Spike Counter-Programming UFC on Fox 2 With Eight Hour Marathon
by Josh Nason on Dec 7, 2011 12:53 PM EST
in UFC News
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If there was any question about whether Spike would play nice with the UFC in 2012, that was answered Wednesday as the network announced an eight-hour UFC marathon called "UFC Unleashed: Evans vs. Davis" that will run before, during and after UFC on Fox 2.
The schedule for Saturday, January 28th, will feature competitors from the top three matches on the card. The breakdown is as follows:
- 4:00pm ET/re-airs at 9pm PT – UFC Unleashed – Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera
- 5:00pm ET/re-airs at 10:00pm PT – UFC 137 - Phil Davis vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
- 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT – UFC Unleashed – Chael Sonnen vs. Renato Sobral (UFC 55)
- 8:00pm ET/ 5:00pm PT – UFC Unleashed – Mark Munoz vs. Kendall Grove (UFC 112)
- 9:00pm ET/ 6:00pm PT– UFC Unleashed - Rashad Evans vs. Brad Imes (TUF 2 Finale)
- 10:00pm ET/ 7:00pm PT – UFC Unleashed - Rashad Evans vs. Quinton Jackson (UFC 114)
- 11:00pm ET/ 8:00pm PT - UFC Unleashed – Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida (UFC 98)
This isn't the first time Spike has counter-programmed their content partner, famously running a Nate Marquardt marathon against Versus earlier in June (ironically, he was scrapped from the card the week of) and recently airing a Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos marathon against the UFC's Fox debut in November. The former actually outdrew the live show, while the latter failed miserably against the massive Fox audience.
Expect more of the same throughout 2012, Spike's final year with access to the UFC library.
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Spike TV - God Tier Trolling
Now I wonder, does the UFC make any royalties or anything off these replays?
Nope
Spike owns the cable broadcast rights. The UFC made the money when they signed with them ages ago.
Head conductor of the Charles Oliveira hype train.
That's a bold move, Cotton
Let’s see how it works out for him.
Not afraid to nitpick
by joker24 on Dec 7, 2011 12:55 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I love how they close it up by taking a fat crap on Evans
Masterful, Spike TV, masterful.
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb."
by menckenstein on Dec 7, 2011 12:59 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
LOL - I know!
I’m surprised Bisping vs. Hendo from UFC 100 isn’t on there as well (maybe it would be too obvious)
God I love the DVR
Counter Programming is the best thing ever! Free on FOX, free on spike, record both, flip channels, drink beers
"The fact that society may find speech offensive is not a sufficient reason for suppressing it. Indeed, if it is the speaker's opinion that gives offense, that consequence is a reason for according it constitutional protection."
Same
I just watch the marathon leading up to the new event and switch over. Sometimes (as with the first UFC on FOX) the new event is over before the marathon is over, so I just switch over to the marathon lol.
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Dec 7, 2011 1:57 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, I’m definitely going to have to clear out the DVR to make some space for everything I’ll be recording on that day.
by Jessica Rabbit on Dec 7, 2011 2:09 PM EST up reply actions
Spike's about to realize that...
Fox is a bit bigger than Versus. And Spike. This won’t be nearly as successful as their last dalliance with counterprogramming, and they risk incurring the wrath of Fox. Not smart, and just some sour grapes bullshit, IMO.
If your wife owes money to Jackie Treehorn... that means you owe money to Jackie Treehorn.
by John Danaher's Hair on Dec 7, 2011 1:04 PM EST reply actions 4 recs
True enough, but here's Spikes justification:
They spent money on buying the rights to the library. Since the UFC did not buy those rights back, they must use that asset to generate as much profit as they can. Piggy backing off of FOX+UFCs efforts will net them the most return on investment.
I’m really curious how much it would have cost the UFC to buy the library back. It should have been worth a lot to them, if for no other reason than to ensure their initial period in the FOX deal goes off without a hitch.
I was under the impression...
That the only reason Zuffa hasn’t bought the library back from Spike is because while Spike owns the rights to it, they’re not allowed to air another MMA promotion (Bellator) on their television channel.
K-1 Level Predictions Team Captain.
Conductor and sole passenger on the Fitch bandwagon.
Follow @zakkree
by Zachary Kater on Dec 7, 2011 2:46 PM EST up reply actions
Thats also part of the deal...
but, at least imo, Spike counter programming the UFC with UFC content is more harmful than with Bellator content.
The counterprogramming is not harmful at all because Fox is bigger than Spike.
This deal with the library is a plus for the UFC because it prevents Bellator and Spike from gathering momentum together during 2012. It would be a lot easier to build an audience on Spike if they can switch people from live UFC events to live bellator events, but they are going to have to hope that people will stick around to watch reruns for a year.
