Dana White Defends TUF 13 Ratings
by Nick Thomas on Apr 4, 2011 6:56 PM EDT
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SINCE WHEN IS 1.5 MILLIONS VIEWERS BAD?
People have been saying it is dead since season 4.
Sit back and watch bitches or don't. TUF isnt going anywhere!!!! deal with it.
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He's right imo
Also did you see the one where someone wanted to know who would be remembered more Dana or Fedor and DW came right out and said ’I’ll be remembered until I retire, great fighters will be remebered forever" or something like that.
classy as usual, dana. one more reason why MMA will NEVER be the biggest sport in the world. i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again. the UFC will never be as big as tennis, much less pass up football or futball.
imagine roger goodell or david stern tweeting or posting on a forum that fans of their sport are bitches for not liking a pre-game show.
by tha dude on Apr 4, 2011 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
imagine roger goodell or david stern tweeting or posting on a forum
LOL at Goodel or Stern ever stooping so low as to interact with the fans.
You might not like how Dana chooses to interact with the fans, but at least he does. The stuffed suits who run the stick-and-ball sports are completely isolated from the fan base.
by Steve4192 on Apr 4, 2011 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions 8 recs
goodell interacts with fans all the time. emails, phonecalls, parking lots at games……he’s a fan of the sport.
STFU Donny
"I gotta couple of lawsuits against me, yeah, two of em almost drowned when I hit em with the money shot."- Don Frye
by GirlsBeatMeUp on Apr 4, 2011 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Imagine roger goodell or david stern even posting on a forum at all…………
Roger Goodell and David Stern don’t even give enough of a damn about the fans to address them directly in that manner. Not sure why people think Dana actually interacting with the fans is a bad thing???
by who me on Apr 4, 2011 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
David Stern has bigger fish to fry than to e-fight with the NBA equivalents of PRIDEICHIBAN2004 or MieshaTatesAss or whatever. If anything, its more or less humorously bush league.
by VirtualBalboa on Apr 4, 2011 10:17 AM EDT up reply actions
David Stern doesn’t give a rats ass about what people on the internet think or say, his bigger fish to fry are dealing with are millionaire players and billionaire owners, who cares what the fans think as long as the tickets keep selling.
That is absolutely right, and as it should be. Him posting 6th grade shit on an internet forum would be an professionally embarrassing. Its something I expect from the World Series of Mini Golf or some other complete fringe sport, not a billion dollar company.
by VirtualBalboa on Apr 4, 2011 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
I keep hearing people saying that but I think it’s pretty damn shortsighted. It’s not professionally embarrassing for Dana White to engage the fans directly in a discussion. The UFC in particular is a success with the age group they target because they are different. Goodell and Stern pretending they are talking over fans heads and lying their asses off at press conferences isn’t “professional” it’s just par for the course in the way big sports has become big business. Will the UFC ever be like the big ball sports? God I hope not.
There’s engaging fans in discussion and and posting like a 14 year old on a message board. Very different things, IMO. What Dana did is the latter.
by VirtualBalboa on Apr 4, 2011 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
No he didn’t though. Nothing he said was out of line in the slightest considering where it was and who he is. Of the shit he’s said over the years this pales in comparison. If he went on ESPN and said it, yes that would have been a little out of line. But this is being blown out of proportion. I can only assume by folks still deeply wounded by the SF merger(joke btw)!
You need to get over yourself.
Go look at who he is responding too. Go look at the countless topics about him or comments talking shit. He responded in a way to get their attention and in a way that they understand.
The problem is that he doesn’t need to respond. Believe it or not, Dana White and the UFC is bigger than the UG. Maybe not in 2002, but in 2011, it is. And Dana giving random internet posters the time of day is a joke.
by VirtualBalboa on Apr 4, 2011 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Him taking the time to talk to people who purchase his product on a personal level is a joke to you? really?
by MRR1 on Apr 4, 2011 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Is it really a discussion he’s trying to generate? Sure doesn’t look that way to me. Its a guy worth 9 figures trying to fight nobodies on a message board about his world class, market leading and controlling product. It is bush league stuff you expect from indy wrestling promotions. That’s why I called it that, and why other top tier professional sports leagues or promotions don’t have their public faces doing the same thing.
by VirtualBalboa on Apr 4, 2011 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Actually if you read all his post there in the last couple days it definately is conversation he’s trying to generate. Sure he’s sticking up for his show, but he also was talking to folks too. He wasn’t just there being a dick.
If this kind of comment came from Strikeforce...
