4, or maybe The CW if they got a sweetheart deal. Ion is already big step down from Spike.
One possible alternative angle is that Ion could easily become the long-rumored “UFC channel” which would be an audacious and ambitious, but risky, move.
Come on, man. Kid Nate, I respect you as a writer, but this is insane.
no it isnt.
you can put 2 and 2 together, yes?
Think for one second about how the UFC operates in japan. They pay money to get on TV.
+
This network was dropped by satellite companies because they show more informercials than actual programming.
=
See where im going with this?
by destructivist on Dec 28, 2010 3:18 PM EST up reply actions
Yes, it is batshit fucking nuts
Ion = PAX = a company that always has been a loose conglomerate of broadcast networks that provides its affiliates with enough uniform programming (a whopping 68 hours weekly, little of it original) that a singular cable counterpart was feasible. At any rate The UFC is not going to “buy” a fucking channel, that is insane. If they were to ever make a “UFC Channel” they would make it an On-Demand channel like the one the WWE has (which has a far, far larger library) or The Anime Network, and make it subscription. Furthermore the UFC makes the lion’s share of their money off of PPV. Buying an existing network, and completely remodeling it (Ion is not an informercial channel actually for most of its schedule; in fact they aren’t exactly a single channel, they are actually a really weird hybrid cable/broadcast “multiplexed” network with multiple digital feeds), is just an idiotic thing to do no matter how it were handled. They sure as fuck can’t air their primary product there without losing a shitload of money. They can’t make the same money even airing their prelims there that would likely make off of Spike or even Versus. Ironically, it would become a UFC informercial channel with some PRIDE and TUF re-airings mixed in.
Let’s explore that anyway. Even if they got the channel for free, a large portion of their broadcast affiliates would revolt and split off, forcing the channel into even less relevancy. The UFC would have to make money by creating its own advertising department for something that would already be a UFC Infomercial Channel. Keep in mind that cable and satellite distributors already pimp the hell out of their PPV offerings, chief among them the UFC, in leftover unsold slots from “local” ad blocks, since PPVs make them a lot of money.
They don’t need it, they would lose money, they could make their own infomercial channel from the ground up if they wished and have it aired on Direct TV, Dish Network, and Comcast outlets if they wish, they already have free programming that they get paid decent money for that doubles as advertising on a larger platform than any they could create on their own without investing a ridiculous amount of money building it up.
I wanted to be nice to Kid Nate since he’s generally a good writer and I assume this was just a brain fart on his part, but this is insane on so many levels.
by Chromium on Dec 29, 2010 5:12 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I'm thinking
That Spike didn’t have enough time to clear their already scheduled broadcasts on Saturday, and that is why the UFC is airing these. Remember, The prelims weren’t supposed to air for this event but fans have been hounding Dana over and over about them.
Wasn't the prelims deal just for 2010?
If I recall correctly it was for a limited amount of shows for one year. It’s not like they decided to air them at the last minute, I’m sure this is something that the UFC and Spike had been discussing as the end of their current arraignment was drawing near.
They didnt have a contract in time and to be honest I agree that they shouldnt have to pay money or put up more advertising just to show these 3 fights on short notice.
by destructivist on Dec 28, 2010 3:20 PM EST up reply actions
I'm just the opposite
Spike is in HD on DirecTv and ION doesn’t even have the prelims listed for Saturday on DirecTv’s site. And they’re SD all the time. Which looks like ass on an HD set.
"I cover Baltimore, not the state of Maryland. And would rather have my eyes ripped out with a fork than study your state." - Jen Royle
Not likely
One possible alternative angle is that Ion could easily become the long-rumored “UFC channel” which would be an audacious and ambitious, but risky, move.
If the UFC was going to do a UFC channel it wouldn’t be an OTA channel. That would leave them at the mercy of the FCC. Blood oozing all over the place during the dinner hour or the childrens time of early prime time just won’t fly OTA. There are also to many moving pieces to an OTA network. If the UFC does a UFC channel it will almost certainly be a cable only play.
This is BS
First of all there’s no ION HD channel in my area. So I can’t watch the prelims in HD. Second of all anyone that watches ION and see’s the UFC on is more than likely going to change the channel. It’s a different demographic from Spike.
