UFC 125 Preliminaries Get 829,000 Viewers, Lowest Ever
by Nate Wilcox on Jan 4, 2011 5:21 PM EST
in Business of MMA
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When the UFC announced only days before UFC 125 that it would be airing three preliminary fights on ION TV it was a suprising announcement. The UFC and Spike TV have been joined at the hip since 2005 when The Ultimate Fighter made the UFC a commercially viable entity in the U.S.
Three fights were aired on ION: Marcus Davis vs Jeremy Stephens, Phil Baroni vs Brad Tavares, and Josh Grispi vs Dustin Poirier.
Many wondered how the show would fare given the short notice and ION's status as the least of the U.S. television networks.
MMA Mania breaks the news of the ratings:
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) drew 829,000 viewers in its debut on Ion Television. This is the first televised UFC preliminary card that failed to attract over one million viewers.
MMA Payout has some analysis:
This is a new low for a UFC Prelims broadcast as the previous was 1.1 million at UFC 118. However, I'm not surprised. The UFC announced this broadcast a week before and didn't really get the word out as much as it probably wanted to. Moreover, there were problems on Ion's end: the broadcast started with a black screen for the first few minutes (at least on Comcast in Oregon) and the program listing was set to 9pm PST instead of 6pm PST.
The ratings for the UFC 125 Prelims on Ion could have been better, but they could have been worse too. It'll be interesting to see if the UFC returns to the network and how much promotion they throw behind the next set. As mentioned in the Payout Perspective, there seems to be a battle looming between Zuffa and Spike over the expiration of the UFC's television agreement in 2011. The performance of the UFC on Ion will undoubtedly play a role in the negotiating leverage the UFC has with Spike and other networks.
MMA Weekly has a list of all of the UFC preliminary shows that have been aired on how they did:- UFC 103: 1.4 million viewers
- UFC 104: 1.4 million viewers
- UFC 106: 1.3 million viewers
- UFC 108: 1.5 million viewers
- UFC 109: 1.7 million viewers
- UFC 111: 1.2 million viewers
- UFC 114: 1.6 million viewers
- UFC 115: 1.5 million viewers
- UFC 116: 1.3 million viewers
- UFC 118: 1.1 million viewers
- UFC 119: 1.3 million viewers
- UFC 121: 1.5 million viewers
- UFC 123: 1.5 million viewers
- UFC 125: 829,000 viewers
The real significance of these numbers is whatever impact they have on the UFC's negotiations with Spike, Fox, Comcast/NBC/Versus, and any other network or cable provider that wants to jump in and bid.
The UFC won't surrender production control so that will likely eliminate HBO and ESPN/ABC from the realm of the possible. CBS has its deal with Showtime and Strikeforce although that appears to be on hold.
The fact that neither Fox nor FX cut a deal with Bellator makes me think they're a live underdog in this hunt.
My money is on a return to Spike but anything is possible. The UFC would be foolish to openly chose another suitor when there is another year left on their Spike contract. Cable TV is their essential promotional arm for PPV sales. If Spike decides their relationship is over and the UFC won't be back, they have enormous power to damage the UFC and weaken it, lowering the asking price for other bidders.
Don't write off Versus either. There are rumors and rumors that they will become NBC's sports channel if the Comcast acquisition is finalized.
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If Spike wants to enjoy the ratings from UFC, perhaps the next contract will have them host all Prelims
Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
George Carlin
In other news ...
Ion are no doubt thrilled they got such a good rating compared to what they normally do on a Saturday night.
lol
I never even heard of the ion channel apparently many others didn’t either. I had to watch the prelims online on a bootleg stream.
I didn’t have Ion at home either and when I looked up the listing they had it as “Ultimate Fighting Challenge” :D
ion comes with basic cable, it’s channel 8 in southern orange county
im pretty sure everyone gets it, i almost missed it because they had First Knight with sean connery playing and the guide was jacked, i was thinking at the time, “frickin dumbasses are gonna play the prelims during the main event”
i should have looked here first, u might be in one of the areas listed here then:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_Television#Major_market_absences
I have an off brand cable provider
but Matt Roth didn’t have it either. I found some friends who did but they have the super stupid package.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
I have FiOS
When I went to their website to see if we got the station it had no cable providers in my area as carrying it. I was very bummed.
by spudsucker on Jan 4, 2011 10:39 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Sadly
I couldn’t ever find the channel to know if it was in my tv package. Probably makes me a dumb ass, but, I’m just a guy trying to watch some fights.
"There wasn't a man voting for it that didn't think that under a setup of this kind he'd muscle in on the profits of the men abler than himself...But while he was thinking that he'd get unearned benefits from the men above he forgot about the men below who'd get unearned benefits too. He forgot about all his inferiors that would rush to drain him just as he hoped to drain his superiors...That was our real motive when we voted. That was the truth of it. But we didn't like to think it. So the less we liked it the louder we yelled about our love for the common good."