…everybody would agree it is unprofessional bullshit. Dana White has been like this all along, except maybe in his earliest days. We as fans are so used to his language, that this doesn’t come across as very harsh anymore. However, anyplace else – especially beyond the internet in non-fan circles – it will be seen as borderline retarded as far as CEO statements go. IMO, of course.
To save me some time on 25% of all threads, here's the universal answer to the Fedor-debate: Fedor is the most accomplished MMA fighter ever. That is a fact. If he still is the best fighter at this point in time is up for debate.
Will the UFC ever be like the big ball sports? God I hope not.
Being on free, network TV regularly, with the matches themselves determining who competes for a championship doesn’t sound appealing to you?
I'M AT THE PIZZA HUT. I'M AT THE TACO BELL. I'M AT THAT COMBINATION PIZZA HUT AND TACO BELL.
by Anthony Pace on Apr 4, 2011 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions
No being run by pompus asses in business suits and hounded by millionaires fighting with billionaires over pocket change to the point where they can barely even work together. Oh and network tv can suck a nut too, I can’t remember the last thing I watched on network tv. I’m hoping for being on ESPN for free regularly.
Dana White is already a pompous ass in a business suit
And you didn’t watch the Super Bowl? Any NFL Playoffs? NBA Finals? The World Series? Lost was a pretty good show, and 30 Rock is great right now. Hell, even hockey games turn up on NBC from time to time. Network TV is important because everyone with a television has access to it.
I'M AT THE PIZZA HUT. I'M AT THE TACO BELL. I'M AT THAT COMBINATION PIZZA HUT AND TACO BELL.
by Anthony Pace on Apr 4, 2011 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Dana White is a pompous ass in a dickhouse tshirt.
I travel on Sundays so I missed the NFL playoffs this year, I don’t watch NBA and I caught the march madness games I was interested in streaming on the internet. Lost is a show that Scfy ran three hour blocks of every Monday for a year, I got five or six episodes in and gave up. Pretty much anything I would care to catch on a network I can catch on cable tv or internet shortly after.
ABC/NBC/CBS are in around 112 million households (97%) ESPN is in a tad below 100 million homes (around 87%). There isn’t that much difference between the big cable networks and the broadcast networks anymore. Hell Spike tv is in 98.6 million households. Do you think it’s that lucrative for them to go the extra step to target a couple of million extra households who can’t afford cable/satelite tv? Sure more people actually watch the broadcast networks but their hold on that has been constantly shrinking in the last three decades too, it’s not as big a deal to be on network tv as it used to be but you have to meet more stringent content regulations.
But it's networks that make these tv shows and major sporting events happen
You wouldn’t be able to see March Madness on your phone if it hadn’t been such a rampantly successful institution on CBS. And despite Lost being on Syfy, the show doesn’t exist without a Disney checkbook funding it. Network is still very, very important.
But besides that, fuck network. Let’s talk ESPN if that’s what you want. ESPN is so ubiquitous, it might as well be a network. But what does ESPN put on in primetime? What are the money-makers for ESPN? The big ball sports. They dropped $500 million dollars for a total of 16 events with the recent BCS contract, and these are “amateur” athletes not even competing at the height of their sport.
I can’t say fuck off to the big ball sports simply because I want that kind of money flowing through MMA.
I'M AT THE PIZZA HUT. I'M AT THE TACO BELL. I'M AT THAT COMBINATION PIZZA HUT AND TACO BELL.
The networks make things happen in a lot of ways but in a lot of ways the networks are just sucking air too. They pay the NFL a shitload of money but htey didn’t make pro football popular. Most of the time the KY basketball games are on local channels not a major network here too (I watched on my computer not my cell phone, if that makes a difference). For every Lost there are 50 shows that blow and get cancelled and right now many of the shows made for cable are as good or better than networks shows too. Even the big ball sports are starting their own cable networks. It’s a changing world and network tv isn’t the golden stage it was 10 years ago.
As far as ESPN or network goes they also get stuff at the top instead of making stuff big too. Just like network (and ESPN is just an arm of ABC/Disney) they aren’t going to be big on growing a sport they want a sport that is big now. They will pay big money for UFC once UFC is proven to be big money on free tv but the real big money for the UFC will be on PPV as opposed to free tv so that network offer will never be enough. I would prefer ESPN events but in the end it will be the same issue as with networks. It’s a shame HBO and Showtime shy away from Zuffa because that’s a path this could have some legs, network tv like the ball sports is most likely a pipe dream.
