Strikeforce Fedor vs Silva Breaks Showtime Ratings Records With Over 1 Million Viewers
by Nate Wilcox on Feb 15, 2011 1:08 PM EST
in Strikeforce News
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So far so good for Strikeforce in 2011. Their first major show of the year, Diaz vs Cyborg got the second best ratings of an MMA event in Showtime history. Now it looks like Fedor vs Silva broke all records for MMA on Showtime.
MMA Junkie has the details:
Overall, the Feb. 12 event averaged 741,000 viewers and peaked with 1.1 million for the Antonio Silva vs. Fedor Emelianenko headliner. Both broke Strikeforce's previous bests on Showtime.
...
The new ratings records break those previously held by "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg," an August 2009 event headlined by female fighters Gina Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos that averaged 576,000 viewers and peaked with 856,000.
Here are the numbers for Strikeforce's most recent shows:
• 741,000 viewers, Strikeforce: Fedor vs Silva (Feb 2011)
• 561,000 viewers, Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg (Jan 2011)
• 517,000 viewers, Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Zaromskis (Jan 2010)
• 412,000 viewers, Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum (Jun 2010)
• 367,000 viewers, Strikeforce: Lawal vs. Cavalcante (Aug 2010)
• 350,000 viewers, Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons 2 (Oct 2010)
MMA Payout comments on Strikeforce's fortunes in the first quarter of this year:
There can be no conversation about the growth of MMA without mentioning Strikeforce. It may be the second largest fight organization in the world and far behind in the revenue race, but it possesses a heavyweight division as deep and talented as any out there. This Strikeforce HW GP is the perfect way to showcase that organizational strength and breathe new life into the organization. There's a significance and purpose to these fights that Strikeforce has sorely lacked over the years. It's not just enough to put on good fights in this business, Strikeforce has got to put on good fights that mean something, and this GP provides an answer to that age old sports marketing question of "why should we care?".
...
The ratings Strikeforce pulled with its last event are certainly encouraging. I'm not certain a PPV is necessarily in the cards for 2011 - especially now that Fedor is out of the tournament - but I do think they'll do enough to get themselves back on CBS within the year.
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And Fedor isn't a draw huh?
Good for SF. Hopefully these ratings will carry over through the rest of the tournament.
don't worry
sooner or later M1 will get StrikeForce just like it did other organizations.
"Turn yourself not away from three best things: Good Thought, Good Word, and Good Deed" - Zoroaster
catch me if you can @ MMA Answers
by SheepleBuster on Feb 15, 2011 1:21 PM EST up reply actions
As if Showtime would allow that
Also, do you comment negatively on every post that has something to do with Fedor or Strikeforce?
by lolumad on Feb 15, 2011 1:23 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Just like two days ago, people were attacking me for defending Fedor?
This has got nothing to do with Fedor. Fedor is an impressive fighter and great legend. M1? I have no respect for that organization.
"Turn yourself not away from three best things: Good Thought, Good Word, and Good Deed" - Zoroaster
catch me if you can @ MMA Answers
by SheepleBuster on Feb 15, 2011 1:24 PM EST up reply actions
The way M1 has handled Fedor's career
and the way they continue to do things, I just don’t consider M1 good for MMA. Now. I am not a UFC mark. I love what Strikeforce did this past weekend. I like them to continue but somehow just cut M1 out of the equation. The fact that Vadim thought M1 was “equal” with the UFC shows they are delusional. I just don’t get why bashing M1 is like bashing Fedor to some fans. I am not even talking about Fedor
"Turn yourself not away from three best things: Good Thought, Good Word, and Good Deed" - Zoroaster
catch me if you can @ MMA Answers
by SheepleBuster on Feb 15, 2011 1:31 PM EST up reply actions
“I just don’t get why bashing M1 is like bashing Fedor to some fans. I am not even talking about Fedor”
Is that reply supposed to be to me?
I made a positive comnment about M-1, not Fedor.
Andre's Posse
no :)
But I don’t respond to haters directly and since you are not one, I decided to respond to you. haha.
"Turn yourself not away from three best things: Good Thought, Good Word, and Good Deed" - Zoroaster
catch me if you can @ MMA Answers
by SheepleBuster on Feb 15, 2011 1:43 PM EST up reply actions
M-1 is fucking horrible.
'cause the heart that betrays itself willingly, Is like a nation that trades freedom for stability, its so seductive to be cold and corrupted and isolated and try to be an independent republic, But liberty to be loved on the surface is worthless, The sacrifice of revolution with no purpose
by ImmortalTechnique92 on Feb 15, 2011 2:10 PM EST up reply actions
That's why I tuned in
Fedor’s cool, but I can’t resist watching Andre nap.
"I'll rock your body with big nasty hooks!"
I think Overeem can carry the torch for them. The dude is rock star status and very personable. Regardless I think it had as much to do with the intrigue of the fights being a Grand Prix and Strikeforce stepping up their marketing big time as it did with Fedor headlining.