Whats funny is you might have had the channel. I have basic cable and it was part of my package, its some random ass channel though
What i did like was the pacing of this prelim, it was fast, the screen wasn’t cluttered with constant movie advertisements in the bottom corner, and it was easy to hear the corners talk to fighters between rounds.
by TheBiggertheyare... on Jan 4, 2011 8:09 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah… I ended up having both an Ion East and West… Who knew?
You need to respect the baby... 'cause life is precious... and God... and the Bible.
by timetraveltome on Jan 4, 2011 8:24 PM EST up reply actions
I think
This was pretty common. My wife found the prelims on accident while channel surfing and recorded them for me, I had never heard of ION myself. Seemed like a strange channel choice to me at the time.
When does the Spike contract end? I know its sometime in 2011 but haven’t heard when during the year.
Its safe to say that without Playboy we wouldn't have MMA as we know it today. - Jonathan Snowden
Interesting
I was thinking this made a decent negotiating ploy if the end of the contract was coming up around the end of the first quarter. But with so much time in between, I don’t really get it.
Its safe to say that without Playboy we wouldn't have MMA as we know it today. - Jonathan Snowden
what is there to get?
Spike wouldn’t put on the prelims. UFC wanted to air the prelims. UFC found someone to air the prelims.
Which is perfectly reasonable
But not coming out and saying that made it seem to me that they might be doing it for leverage. If the timeline is as long as Nate thinks, then it doesn’t make as much sense to me.
Its safe to say that without Playboy we wouldn't have MMA as we know it today. - Jonathan Snowden
"[Spike] can’t take them," he said. "We have a deal, X amount of prelim fights, and there’s always gaps. It’s never been that every prelim fight is shown on Spike. It never was."
"I said, ‘How do we get this thing on television?’" White said. "You’re not going to put [the prelims] on NBC or CBS, so we took a shot, called these guys and started working with them. They were awesome, and every fan that wanted to see the prelims should be doing Diego Sanchez ‘Yes’ cartwheels down the street. We got it on free TV."
"I go out and make this deal, and then fans are like, ‘What’s an Ion?’ ‘They don’t have HD.’" he said. "Too f—ing bad. I got it done. They’re on TV. They’re available on over 100 million homes. I got you the prelims."
He did. I don’t know why everyone is going crazy.
That's awesome
Thanks man, hadn’t seen anything on this before today.
Its safe to say that without Playboy we wouldn't have MMA as we know it today. - Jonathan Snowden
I hope it's not Versus
I’m hoping for a non pay channel that will reach the most audiences given I’d order a channel for it. But there’s lots that couldn’t do that and I want this sport to grow bigger. So keys hope for espn or maybe fox. I just want as many people possible to beable to enjoy what I enjoy.
by Bloodsport on Jan 4, 2011 5:34 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I know versus is non pay but it’s not readily available
by Bloodsport on Jan 4, 2011 5:34 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Woops
I didn’t read bottom of article just quick scanned looks like versus could be good. Well point being I want as many people possible to beable to enjoy this shit called mma
by Bloodsport on Jan 4, 2011 5:39 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Outstanding Ratings
Nate, what are your thoughts about the ratings (compared to what you expected)?
Personally, I’m really impressed. I was expecting 600k ish, and here’s why – This number represents the absolute floor for a Prelim show. It didn’t show up in any tv guide/listings, it was on a station NO ONE watches, it wasn’t well documented. If you don’t search internet forums or UFC.com or follow Dana white, you had no way of realistically finding this show.
When Spike gets 1.5 million, I assumed 2/3 of those were people who were flipping through and saw them, or more ‘casual’ fans. This represents a lot more hardware fans than I realized.
Anecdotal case and point – one of my friends who is a big UFC fan, I asked him Friday if he knew how to watch the prelims and he said ‘No, are they on UFC.com again?’
It was a surprise for me.
For one I never heard of Ion. I didn’t even know if I had the channel. When I found it, the guide never even showed that it would be airing the fights.
I think it's pretty good all things considered
but the decision making to put them on Ion strikes me as odd.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
I think it depends on what exactly went into it.
If they were looking for any way to get on network tv to say they were on network tv, then this is a little silly, but if this is a one time thing, or a last minute thing, i think it is fine. People told dana they wanted to see the prelims, spike wouldn’t/couldn’t put them on. The options then are network TV or ufc.com, and they have a much better shot of getting a 1 time or short term thing done with them than any of the big boys.
I haven't seen anyone mention this...