Zuffa seems a bit touchy.
@ufc UFC
By a show of Twitter hands, who here wants to watch prelims on ION, and who wants to not see prelims at all? Then it’s settled. Sat on ION!
by fitefan on Dec 28, 2010 3:53 PM EST reply actions 6 recs
I agree with them
Why people are bitching about free MMA is beyond me. OOOOH GOD It’s not in HD! It’s the end of the ***king world as we know it! Seriously I guarantee a vast majority of you would die off if you had to live in the wilderness on your own for 3 months.
by Spider_Vemon on Dec 28, 2010 4:02 PM EST up reply actions
it's just bad messaging
When your write a PR release talking about how you are on network t.v. for the first time (they really aren’t) and this is a landmark event and is HUGE news you set up expectations of your audience that they will have access to what you are providing.
When the public is then generally perplexed as to what the “network” is or where they can view it and find out they can’t actually watch the audience will and has reacted poorly.
They misread the audience and did a poor job of packaging the deal with their self-glorification ‘ZOMG we’re on Network television y’all!!!!’ PR. Then when the market started reacting to the reality that Ion is not easily viewable they did a poor job of directing the audience. Instead they acted abrasive and defensive.
It was amazing to watch. Their PR effort remains one of the worst operations in the known world. I can’t imagine how many media outlets they’ve turned off over the years.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 28, 2010 5:01 PM EST up reply actions
It wasn't that long ago that prelims were for "those in attendance"
That it was especially for those who paid a ticket, hotel room and caught a plane, and everyone watching at home had to pay for the prelims at UFC.com afterwards.
Why people are bitching about free MMA is beyond me
Well it seems that most of us don’t actually have Ion so in the end it’s no prelims at all for us either way. Ion is a shitty channel that even people who get don’t know they have, of course there is going to be complaining going on.
by who me on Dec 28, 2010 11:36 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
People complaining because they don't have the channel, fine.
People crying “NO HD, IT’S UNWATCHABLE” should be shot in the big toe with a BB gun. And not one of those dinky little BB guns either, no I’m talking the heavy duty equipment.
I don't want to say he's dirty, but Forrest Griffin looks like directly after a workout his crotch might resemble a cajun swamp.
http://twitter.com/FakeEmcee
http://www.unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com/
I dont see a need for crying but im definitely asking why. I’m more interested in the why’s than the why nots at this point.
by destructivist on Dec 28, 2010 4:11 PM EST up reply actions
Agreed
Luke: What was our best moment?
Nate: When I banned Subo?
Luke: That was a good one.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
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Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Dec 28, 2010 4:45 PM EST up reply actions
The UFC Twitter feed sounds like douchebag parents here
Walter Cronkite wasn’t known as Kid Cronk for a fucking reason.
"Unfortunately, it won’t shut anyone up, but if (the Falcons) get a Lombardi, I’m going to spend all of 2011 not giving a rat’s ass what anyone says." – Dave Choate
by Anthony Pace on Dec 28, 2010 7:13 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
nailed it.
SUPREME'REEM K-1 Champ!
Semper Fi'
Pain don't hurt...
by RolloTomasi on Dec 28, 2010 10:41 PM EST up reply actions
I had a really cool fight I was gonna show you guys....
but you messed it up.
"I'll rock your body with big nasty hooks!"
WTF Are you guys talking about crying? I want to know why???
Who knows that the UFC on ION this Saturday? No one but the hardcore fan so far. I didn’t even know I had ION until I just checked.
Did you know...
…that bitching about free MMA like little bitches makes you… ya know… little bitches?
Free mma isn't much good if you don't know where to see it
Which seems to be the argument being made at the moment. UFC ought to do a youtube video and have Dana White tweet constantly about it if they’re not already.
Ion?
Oh, right! That channel that I never watch……
SUPREME'REEM K-1 Champ!
Semper Fi'
Pain don't hurt...
Now you will.
Accustomed to mediocrity.
by SSreporters on Dec 29, 2010 12:03 AM EST up reply actions
I think they showed the Sam Jackson-Kevin Spacey movie “The Negotiator” every night for two weeks, so it was nice to see that again. And again. And again.