Because everywhere outside the US is inhabited Dragons? Yeah the dude is rockstar status and he’s a very marketable fighter unlike Fedor.
by mortarz on Feb 15, 2011 1:25 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
People will get behind Overeem
really quickly if he dominates Werdum. If he has a great performance in that fight, cuts a decent interview, he could draw people back no matter who he fights in the other bracket.
"All I guarantee is violence" - Wand
So hope Reem beats Werdum and then beats Silva
Then we can get a Finale with Reem vs whoever and a co main with Werdum vs Fedor II!
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on Feb 15, 2011 3:28 PM EST up reply actions
if Overeem and Werdum had more
exposure here in the U.S. they’d be great for StrikeForce. both are charismatic guys with a good sense of humor and humble hard workers. that’s not to say anyone can replace Fedor. losses notwithstanding, the guy still has some mystique and commands some serious respect wherever he goes.
by Victor Rodriguez on Feb 15, 2011 4:32 PM EST up reply actions
Because the US
is where Strikeforce makes their money. So it’s kind of an important qualifier to mention that that rock star status exists in places where Strikeforce doesn’t have revenue streams.
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Hopefully that changes and they can become more global, especially with the strong possibility of the next tournament event being in Japan.
Andre's Posse
They are in over 80 countries. That is fairly global.
by fitefan on Feb 15, 2011 3:18 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Strikeforce is planning on opening up streams outside the US. And there is definitely crossover. I remember last week when people were saying the same about fedor.
Fedor
Has fought a steady stream of fairly high profile fights in the US, Overeem has not. And I’d love to do what these foreign revenue streams are for Strikeforce. Regardless, it’s the American public that’s always going to butter their bread.
"So, while you're taking a break from the UFC, hanging out at some lame party that your girlfriend dragged you to, I'll man up and watch some goddamn fights like a goddamn adult."
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Coker said the International deal with Shine international was a 7 figure deal. Considering they did 30M in revenue last year and 75% of that was the gate and sponsors the international revenue helps.
Sure it helps
But it’s not the difference maker some would like to believe it is. It shouldn’t be a huge point of concern for Strikeforce when they still have a lot of room to grow in the American market.
"So, while you're taking a break from the UFC, hanging out at some lame party that your girlfriend dragged you to, I'll man up and watch some goddamn fights like a goddamn adult."
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overeem is HUGE in USA. u just dont know it yet
by GracieHunter on Feb 15, 2011 10:15 PM EST up reply actions
According to their on air poll....
They just lost 2 of the 3 favorites. They did a poll on who you thought would win, which the commentators observed turned out to be more of a popularity contest. Top three were Overeem, Fedor, and Arlovski.
Let’s see how they do with 2 of the favorites dropping out right off the bat.
I think if anything it built up interest in their other fighters. I must admit, I wasn’t at all interested in Bigfoot until last year when he fought Werdum. SInce then IMO Bigfoot has improved even more. He will be a force to be reckoned with. I think he can cause some problems even with Overeem due to his size, strength and well roundedness. (Not to dismiss Werdum’s chances but I don’t see him beating Overeem this time).
Having big stars not only draws people in, it allows SF to get people interested in their other fighters. Kharitonov is an interesting character too, then seeing the brutal KO he handed to Arlovski only serves to get people interested in this “new” Russian fighter. I know he isnt new, I am just looking at it from an MMA fringe fan’s perspective.
Werdum beat Fedor, Dos Santos beat Werdum, Joaquim Ferreira beat Dos Santos. Therefore Ferreira is WAAAAY better than Fedor. Keep MMA math alive!
That’s awesome news. People were wondering if they could break a million at any point during this tourney, and they did it right out of the gate. Hopefully they can keep the momentum rolling sans-Fedor (apparently).
Still a Beer Monster.
http://www.instrength.com
by Tim Burke on Feb 15, 2011 1:12 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
These are great ratings for SF but the thing you mentioned is whats gonna hurt them, Fedor losing.
the GP now lacks a big time meaningful mega fight, Overeem/Werdum vs BIg Foot isn it, Fedor losing hurts them big time imo.
Cause of Fedor, who lost, who was beaten into a pulp, going forward they lost the biggest two fights they can make, Fedor vs Werdum or Reem.
Totally agree
Fedor losing has given a legitimacy push to Werdum and Bigfoot Silva.
How many US fans were there of Rampage Jackson before he beat Liddell at UFC 71? He ended up headlining 5 of his next 6 UFC cards just on the strength of slaying the Chuck “Dragon”.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
Werdum is gonna be the guy who couldnt cut it in the UFC and JDS smashed and Big foot is the guy who a LHW dropped and just lost to Werdum.
I think people are making way to big a deal about beating Fedor, I mean if your honest Fedor hasnt fought the best guys in years, and hasnt looked good in his last few fights, AA, Rogers and Werdum, he’s been declining for a while now and cause he wasnt fighting the very best he wasnt exposed and he didnt lose, I think it says Fedor isnt great right now more then it says Werdum and Big Foot are great fighters.
they are def top HW and good fighters but Big Foot is never ever gonna be a big star.