Some numbers from their last counter-programming effort
MMAPayout.com has learned that Spike TV’s Saturday night telecast of "Dos Santos vs. Velasquez: Unleashed for the Heavyweight Title" between 9:00-10:00 pm ET/PT drew 719,000 viewers and a 0.6 rating with Men 18-34. List of ratings for "Unleashed" episodes pre and post UFC on FOX are listed below:
- At 8:00 pm: Before UFC on FOX went live, "Unleashed" drew 923,000 viewers .
- At 10:00 pm: After the UFC on FOX had gone off air, "Unleashed" drew 787,000.
via mmapayout.com
Muchas Gracias, Señor
"A man who believes that he can do everything, let him dig a grave and bury himself."
by The One Who Wears The Crown on Dec 7, 2011 1:59 PM EST up reply actions
Brilliantly run company
I know when a client leaves me, I like to talk shit about them on Facebook, and market a product directly against theirs. That way, future clients know I don’t fuck around.
Mike Massenzio's left MCL, ACL and PCL
11/01/1982-01/14/2012
I actually never saw that fight
So I will be tuning in.
"If I go sailing, I'm taking a white baby on a key chain with me............If my boat go down they gonna find me" - Patrice ONeal (RIP)
"Sarcastically I'm in charge" - Militant #2
by LRaunThaDamaja on Dec 7, 2011 2:39 PM EST up reply actions
I'd like to see a BE editor roundtable
discussing whether it was a smart move for Spike to use the UFC library for cheap ratings rather than promoting Bellator in 2012 on Spike TV. With Viacom owning Bellator, I can’t help but contemplate whether or not they’re wasting a year that could be utilized building the Bellator brand (let’s be honest, it won’t grow much on MTV 2 next year). I can see arguments on both sides.
Well that would be easy
since Spike can’t play competing mma organisations in 2012 because they are bound by an exclusive deal with the UFC
Head conductor of the Charles Oliveira hype train.
Nope.
If they give up the rights to the library they can do whatever they want. Dana felt that they should’ve gone with that option to “honor the spirit of the deal.”
Sorry man
Spike has signed a legal obligation to not air mma content that isn’t the ufc up to and including 2012. They tried to get out of it but Zuffa won’t buy back the rights.
Dana’s “spirit of the deal” comment was referring to them trying to get around it by having Bellator prelims on Spike’s website
Head conductor of the Charles Oliveira hype train.
Somehow I doubt that,
Wouldn’t it be in Viacom’s best interest to get Bellator on Spike ASAP? I thought that the UFC was actively keeping Bellator off of Spike by refusing to buy back their library from them.
ITS CALLED DVR BITCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously don't take me serious. Seriously....
in 2013, Spike will say "We used to be a legit channel...
but then we took an arrow to the knee."
"If you think, you're late. If you're late, you muscle. If you muscle, you get tired. If you tired, you die. When you die is when you tap..."
-Saulo Ribeiro
by sklart on Dec 7, 2011 1:56 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Spike is gonna fuck around and get Bellator on Dana's Tombstone
The UFC may not be able to directly attack Spike, but they can definitely cut Bellator’s throat and walk away. Dana is a spiteful bastard like that.
This is an average card
Bisping-Rivera was an average fight minus the controversy
Davis-Nogueira was interesting because of the names and a decent but not worth taking time out to watch or feature on a highlight card. A “watch it later” at best.
Evans-Jackson sucked, without the names and buildup it was nothing.
Spike could have done a lot better, though topping off with Evans-Machida is a masterstroke I can’t deny
UFC used to collude with Spike to do this in order to mess with EliteXC, Affliction and Strikeforce events.
Spike learned this behavior from the UFC, so now the UFC is just getting a taste of their own medicine.
A very, very small taste
Like… Children’s Tylenol.. fed to a moose.
Mike Massenzio's left MCL, ACL and PCL
11/01/1982-01/14/2012
by Charles Awad on Dec 7, 2011 3:36 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
What you don't understand is
what Spike does is actually good for UFC.
Zuffa has enough money to by the library back. Business as usual: Very good decision on Zuffa’s part, not buying the library back.
Machida will beat Jones.
Condit will beat Diaz.
Are people ever going to stop thinking this is a big deal?
Spike did this to cards on Vs when everything was hunky dory between zuffa and spike. UFC is stuff is some of their best rated stuff. It’s a lot smarter to air a bunch of fights on a day that UFC fans are home watching TV instead of all 6 stars wars back to back, or an auction hunters, or manswers, or whatever other nonsense they usually air on the weekends.
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