I rarely tweet
I less-rarely write
"I ain't having it" - Buster Posey, hosing folks down
Dana White recently told USA TODAY that the UFC would cut a network deal when they could control the production.
They’ll never get anywhere with that attitude. You’ve got to give up something to get something. They shouldn’t give up too much control, but they may not ever pull in enough ratings to basically insist on just getting the time slot. Not to mention their production efforts are outdated and underwhelming. I can’t believe that NBC, who owns Versus and produces Sunday Night Football, couldn’t improve the production somewhat over what we see now.
Oh yeah, and people who keep bringing up this “why are you crying about free MMA?” notion need to chill out. It’s perfectly logical to enjoy a sport or program and still step outside the role of a fan when evaluating the viability of a business decision or strategy made by the league/promotion.
"A guy in Texas came up to me and told me ‘Frye you're not mixed martial arts, you're no holds barred’, and I said you're god damn right partner." ~ Don Frye
Availability and actually having it are two very different things, if you spend enough money on cable then they pretty much all carry Ion but it’s not in many people’s normal package. Where I live it used to be on channel 15 but they put HSN on 15 and moved Ion to 100 and something (channels I don’t pay to get so I don’t know exactly where it is). It’s still available it’s just that I’m not paying for that tier of service and have want to have to pay extra for Ion (I didn’t even know it was gone from channel 15 until today). This is a horrible move.
Ion has no over-the-air stations in several major markets, most notably Baltimore, Maryland; San Diego, California; Charlotte, North Carolina; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Rockford, Illinois; Cincinnati, Ohio; and St. Louis, Missouri. In Pittsburgh, a deal by Paxson to buy WPCB-TV and trade it for WQEX was rejected by the Federal Communications Commission in a huge controversy in the late 1990s; it would not be until 2010 that Paxson’s successor, ION, would successfully buy WQEX, which was since converted to a commercial license.27 St. Louis at one time received the network by way of a low-power repeater of WPXS, a station in Mount Vernon, Illinois). In Charlotte, WAXN-TV carried some Pax programming from 1998 to 2000, but was never formally affiliated with the network.
In addition, in several other markets, Ion’s predecessor was sold to another television station group to affiliate with a different network or a Spanish service, and through either a lack of channel space or interest in the network. Ion has not reappeared in those markets. They include:
Champaign-Springfield, Illinois: WPXU (now CW affiliate WBUI)
Green Bay, Wisconsin: WPXG (now CW affiliate WCWF)
Albuquerque, New Mexico: KAPX (now TeleFutura affiliate KTFQ)
Fresno-Visalia, California: KPXF (now TeleFutura affiliate KTFF)
Little Rock, Arkansas: KYPX (now RTN affiliate KKYK)
Reno, Nevada: KREN (now CW affiliate)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana: WLFT-CA (now independent religious)
Charlottesville, Virginia: WADA-LP (now Fox affiliate WAHU-CA)
Lafayette, Louisiana: KDCG-LP (now RTN affiliate)
Shreveport, Louisiana: KPXJ (now CW affiliate)
Montgomery, Alabama: WBMM (first to Daystar Television Network, now a CW affiliate)
Sioux Falls, South Dakota: KAUN-LP (now RTN affiliate)
Madison, Wisconsin: W43BR (now America One affiliate)
In several markets, the station’s city of license is considered outside the main portion of a market’s metropolitan area, like Minneapolis – Saint Paul, where that area’s affiliate station (KPXM) transmits from St. Cloud, 60 miles northwest; Detroit, where affiliate WPXD is licensed to Ann Arbor, Michigan, 40 miles west; Hartford, where affiliate WHPX is licensed to New London 40 miles southeast; and Milwaukee, where affiliate WPXE is licensed to Kenosha, with its analog transmitter south of Milwaukee in Racine County (although its digital transmitter is located at the traditional Milwaukee tower farm on the north side of the city). In Cleveland, Ion airs on the former ABC affiliate in Akron (WVPX-TV), which had formerly targeted an audience in Akron and Canton.
When DIRECTV agreed to carry iTV (formerly the national PAX TV network) and PAX local stations, the owners promised that their programming would consist of general, family-oriented entertainment. Now, most of their programming consists of infomercials and other promotional shows. As a result, we have terminated our agreement to carry iTV and local PAX stations. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. We believe that this change was necessary to uphold our standards and meet the expectations of our customers.