The flipside to this is
Everyone loses in MMA at some point. Werdum was being promised a UFC title shot and was a -650 favorite against JDS (who is fighting for the UFC interim belt right now anyway).
Bigfoot won the EXC title on CBS a couple years ago, and his only real blemish was getting outpointed by Werdum on CBS last summer.
You can’t in clear conscience say that the SF guys aren’t legit, only to turn around and say that Lesnar, Carwin and Frank Mir are?
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
When did I say they arent legit?
Did you not read the last sentence of that post? “they def are top HW and good fighters but Big Foot is never ever gonna be a big star”.
Doesnt seem like i said they suck and arent legit.
I just think it has more to do with Fedor not being great right now then it does them being that great.
I think both are top 10 HW though, but Werdum is def beatable, and Big FOot is as well.
Doesnt matter cause Reem is gonna smash both of them, Werdum goes down like JDS did to him and Big FOot wont be able to do to Fedor what he did to Reem.
Reem is gonna be much closer in size and probably stronger then Big Foot and way better striking with good subs.
I dont see BIg Foot being able to keep Reem down like that.
Overeem is the best fighter in the world IMHO
And I think you can make a solid case that Bigfoot, Werdum, Barnett, Kharitanov, Fedor, and Brett Rogers are all top 15 guys. The idea behind these GP style tourneys are to “Make Stars”. That is what the Dream tourneys did for Eddie Alvarez and Gegard Mousasi.
All and all, I’m excited by the growth that Strikeforce is displaying. I honestly believe that their existence is a benefit to everyone involved in MMA.
Fans
Fighters
Agents
Media
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
Yeah I just dont see them making any stars, frankly SF isnt very good at marketing and promoting fighters that arent already names.
Reem is the one fighter who if he wins and looks good doing so then he could be a star for SF.
Anyone else not even close. Sergei? Big Foot? Werdum? Barnett? I think he is tainted and people dont like him.
Reem is the one guy that they can mold into a star in teh US. he is a HW, big, has the build of a tank, very likable guy, good personality and is the SF HW, Dream HW champ and won the K 1 GP.
he has great striking, knocks people out. Now he j ust needs to beat legit HW to prove he is a top HW and win the GP then they can make him a star.
Right now Overeem has the all makings of a star he just doesnt have the wins over top HW. Werdum, BIg Foot and Sergei/Rogers/Barnett will give him big wins.
Cain would work Overeem over on the ground. It would be a brutal beatdown
by TheBiggertheyare... on Feb 15, 2011 2:45 PM EST up reply actions
Or Cain get rocked by Kongo. His is not even close to invincable.
by Bombadilillo on Feb 15, 2011 4:00 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah it just wont have any meaning at all though, it wouldnt be the two best guys in the GP going at it for a spot in the finals, it wont be Fedor vs Reem for the SF HW title, it wont be Fedor losing for the first time, was it a fluke, rematching Werdum to get revenge, it will be Fedor coming off two losses and Werdum or Reem coming off a loss, it will be a fight for relevancy in the SF HW div.
I mean sure people will watch but its not nearly as big as it would have been.
And really I dont think Fedor/Werdum is a fight anyone cares about now, it was Fedor/Reem that everyone wanted, If Reem loses to Werdum the critics are gonna say he beat up on cans to win meaningless titles, in mma, not K 1, and when he finally fought a legit HW he lost, if he loses to Werdum, again, so many will say he was overrated and not as good as people made him out to be.
So either way either fight now loses alot of steam.
Seems like Sf is looking to just get as many big fights out of Fedor as possible, they arent interested in building him back up, get him some wins then make a run for the title, they figure he has two maybe three fights left, lets make the biggest fights we can with him now, I get that.
And of course people will watch, but neither fight is as meaningful as it would have been.
Very true
But you KNOW they would have prefered the loss to come to Overeem.
by Bombadilillo on Feb 15, 2011 4:01 PM EST up reply actions
While the megafight is gone, I have to wonder how much of a ratings draw the GP is itself. With Kharitonov corpsing Arlovski and this huge win from Antonio Silva, I think that anticipation can go a long way. If Overeem gets a big win over Werdum, then Overeem vs Bigfoot, while not as hot as Fedor vs Overeem, is still a fight that I can imagine that many would anticipate.
I won't jump off the bandwagon just because you lost.
They won’t be sans Fedor, I bet they will pair him up with the loser of Reem Werdum. That will really be as good as having him in the tournament. If anything it makes the tournament seem more prestigious. How good must a tournament be for Fedor to lose in the first round (again from a novice MMA viewer’s perspective).
Werdum beat Fedor, Dos Santos beat Werdum, Joaquim Ferreira beat Dos Santos. Therefore Ferreira is WAAAAY better than Fedor. Keep MMA math alive!
Not bad at all
" he didn't want to fight the best of the best on the biggest stage, he knew better. He refused to take any chances; he milked it for all its worth and he got paid and then exposed and now it's over."
meaningful prelims on hdnet and now they hit the million mark without gina or herschel
things are looking good for SF in 2011
People do not like to think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant.