It’s not just so they can say they are on network TV, it’s so they can air them somewhere.
The UFC’s contract with Spike has limitations put in place on where the UFC can broadcast. They can’t get on any other cable channels and the Spike contract specified a number of fights they will air per year.
So, for those fights that Spike doesn’t air, the UFC has to find a network to air them on. Working out a contract for undercard fights isn’t something a major network would be interested in. Ion is technically considered network tv, doesn’t really have anything better to do, and allows the UFC to avoid any conflicts in the Spike contract.
This just let’s them air prelim fights that otherwise wouldn’t have been. It’s a case of better something than nothing at all.
Spike needs the UFC, not the other way around. They’re not going to rip up their meal ticket and Dana bursts into flames.
"I'm gonna go after number one, whoever it is. If it's Anderson, or I gotta go up after the guys at 205, or go on a diet and go after Jose Aldo-- it doesn't matter." -Chael Sonnen
by Charles Awad on Jan 4, 2011 5:40 PM EST via mobile reply actions
You mean Blue Mountain State isn’t the key to ratings dynamite?
I rarely tweet
I less-rarely write
"I ain't having it" - Buster Posey, hosing folks down
The low number may have something to do with the fact that it was on January 1.
Keep Firing, Assholes!
Time to put some meat in your pain sandwich.
by Ubernoober on Jan 4, 2011 5:40 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Not Versus
I hope it isnt on Versus because you need the 250 channel package on Dish Network to get it.
this. I have a poor people's package lol
"What do you know about my vision? My vision will turn your world upside down, tear asunder your illusions and send the sanctuary of your own ignorance crashing down around you. Now ask yourself: Are you really ready to see that vision?"
-Huey Freeman
Dana Said...
“if you don’t get Ion you’re and idiot…”
well…I stayed at a holiday in express all weekend…and I couldn’t get Ion…I did get HDnet and got to see the Reem the night before…Went to Hooters for UFC…They didn’t have Ion…maybe i should’ve bough one of those lil handheld TVs with the antennae…
In prime time for 2010, ION experienced tremendous year-over-year gains in key demos averaging 480,000 A25-54 (47%), 417,000 A18-49 (59%), 299,000 W25-54 (72%), 265,000 W18-49 (87%) and 1,157,000 total viewers (+60%) – making it the only network to register a record double-digit growth for three consecutive years.
For 4Q10, ION celebrated its best primetime quarter ever among A18-49 (437,000), W18-49 (287,000), W25-54 (316,000) and total viewers (1,252,000). Additionally, ION finished the year on a high note, as December also came in as the most watched month ever in traditional prime among W25-54 (349,000), W18-49 (309,000) and total viewers (1,361,000).
http://news.morningstar.com/newsnet/ViewNews.aspx?article=/BW/20110104006260_univ.xml
by who me on Jan 4, 2011 6:01 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Not that I have seen but Saturdays seem to be movie night on Ion (Space Cowboys and the Fugitive this Saturday).
Every time i turn it to ION it has a Jean Claude Van Damm movie playing, so its quickly becoming my favorite channel
by TheBiggertheyare... on Jan 4, 2011 8:12 PM EST up reply actions
Couple things:
The number actually impresses me. A good 60% + of the fans who watch the prelims tracked down this last minute aired UFC prelim on an unknown channel.
If the UFC leaves Spike what happens to the Ultimate FIghter? Doesn’t Spike have some longterm right to the show?
If I’m Strikeforce and Showtime and the UFC leaves Spike I’m calling them immediately to get put together some cards and a clip show.
Spike cant just air other MMA the day after the UFC leaves. There’s a significant buffer. The network would likely be dead by the time it’s over.
And Zuffa’s not leaving spike, it just outgrown it and restructuring its content distribution strategy..
Ironically though Strikeforce may have been trying to put together a clip show on ION… Idint dat a stinker.
you must be new here
mmalogic is a source. sometimes he’s an unreliable source but sometimes he seems to have an odd insight.
He’s purported to be a consultant to the UFC at times. I always find him worth listening to, even if he’s frequently disagreeable and often posts when he’s clearly drunk.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
or a shill
which is what i usually call him.
sometimes his personality changes and we speculate if whatever UFC consultant he works for hired a new intern to troll BE.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
He was a shill
It’s hard for him to be a shill on here since he was outed (or outed himself by repeatedly suggesting his relationship) since the definition of a shill is someone who doesn’t disclose a relationship with whatever they’re hawking. Astroturfer might be another good label.
This is low based on what??? nobody has heard of this network. The target demos for the network were up over 30%.
The average primetime viewership (including weekdays) are around a million. Pulling this number on a weeks notice on a saturday night was pretty darn good.