They dropped them in 2006 due to them having more infomericals that actual shows, no idea when they picked them back up. Pax/Ion has a history of odd stuff like that (they have declared bankruptcy twice and they have only been around since 1998).
wouldnt that be awsome if the ufc purchased IOn and will rename it the ufc channel?
They would be in 100 milion homes instantly and would be there own network..
Ion is a actual broadcast network, the worst broadcast network with no first run shows but still a tv network with 94 affiliate stations. When they filed for bankruptcy in 2009 they were 2.7 billion dollars in debt, this is a huge operation, much larger than Zuffa. It would be infinitely easier and cheaper to just create their own cable network like the MLB or NFL networks.
Of course the UFC doesn’t have enough actual footage to run a full time all UFC network, they would just be repeating the same stuff month after month. The WWE has been talking about a WWE network for a while now and even with their massive amount of video library they haven’t got it off the ground yet.
Sounds like potential grounds for a lucrative partnership…
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it."
-Mark Twain
"If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting. If I tell you I'm no good, you know I'm lying..."
-Bruce Lee
"People griping about this matchup need to stop using fight finder as their primary source of MMA information and watch some fights already."
-smoogy2
by The American Ronin on Dec 29, 2010 11:42 AM EST up reply actions
It sounds like someone wanting a new car but instead buying a used clunker for a big price and then trying to make a new car out of it. If the UFC was going to make a UFC network they would just make a UFC network not buy a expensive shitty over the air broadcast network conglomeration that no one cares about.
I was referring to a potential new cable station done jointly with the WWE, not an existing one and certainly not an OTA one – you are spot on about what a waste that would be…
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it."
-Mark Twain
"If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting. If I tell you I'm no good, you know I'm lying..."
-Bruce Lee
"People griping about this matchup need to stop using fight finder as their primary source of MMA information and watch some fights already."
-smoogy2
by The American Ronin on Dec 29, 2010 5:34 PM EST up reply actions
Being in HD should be a UFC priority....
It’s almost as bad as color vs black and white.
I have to agree w/ MDS, Spike > ION by far.....
What does the UFC really expect to gain by teaming with ION? They should just start a channel from the ground up.
The biggest winner from this deal is.....
ION.
They may never again have this much publicity. Free at that.
To everyone who is complaining about the quality of their programs look at Sci-Fi, USA, and Spike (TNT & TBS). Their original programs suck:
Spike – Manswers, Star Wars Marathons, Video Game Shows (Knock offs of G4)
Sci-Fi – Basement-Made Horror Movies
USA – whatever they show
TNT – Angel, Charmed, NBA, etc.
TBS- They do have Conan at late night but I don’t watch
In my opinion about 90% of cable channels and just TV in general is low quality. I have DirectTV with all of the basic channels and all of the movie channels.
The only worthwhile channels that I can see are HBO and HDNet.
HBO – Latest Movies and some boxing events.
HDNET – Inside MMA (they should syndicate it), DREAM, Sengoku, King of The Cage, XFC.
With all that being said, if you were to base a TV deal strictly on the quality of the channel’s programming you have to go with HBO. The obvious drawback being that it is not included in everyone’s package.
by MMA: No Heels Required on Dec 29, 2010 11:10 AM EST reply actions
1. Ion isn’t a cable channel it’s an over the air broadcast network. Still they don’t have the audiences or the ratings or the demographics that any of those cable channels you mentioned do. USA network easily doubles Ion’s weekly ratings.
2. Ion has historically targeted the same demographics as their owners do (they are owned by the home shopping network).
3. They have no original shows, heck they are known for having more informercials than actual shows. They actually sent out a press release touting how they were showing MASH now.
4. Even though they are an over the air broadcast network huge swaths of the country don’t get them (over the air or on basic cable).
5. They are traditionally a family oriented entertainment network that until recently was chock full of religious programming.
Dish network carries Ion on ch 216 but the guide has no mention of the fights.
Please follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/DustinDelatorre
by @dustindelatorre on Dec 29, 2010 1:38 PM EST reply actions
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