- Helen Keller
by The Blackula on Feb 15, 2011 1:14 PM EST reply actions 4 recs
Strikeforce has actually been very good about their prelims lately. Before these ones on HDNET, they were streaming them on Sherdog. It seems to me that Strikeforce is getting less local talent on their prelims and getting some legit prospects on there these days.
I won't jump off the bandwagon just because you lost.
good for strikeforce
i’m glad they’re doing well.
i do not agree that their heavyweight division is “as deep and talented as any out there.” in fact, i think this event showed that the crown jewel of their hw division’s time has passed, and that one of their big fighters (AA) should no longer be fighting.
in some ways, i think it was a bit of rough weekend for them, despite the great ratings. if the finals of this tournament end up being bigfoot vs. brett rogers, it will lose some if its lustre, i think.
they do have a lot of great prospects, however. i actually think that while it is not true that they are as good as the UFC now, they might be so in the near future.
I agree that Fedor losing wasn't good for Strikeforce
But Bigfoot is for real. He is a huge guy who has good hands and looked fantastic on the ground (albeit to a smaller fighter). I don’t think Overreem walks through him and a Werdum rematch could go very differently with the improvement Bigfoot showed.
Bigfoot really impressed me and Karkov impressed as well. If you’re going to beat a fan favorite win by KO or submission and look good doing it.
"All I guarantee is violence" - Wand
I agree, I think Bigfoot looked excellent, and the Gracie breakdown earlier was a spirited insight into the more technical aspects of his game. He seems like a very nice person too.
'No matter what your ideology may be, once you believe you are in the possession of some infallible truth, you become a combatant in a religious war."
yeah
bigfoot is pretty legit, no question.
i just mean in the short term. two of their top eight fighters that lost took a bit of a hit to their star power, and i’m not sure the star power gained by the two winners offsets it – in other words, i think they had a “net loss” of hw star power.
whenever two guys fight, and there is an upset – the question is – was the winner overrated, or the loser underrated? usually its both. but if the perception is the former, i think as an organization you lose a bit of that lustre.
for example, cain’s demolishing of lesnar where lesnar looked scared to take a punch – although cain is a great fighter, lesnar’s rep seems to have taken more of a hit than cain’s gained.
hw is really in flux right now but if you look at the ufc’s top 10 and strikeforces’s top 10, i think the ufc is deeper and cain is probably the number one guy now. like i said that could change depending on how those prospects come along – strikeforce has some good prospects, better than schaub and browne imho.
by Clifford J on Feb 15, 2011 1:28 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
The thing that makes Big Foot marketable is that all you have to do is look at him and you get it. That is important for the casuals. In a visual medium like TV that really helps. He puts some effort in on his English and that helps. He won’t be hitting the interviews out of the park like Barnett is but he is still marketable.
I believe they are as deep and talented as anyone. Arlovski and Fedor lost to two great fighters. Two losses in MMA is nothing, and neither loss Fedor has had was too damaging to him. He has still never been KO’d. Arlovski needs to retire though. He has had too many concussions, he probably already has significant brain injury, further concussions could become very serious.
Werdum beat Fedor, Dos Santos beat Werdum, Joaquim Ferreira beat Dos Santos. Therefore Ferreira is WAAAAY better than Fedor. Keep MMA math alive!
So Fedor brings home many?
Is he bringing 300,000 eyes to Showtimes? Because this show had a strong second fight with Arlovski and some pretty good fights to watch to keep people watching. No matter how many Fedor brought this is good news for Strikeforce.
"All I guarantee is violence" - Wand
Thats fantastic for strikeforce
but lets see what kind of numbers the next HW GP card brings in. See if this is truly trending or more of an anomaly.
I just wonder...
how many people did what my buddy and I did… We ordered Showtime just for the night and canceled it on Sunday… Im guessing Showtime will catch on if a bunch of people are doing the same thing..
Comcast will pro-rate it...
At least in my area…
I did it once, for the Fedor/Werdum fight…
Fitch's only fan. It's lonely, being me.
It's hilariously easy
to get Showtime for free for a weekend in most places.
Why I never joined a frat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-KNVrZaN8M
"Don’t quote old fucks to me" – Brent Brookhouse
"A samurai would bite your cock off if you tried that shit on the battlefield." - Kid Nate
by Chris Barton on Feb 15, 2011 1:53 PM EST up reply actions
My buddy called his cable provider up last week and got Showtime free for three months since he said he just wanted to see how he liked it.
The only way they get people with this is you have to call them after the three months and cancel it or you’ll be billed for the fourth month.
I’ve had it since the start of EliteXC and it’s only a few dollars a month. If you think that’s too much money just don’t buy a few items out of a vending machine a month and it makes up for it.
Andre's Posse
We did it this month on my buddies service...
He called before hand and verified that cablevision pro-rated the time they had showtime… I have comcast and have never had a problem doing so, but for the Fall I keep showtime for Dexter but after that I call and cancel basically a day or so after SF event and only pay a few bucks…
Depends on your provider. DirecTV will give out 1-3 months free a lot of the time and at the very least will give you a free weekend.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 15, 2011 3:13 PM EST up reply actions
Anyone know what changes, if any, Strikeforce made to their marketing for this?