I looked at the number and thought this was good considering the things that were against it like people not knowing these prelims were on ION, these prelims being announced that they’ll be on ION within the same week, and that most people didn’t seem to know the existence of the ION channel.
I won't jump off the bandwagon just because you lost.
Next time
UFC should try running the prelims on QVC…
by ScoreCardOTN on Jan 4, 2011 6:06 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
What I like about this is
that they are getting new viewership. At this point in time, they’ve milked the Spike audience for as much as they can get and need to capture the attention of the 18-34 male demographic that isn’t on there. In that context on a network of similar size as spike getting around 60-70% the number that spike did with maximum exposure is a good sign.
If it werent for Dana Whites Tweet that no matter what the prelims would be at 6 pacific i would of not watched
Twitter @MaZZM
http://mazznettt.blogspot.com/
Can someone explain to me...
why networks would have a problem allowing the UFC to control the broadcast? They have a proven product in tested packaging. The UFC’s high-level production combined with a network’s resources and marketing should be the next step toeard’s the UFC’s stated goals of solidifying themselves as THE major league, monolith of MMA. While I understand a network’s skittishness regarding relinquishing control of content, I’m surprised that none of them have looked at the success of Spike broadcasts and PPVs as proof that the UFC knows how to market and produce it’s product. You’d think that one of the big 4 would have jumped in by now.
by John Danaher's Hair on Jan 4, 2011 6:17 PM EST reply actions
They have inhouse personnel who wouldn’t get paid and that’s a political problem. It’s also the reason why MMA on showtime has lasted this long even though the content makes no sense for their network strategically or monetarily.
thanks...
That makes sense, though I would think that the UFC would be able to sell that as a pro, telling the network that they already have full staff hired and trained, plus the network would be able to save HR fees by not being the Zuffa crew’s employer.
by John Danaher's Hair on Jan 4, 2011 6:36 PM EST up reply actions
monetarily it makes sense for the network but for those involved in these decisions and in the background working for those involved with these decisions wouldnt have control in some circumstances or get paid in other and that’s a sticking pont.
Jim Lampley was vehemently against UFC on HBO…. because he wouldnt make money from it. He doesnt make the decisions but he has the ears of those who are involved. And others even higher than him who are directly involved lose power and/or money.
If you threaten key people in an organization it’s tough to get a deal done. It’s politics.
Massive FCC fines for the network and affiliates if some one says some thing the FCC doesn’t like.
The fact that they have spent years and a fortune building their image and reputations and couls have it spoiled in a heart beat.
No problem with ION in Chicagoland
It started on time, the picture was good. I like that there is some UFC on broadcast TV. I don’t have cable, but we have DirectTV in the public rooms in my condo building. No Versus. Hope they do more prelims on “free” TV in the future.
I really liked the ION broadcast.
It was smoother than Spike. The audio was a marked improvement and the camera work was a bit better, too.
I specializes in grammar fail.
I would've watched it if I had ION. I have a nice super package but I just plain don't get it.
and don’t tell me anybody can get it easily, even with bunny ears. 1) I do not have bunny ears and Radio Shack is far away. 2) I would rather watch it on the internet if I can’t just turn on my tv and watch it.
Ya, Zuffa is being pretty dumb about this and seems to be driving significant numbers of people to try the internet streams. This was temporary though, right?
This
I would have been fine with Dana coming out with something like, “Look, we couldn’t put it on Spike for (insert whatever excuse), but we wanted to bring you guys the prelims. We got ION on short notice and we’re sorry to anyone who doesn’t get the channel.” Or some other line of BS, really. But calling your fandom idiots for not getting bunny ears for one prelim show is pretty weak.
Its safe to say that without Playboy we wouldn't have MMA as we know it today. - Jonathan Snowden
Same with me...
I searched for it on IONs site and it mentioned that it’s not available through cable. It would be available through satalite if you have certain packages. Also you can catch it over the air, but yeah I’m not going to spend any cash to catch a single channel, that I’ll watch only a couple times a year for prelims.
the program listing was set to 9pm PST instead of 6pm PST.
This is why I missed the Baroni fight. I had my TV set to autotune the prelims but my DVR recorded the wrong show.
Fortunately I caught it in time to see Marcus Davis get KO’d.
I won my fantasy football leauge, so I'm kind of awsome...kind of.
Semper Fi'
Pain don't hurt...
Regarding the Time Zone Mix up:
I think it is important to note that Comcast in Washington did this same mistake. Playing the prelims at 9 pm PST. Right in the middle of the event they are supposed to hype.
I am glad to know that although Ion listed it at 9 PST, it was actually playing it at 6 PST.
SD>no prelims on TV
Its safe to say that without Playboy we wouldn't have MMA as we know it today. - Jonathan Snowden
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