Spike TV Sets Series High of 1.7 Million Viewers for UFC 109 Prelims
by Nick Thomas on Feb 9, 2010 2:15 PM EST
in MMA News
21 comments
The two UFC 109 undercard bouts, Mac Danzig vs. Justin Buchholz and Melvin Guillard vs. Ronys Torres, got the most viewers in the "UFC Prelims" series that started at UFC 103:
- UFC 109: 1.7 million viewers
- UFC 108: 1.5 million viewers
- UFC 104: 1.4 million viewers
- UFC 103: 1.4 million viewers
- UFC 106: 1.3 million viewers
Payout Perspective:
"I think it’s interesting to see the progression these Prelims have made. They’re still a work in progress in terms of content and scheduling, but the ratings are growing despite the variable presence of known commodities. The UFC is essentially leveraging its brand equity in order to build its fighters (and its own PPVs)."
HT: mmapayout.com
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They’re still a work in progress in terms of content and scheduling
huh? expecting to see famous faces on these prelims is sorta missing the point.
Exactly
I think Melvin Guillard is about the level of name they need to have on these. Anyone more recognized is probably on the PPV, but you need somebody that fans will say “Hey, I’ve heard of him” to at least tune it.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
A couple of things to note: This is a big sports weekend, so we need at least one more prelims show before we can call it an upward trend. Also, if these are true, when you combine these numbers with the ratings for the countdown and you have a pretty good buyrate for the PPV.
twitter.com/thisredengine
If one has to make a correlation with buyrates and Spike viewers either: the audience is growing because more people are becoming aware that the prelims are being broadcast; or a larger audience watching the prelims means less buys, especially if one includes the fact that 107 did 620,000 buys with no prelim fights on Spike. Maybe people are getting their fix and not buying the card?
- UFC 109: 1.7 million viewers = estimated 315,000 buys
- UFC 108: 1.5 million viewers = 300,000 buys
- UFC 104: 1.4 million viewers = 500,000 buys
- UFC 103: 1.4 million viewers = 375,000 buys
- UFC 106: 1.3 million viewers = 375,000 buys
Or maybe the buy rates are a reflection of the perceived value of the cards....
UFC 107 had Penn v Sanchez, Mir vs Kongo, K-Flo against Guida, and it could be argued the best card since 100. 107 is an outlier for the past 6 UFC cards, I’d say.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
If that is the case there is no correlation between buyrates and viewers. Of course I was going of the pretense that
If one has to make a correlation with buyrates and Spike viewers
If I was to make a conjecture, I would think your reasoning for the buyrates is the most likely. As for the growth in audience, it probably has little to do with the cards and more to do with the fact that more fans are becoming aware that the prelims are being broadcast.
I do think there is a disconnect between the prelims and the card to a degree
I see who’s on the card and decide if I want to buy. I see who’s on the prelims and decide if I want to watch. Good prelim fights aren’t going to make me buy a mediocre card, yet I don’t think I watched the prelims before 107 which I did buy. For me, at least, the two aren’t joined at the hip. But that’s a sample size of 1. YMMV.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
"...the variable presence of known commodities. The UFC is essentially leveraging its brand equity in order to build its fighters (and its own PPVs)."
Look at me! I learned some big words!
I think someone watched a few minutes of CNBC and didn’t quite get it…
I wonder how rating did in china on the website? it was supposed to be the first time they broadcast free online to china.
I love that they started doing this.
I don’t buy every UFC PPV, for me its just not financially viable(college student). I’d say I get about half of them. However, I watch just about every free UFC or any other MMA event that comes on my TV. This was a very smart move by the UFC in my opinion; so long as they aren’t putting headline quality fights on here, they shouldn’t lose any money. Most people who will buy a certain PPV will buy it for the main card bouts. Seeing Melvin Guillard doesn’t satiate them, they wont watch that and then not buy the card.