I don’t have Showtime, but I remember before the Timmeh and Arlovski fights, people were a little disappointed at Strikeforce getting the word out.
Do you mean Fedor vs. Sylvia and Arlovski? Those were Affliction fights, not Strikeforce.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 15, 2011 3:13 PM EST up reply actions
This year continues to be a great one for MMA
Not only are their loads of exciting events and cards…but the fanbase continues to grow.
Fight For the Troops 2, Diaz vs Cyborg, the 126 Prelims, and Fedor vs Silva have all done excellent ratings. And 126 did an excellent buyrate, especially for a card where Silva was the main event.
MMA’s growth can’t be denied…and only more awesome awaits. This is shaping up to be the greatest year in US MMA History.
I like that so many people were able to see Kharitonov and Silva get their wins and advance to the next round. They did a lot of promotion of the GP as a whole at this event too, so a lot of people will probably tune in for the next set, and the semifinal matchups will have more interest than ever.
I predict that Penn vs Fitch will show a relative lull as far as the buyrates go, although I imagine it’ll do pretty good. But 128 headlined by Shogun vs Jones and having Faber in the co-main? That’ll be huge…and 129, GSP vs Shields, Aldo vs Hominick, and Couture vs Machida…that’ll be huge as well. 130 will finally settle the now almost epic rivalry(As far as their talents and how their fights have gone) between Edgar and Maynard, as well as having a pretty stacked undercard.
Lesnar coaching TUF will draw LOADS of eyes every week…and build up fantastically to Lesnar and Dos Santos’ epic fight…which will then build up insanely well to the inevitable bout with Velasquez for the title.
Also, Clay Guida vs Anthony Pettis on free TV at the TUF 13 finale.
It’ll be like a domino effect, the more successful each new event is, the more people will be interested in the next one and the next one, success leads to more success.
CPG
Alistair Overeem - StrikeForce HeavyWeight Champion, K-1 2010 World Grand Prix Champion, DREAM Interim HeavyWeight Champion
by Chris Groves on Feb 15, 2011 1:27 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Why didn't the UFC counter-program for this?
Don’t they usually try to draw viewers to some big UFC event for free on Spike?
They probably did but Strikeforce did an unbelievable job promoting this event and got a ton of press within the MMA community.
UFC hasnt countered a SF card is like what, a year?
They didnt counter, they havent countered, they dont need to.
I mean I know the whole Showtime isnt in as many homes but reality is how many people you get to watch your shows.
SF got a mill to watch, thats half of what the UFC just got for a two fight prelim card on Spike, they dont need to counter SF.
And SF needs to get off Showtime, this card on CBS probably does 5 mill viewers, 5 mill is better then 1 mill, dont care how many homes the network is in, its all about how many people are watching, and being on showtime doesnt do it for SF.
Im sure sometimes spike isnt always able to accomadate the ufc by helping them counter program
the ufc doesn not own spike so it is not always their decision.
LOL, if the UFC wanted them to counter they would, UFC doesnt own them but they pretty much do, what else does Spike have?
Manswers?
Spike does have obligations
To both their content providers and their in house productions. Just because the UFC is a major content provider doesn’t mean Spike has to or can just bend to their every whim. TV doesn’t work like that.
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by Worldisart on Feb 15, 2011 1:48 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Yeah but he is acting like for the last year or whatever Spike could never run a UFC to counter SF, they def could have, how long has it been since they last countered a SF event?
I honestly cant remember, it has to be like a year ago, so in that time they clearly could have run a counter, its not like its one or two events they didnt.
Well interestingly both Spike and Versus counter programmed the prelims the UFC did on that OTA channel.
Counter programmed?
As in ran programming which both channels do every other Saturday night at 9?
"So, while you're taking a break from the UFC, hanging out at some lame party that your girlfriend dragged you to, I'll man up and watch some goddamn fights like a goddamn adult."
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I don’t understand the mma fans’ obsession with “counterprogramming”. everything on TV is counterprogramming. Shit, Spike has aired UFC stuff during live WEC shows. Nothing is a big deal unless there is a live card, everything else is just TV.
You think it was coincidence that they were both running MMA programming at the same time the UFC was doing their prelims? You think they didn’t know? They were trying to torpedo the UFCs chances of moving to a competitor.
All wrong
First in the case of Versus, counter programming or not, they have zero leverage in terms of getting UFC programming. If anything, they want the UFCs relationship with Spike to sour so that they might be able to get more than 4 shows a year from Zuffa.
In the case of Spike, UFC second window programming such as unleashed, TUF reruns and old UFC events constitutes a large block of their on air content. This leads to two things a) being that it’s most likely purely coincidence that they were running UFC programming at the same time and b) they cannot afford to get petty or play hardball with the UFC as they are one of Spike’s primary content providers.
"So, while you're taking a break from the UFC, hanging out at some lame party that your girlfriend dragged you to, I'll man up and watch some goddamn fights like a goddamn adult."
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Support independent artists
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I'm happy with this news.
As others have said, it’ll be interesting to see whether they can sustain these ratings during the rest of the tournament, especially when you consider that Fedor and Arlovski are big draws.
Still, I think alarm would be premature at this moment, with two of the bigger names out, this offers us an opportunity to see how good Strikeforce are at creating narratives to facilitate building up stars.
'No matter what your ideology may be, once you believe you are in the possession of some infallible truth, you become a combatant in a religious war."
Sometimes these things happen in
Marvelous Men’s Apparel
"All I guarantee is violence" - Wand
1
1 million people. Neilson ratings give an estimation for the number of people, not the number of houses or TVs. The numbers are good enough on their own, they don’t need artificial inflation.
are you implying I was trying to sugar coat the numbers?
damn Phildo, there is no need to worry, SF is no where close to the UFC, you don’t need to go on the defensive with minor errors such as mine. I thought it was 1 mil households, my bad… easy mistake to make brother…
yo no quiero hacer mas nada
1 mill people saw the worst commentary job done in a big mma event in history.
Gus wearing lipstick, man you’d think Sf was smart enough to not allow this guy and Shamrock on their shows, but Coker dont run SF, Showtime execs do, and they want Gus, but man is he awful.
Get Gus and Frank out of there, even Mauro is terrible but Gus and Frank have to go.
Do you ever get tired of hyperbole?
It was bad, but worst in history? Give me a break.
"So, while you're taking a break from the UFC, hanging out at some lame party that your girlfriend dragged you to, I'll man up and watch some goddamn fights like a goddamn adult."
- Mike Fagan
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by Worldisart on Feb 15, 2011 1:50 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 2 recs
No it was fucking terrible, worst I can ever remember, sure I’m not talking about Shark fights with Frye and shit, that was bad, I’m saying for a major show, that was really bad, like really really really bad.
Mauro, Pat and Quadros is the team they should go with, stay with that, your much more likely to get a decent show out of them, Frank and Gus though, man they are terrible.
hes so bad
i watched on mute
"I have smoked weed with alot of UFC champions" - Joe Rogan
"Você ta fudido. Se vai levar muita porrada, ta ligado?" - Anderson Silva
Oh wow
So is Bigfoot their biggest star now?
"We all think we're the best. That's why we're fighters." - Frankie Edgar
Is anyone here a neilson family member or know someone who is?
I would love to be one, I would keep in on mma shows as much as I could.
very very interesting
i’ve been curious and doubtful about how well strikeforce would do and this is a great sign
"I have smoked weed with alot of UFC champions" - Joe Rogan
"Você ta fudido. Se vai levar muita porrada, ta ligado?" - Anderson Silva
For comparison's sake
How does this compare with Showtime’s boxing cards?
Showtime is very protective of their ratings. In fact this rating is “confirmed by an industry source” meaning whatever you choose to believe that means.
HBO is the big brother in the boxing industry. Their cards averaged about 1 million viewers last year. The costs, compared to even the most expensive MMA cards, are higher across the board for boxing.
I’d guess MMA is looking pretty good right now to Showtime.
by Jonathan Snowden on Feb 15, 2011 2:39 PM EST up reply actions
I’d be surprised if Showtime does as well as this on boxing cards. As Snowden said, HBO is the premiere boxing outlet. However, Showtime just signed Pac-man and is kicking HBO’s ass in terms of signing boxing prospects – so they’re clearly making a move to change the dynamic.
"You can't search me without probable cause Or that proper ammunition they call reasonable suspicion Listen while I bring friction to your whole jurisdiction" - Fugees
My only wish
is that such a great and hugely watched card for Strikeforce went off without so many silly technical glitches. That’s on Showtime, iirc. Still, I can’t count how many times we laughed or sighed at feedback or random noises or awkward commentary.
In a side rant, I swear the only person in that booth who has even seen Fedor fight was Mauro. Frank and Gus were acting like he was some sort of sprawl and brawl stand up guy who’s only chance was on his feet to get a KO. It’s like they never even saw his fights with Big Nog.
Why I never joined a frat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-KNVrZaN8M
"Don’t quote old fucks to me" – Brent Brookhouse
"A samurai would bite your cock off if you tried that shit on the battlefield." - Kid Nate
your probably 100% right about gus and frank
just watch it on mute, you save yourself a ton of headaches
"I have smoked weed with alot of UFC champions" - Joe Rogan
"Você ta fudido. Se vai levar muita porrada, ta ligado?" - Anderson Silva
When Frank started acting like Bigfoot's guard was as dangerous as Werdum's I eye-rolled.
Still, Johnson’s the real problem there. Frank isn’t as terrible as everyone makes him out to be.
BJJ > Sambo
by lowellthehammer on Feb 15, 2011 2:12 PM EST up reply actions
frank isnt as terrible as gus
but he still sucks pretty hard, especially when someone he fought before is fighting
"I have smoked weed with alot of UFC champions" - Joe Rogan
"Você ta fudido. Se vai levar muita porrada, ta ligado?" - Anderson Silva
He's toned down the 'lol his punches don't hurt' thing with Diaz and Shields is gone.