What it does is allows people who maybe aren’t big enough fans to buy the PPVs a chance to watch for free on a more regular basis, while not really losing money on their end. This either builds these people into PPV buying fans, or at worst lets them keep being casual fans where they weren’t going to spend the money anyways.
Black Shoes. Basic Blues. No Name. All Game.
"Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth."
Casual fans who can't afford a $45 PPV for one night
but might be willing to spend that much for one month at a UFC gym or buying UFC branded merchandise.
Not to mention that all those eyes on Spike fights translate into good sponsorship money for undercard fighters.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
by pdl on Feb 9, 2010 2:59 PM EST up reply actions
Casual fans who can't afford $45 EVERY month
might become casual fans who can afford $45 every few months. And that grows the PPV audience at no expense to UFC. Whomever thought of this at Zuffa deserves a raise.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
Exactly
It is keeping your name and product out there on people’s radar. It doesn’t cost the customer money or lose the UFC money. All this with potential gains in the longterm.
Black Shoes. Basic Blues. No Name. All Game.
"Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth."
Here's my experience last Saturday...
My girlfriend and I weren’t planning on buying the PPV. It seemed kind of week, though a few fights were interesting to me.
We watched the prelims, because they were free, and we love MMA. Even though they weren’t the greatest fights, it got us in the mood for more MMA, so when the broadcast ended, and we were having a good time, we ordered the PPV.
It was kind of like, when you’re at the bar, enjoying your drinks, and almost ready to leave, when the girl comes around with a special on shots. I didn’t even know I wanted shots, but “What the Hell! Sure, I’ll spend some more money!”
Pure impulse buy, and I ended up enjoying the PPV.
She fell asleep.
shrugs
the Hershal Walker noobs…
It’s all about the funnel babies… the funnel. Zuffa’s immovable pocket is at the end of the funnel… everything else (strikeforce, etc…) is only part of the funnel which feeds it.
This is why I say going up against the UFC is like running in quick sand.
The problem with going against the UFC is...
People keep trying to change the game and up the ante, which is a borderline hilarious situation. Yes, Strikeforce staging cards on free TV is great and you’re doing something the UFC isn’t doing, congratulations. What does that actually get them though? It gets people that have no idea what they are doing messing with their business. Awesome, what a great plan.
If someone really wanted to take it to the UFC they need to take a page out of the UFC’s book and that’s find a fledgling cable network that would love the ratings, and would flex their schedule around what you want. Showtime is great, but isn’t the same. FSN/FX/TNT/TBS something like that would be the best bet, and then counter program their PPVs with big name fights.
I don’t think a whole lot of Strikeforce personally, and generally think their divisions are extremely shallow, but they have great talent at the top end. If you decided to take a Fedor fight, or Hendo vs Shields, or whatever, take two name fights, and maybe one fight with two on the rise fighters for a three fight card. Make it a 1.5hr program, and counter straight at the beginning of the UFC PPV. Why at the beginning? Because if you keep people from buying a PPV for the first hour/hour and a half of the show, the chances of them dropping 45$ for the last 90 minutes of a PPV are a whole lot slimmer, even if they really wanted to see those fights.
That’s volley one, volley two would be to then put on your own PPV on an extended time frame, like every three months, or maybe even just two a year, and do so at a price point less than the UFC’s offering.
Volley one sets up the viewers to already start watching your MMA over the UFC, and volley two then sets up the UFC shows to look overpriced. Together, you’re going to war with the biggest brand in the business, and still probably looking better financially than they currently are.
Associate Writer - WindyCityGridiron.com
This seems terribly taxing in a business sense for the organization, i think Strikeforce (and its equals) is better off building itself up than trying to take the UFC on at its own game. Maybe later, if Strikeforce lasts and gets enough wealth, then this is a viable plan. The problem with going against the UFC is that the UFC is superior in all aspects in its own realm; playing the same field is suicidal for Strikeforce-level orgs. That’s my opinion and I am too lazy to match the size of your post hahah
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