Although it was incredibly awkward when he introduced Diaz as ‘the man who bludgeoned me into retirement’ last card.
BJJ > Sambo
by lowellthehammer on Feb 15, 2011 2:15 PM EST up reply actions
When Frank started acting like Bigfoot’s guard was as dangerous as Werdum’s I eye-rolled.
THIS. Exactly this.
Why I never joined a frat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-KNVrZaN8M
"Don’t quote old fucks to me" – Brent Brookhouse
"A samurai would bite your cock off if you tried that shit on the battlefield." - Kid Nate
by Chris Barton on Feb 15, 2011 2:19 PM EST up reply actions
The Voice and Bas were great on the undercard.
Voice, Miletich, and renello would be great, maybe put Trigg in for a little also.
Andre's Posse
mauro is horrible
voice, miletich and rogan would be ideal
"I have smoked weed with alot of UFC champions" - Joe Rogan
"Você ta fudido. Se vai levar muita porrada, ta ligado?" - Anderson Silva
People actually like the Voice? I mean I think he is funny and seems like a cool guy but his commentary isnt good at all.
Nor is Bas, I never understood the love for Bas. Frankly he just isnt good.
The Voice is an excellent play by play guy, particularly in kickboxing.
It’s fine to not be a fan of his style but he’s an excellent commentator.
BJJ > Sambo
by lowellthehammer on Feb 15, 2011 2:23 PM EST up reply actions
I think he isnt good at all, I dont like listening to him.
Though to be honest and fair, I guess I would rather listen to him then Mauro, GUs and Frank.
Atleast he can be funny with his good night Irene and shit.
Right. That's your opinion and you're entitled to it.
But you’re saying that he isn’t a good commentator because YOU don’t like him. That’s stupid.
BJJ > Sambo
by lowellthehammer on Feb 15, 2011 2:34 PM EST up reply actions
Goldie I agree with, but honestly - who doesn't besides Gus?
Disagree with Rogan, who always sounds knowledgeable.
BJJ > Sambo
by lowellthehammer on Feb 15, 2011 3:30 PM EST up reply actions
"always" is an awful long time.
Lol, he says some silly shit some times.you can tell that he doesn’t have Bravo in his ear piece anymore. I find my self saying “that ain’t right”a lot More now.
"True strength is not always shown through victory. Stand up, try again and display strength of heart." - Rickson Gracie
"Wanderlei eventually got to his feet and stalked Fujita like a Japanese octopus in an all-female prison." - Sean Baby Cracked.com
by the-gentle-way on Feb 15, 2011 4:23 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Almost always.
I rarely have much to complain about with Rogan, except when he decides to start ranting about something inane.
BJJ > Sambo
by lowellthehammer on Feb 15, 2011 5:36 PM EST up reply actions
He sounds like Robert Downey Jr from Natural Born Killers, really over the top accent. But then again Mauro is waay over the top and doesnt have an accent so wtf do i know?
by ODBasyoucansee on Feb 15, 2011 2:47 PM EST up reply actions
I didn't get to see the undercard
but I can only imagine how great those two must have been. I’d be really good to see those two get bumped to the main card.
Why I never joined a frat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-KNVrZaN8M
"Don’t quote old fucks to me" – Brent Brookhouse
"A samurai would bite your cock off if you tried that shit on the battlefield." - Kid Nate
by Chris Barton on Feb 15, 2011 2:20 PM EST up reply actions
Frank said Fedor needed to stay off his back.
He was right. He wasn’t the only one who expressed this, a few writers on this very site said the same thing. Many people said Bigfoot would be too big and too aware on the ground for Fedor to use his usual bag of tricks when he gets put on his back and they were absolutely right in their assessment.
They said Big Foot was 285 at the time of the match. 50 more pounds than what you weigh is a lot to try to escape from under.
Watching the stare down for some reason reminded me of Hogan vs Andre
Andre's Posse
50 lbs solid extra pounds + BJJ black belt = goodnight
Especially hen you consider how soft Fedor’s belly is compared the Bigfoot.
It was around an 80lb lean weight advantage for Silva.
"I'll rock your body with big nasty hooks!"
top 5 list of people i dont want mounted on me.
1.BigFoot
2.BigFoot
3. BigFoot
4. MegaReem
5. Thaigo Silva
"True strength is not always shown through victory. Stand up, try again and display strength of heart." - Rickson Gracie
"Wanderlei eventually got to his feet and stalked Fujita like a Japanese octopus in an all-female prison." - Sean Baby Cracked.com
by the-gentle-way on Feb 15, 2011 5:30 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
Seriously
With all that weight, strength and skill you’re not getting up.
His hands are so big and his arms are so long I can’t see anyone avoiding damage. Its amazing Fedor even survived that for 15 seconds.
"I'll rock your body with big nasty hooks!"
Yea
They got one thing right.
Why I never joined a frat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-KNVrZaN8M
"Don’t quote old fucks to me" – Brent Brookhouse
"A samurai would bite your cock off if you tried that shit on the battlefield." - Kid Nate
by Chris Barton on Feb 15, 2011 4:25 PM EST up reply actions
Be really interesting to see how the Reem stacks up to Fedor as a draw
The first two opening round events will be a great apples-to-apples comparison of drawing power. It will also tell us to what extent people are bought into the GP concept, and to what extent its all just about starpower.
Tatum: I think he's a good man. I like him. I got nothing against him, but I'm definitely gonna make orphans of his children.
Isn't Overeem's fight going down in Japan?
Don’t know if ratings will take a hit on tape delay.
BJJ > Sambo
by lowellthehammer on Feb 15, 2011 2:13 PM EST up reply actions
Oh, I dunno
I thought that was for the second round? Is that all sewn up?
Tatum: I think he's a good man. I like him. I got nothing against him, but I'm definitely gonna make orphans of his children.
by Dave Strummer on Feb 15, 2011 2:16 PM EST up reply actions
Nah, first round was the rumor.
Overeem/Werdum, Barnett/Rogers, Melendez/Kawasaki
BJJ > Sambo
by lowellthehammer on Feb 15, 2011 2:22 PM EST up reply actions
No shit.
God forbid anyone makes a joke.
BJJ > Sambo
by lowellthehammer on Feb 15, 2011 2:24 PM EST up reply actions
i think the japan thing fell through. I read that it was officially over somewhere, but there was a lot of hype behind that before, I think if it was going to happen more details would be out.
I dunno.
This GP was thought to have fizzled out and then all the sudden news leaked that it was ready to go. We’ll see soon enough, although if Japan is off the table it’s going to be interesting to see where they go with Barnett in tow.
BJJ > Sambo
by lowellthehammer on Feb 15, 2011 2:42 PM EST up reply actions
Reem’s card is far better, Josh/Rogers and Gilbert/Crusher title fight, so dont know if its fair to compare them, Reems card is better.
better from a competitive standpoint, maybe
but Fedor’s the biggest draw in the promotion, and the main event is what puts butts in seats. Interesting one way or another.
Tatum: I think he's a good man. I like him. I got nothing against him, but I'm definitely gonna make orphans of his children.
by Dave Strummer on Feb 15, 2011 2:30 PM EST up reply actions
A million people watching anything on Showtime is very impressive
Just imagine how this would have been received had Fedro actually won. The burden now rests on Strikeforce to parlay performances from the likes of Chad Griggs and Valentjin into future successes. Goes without saying that Bigfoot stands to gain the most equity from this success, with Kharitonov following closely behind on the back of Arlovski’s ever lingering popularity.
"I can be friends with anybody. Man. Woman. Cat. Dog. Fish..... Alien." -Rampage
by Charles Awad on Feb 15, 2011 2:40 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Train wrecks tend to gain a lot of viewership.
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
Contributor for CagesideSeats.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Feb 15, 2011 2:50 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Your hate is more fearsome than usual.
Who shit in your cereal?
Oh, yeah. Fedor.
"I'll rock your body with big nasty hooks!"
by TheFilt on Feb 15, 2011 2:54 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
I’m happy to see Fedor fight again. I agree with Luke that allowing him back in the tourney would shatter its credibility.
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
Contributor for CagesideSeats.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Feb 15, 2011 3:00 PM EST up reply actions
With you there
I pretty much hate the idea.
Fighting the loser of Overeem/Werdum would be cool though.
"I'll rock your body with big nasty hooks!"
Yes
That fight makes sense. If it’s Fedor/Overeem for the SF belt after they both lose, I might get really happy.
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
Contributor for CagesideSeats.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Feb 15, 2011 3:05 PM EST up reply actions
I think the fight would take place during the final show of the tourney
At least if they wanted some really big ratings.
"I'll rock your body with big nasty hooks!"
It’s about the only way to ensure that whomever wins the tournament (unless it’s Bigfoot by beating Fedor and Overeem) actually has someone to fight after the tourney is over.
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
Contributor for CagesideSeats.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Feb 15, 2011 3:15 PM EST up reply actions
That too
Because of the whole title shot thing. Although if Overeem wins, does he fight himself?
Odds are, Big Foot will win it all and demolish all of SF’s plans.
"I'll rock your body with big nasty hooks!"
It was reply to something much further up the board.
I saw the Fedor fight and heard his retirement speech. There is not a more genuine and humble fighter in the sport and his words measured up to that. It is crystal clear that Fedor gets nothing out of fighting at this point and wants no more of it. Yet it was also quite predictable that it would not be his last fight because it is simply not his call to make.
There was rightful outrage when Dana White chose the wrong time, and the wrong words to say “I told you so.” Yet there is silence when the great Fedor, a fighter who is clearly in a different realm in the minds of many MMA fans, is unambiguously exploited like some modern-day Roman gladiator. It’s bizarre and dark yet it seems indicative of the moral relativism that exists in our world and media today.
by Charlie Custer on Feb 16, 2011 6:14 AM EST up reply actions
Good show for SF.
I guess when you put on meaningful fights people will watch. Go figure.
by pud333 on Feb 15, 2011 7:19 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
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