Why is that bad?
It’s big enough IMO. As far as sports in America I’d def put it ahead of tennis, soccer, boxing, and hockey.
Great.
The “fuck the fans” mentality. Wonderful.
"[UFC]’s a great rush, eh? It makes your sphincter get real tight." - Harold Howard
by lowellthehammer on Apr 4, 2011 9:36 AM EDT reply actions 6 recs
Hey, it’s the only game in town!
by Jonathan Snowden on Apr 4, 2011 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
I don't derive that from his comments
"I can be friends with anybody. Man. Woman. Cat. Dog. Fish..... Alien." -Rampage
No he didn’t, he called the Underground bitches, which they most certainly are. You can’t go to a internet forum, take a posters comment to the members of that forum as a declaration to the world!
you mean i can’t take danas comments to fans of MMA and assume that they are directed at fans of MMA? hmmmmmm……
broaden broaden narrow narro
Argument techniques are fun
by Body Triangle on Apr 4, 2011 9:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Uhm no. If it was meant for fans of MMA in general, it would have been on twitter. Since he dusted off a seldom used Underground account, I would assume it was directed at the Underground. Which it most certainly was. Now go read the retarded threads at the Underground and tell me with a straight face they aren’t bitches.
he called the fans "bitches". did you miss that part?
He’s using ‘bitches’ in the same sense that Joe Rogan always uses it. It’s a term of endearment. I have seen him use the exact same term when relaying good news and in a positive mood.
by Steve4192 on Apr 4, 2011 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
Yep
"I can be friends with anybody. Man. Woman. Cat. Dog. Fish..... Alien." -Rampage
by Charles Awad on Apr 4, 2011 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions
Fans say it's stale, change is needed. Dana's response:
deal with it.
Basically saying: who gives a fuck what you think? We’ll do what we want.
"[UFC]’s a great rush, eh? It makes your sphincter get real tight." - Harold Howard
by lowellthehammer on Apr 4, 2011 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
No, he’s saying that he thinks the ratings say that the fans don’t agree with message board trolls. Just wow.
message board trolls
Which is another way of saying fans, but with a negative connotation. But who are we to talk about this anyways? We’re both just message board trolls.
"[UFC]’s a great rush, eh? It makes your sphincter get real tight." - Harold Howard
by lowellthehammer on Apr 4, 2011 9:47 AM EDT up reply actions
this is true, but I definately don’t think it comes off even close to him not caring what we think. He doesn’t care that select few think those ratings = failure.
Well it certainly isn't a good sign.
Brock was supposed to revitalize the show and instead it tanked. Might be a sign that instead of trying to sell everyone solely on the coaches like they have been doing they should get some decent fighters coming through the house.
"[UFC]’s a great rush, eh? It makes your sphincter get real tight." - Harold Howard
by lowellthehammer on Apr 4, 2011 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
And thats what he’s saying right there. 1.5 million viewers on a cable channel isn’t considered ‘tanking’. It’s a slight dip, but considering it’s at a new time, you can’t tell from the first episode how well it will do. The replay got 600k viewers too. I imagine the replays for those past seasons didn’t do nearly as well since they were right after(iirc)
In addition to the new time, how many other times has there not been fights on prior to and leading into the first episode? Serious question, idk the answer.
"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
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Apr 4, 2011 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions
Never confuse people on the internet with the UFC fanbase. We are a small part of who is actually buying his product. He can call us fans on the internet all sorts of things on the underground and not mean that in terms of fans in general.
Actually, our audience here is a significant portion of their customer base. At least 10 percent of an average PPV on a daily basis.
by Jonathan Snowden on Apr 4, 2011 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
It’s a huge and representative portion of their audience.
by Jonathan Snowden on Apr 4, 2011 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Sure
but not enough to keep Affliction alive!
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 Apr 4, 2011 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions
It’s also a portion of the audience that typically is going to buy the shows regardless. We are the hardcore fans, the guys who will order even the lackluster cards, they don’t have to cater to us. We will bitch and complain the most about every little thing but when it’s showtime we are the first in line. It’s like a crack head trying to tell his dealer that he needs to sell better quality crack.
"Heroin, it's coming back in a big fucking way."
This is Panda, from Mexico. Very good stuff. Now, that’s Bava. Different, but equally good. And that is Choco, from the Hartz Mountains of Germany. Now, the first two are the same…300 a gram. Those are friend prices. But this one is a little more expensive. This is 500 a gram, but when you shoot it…you will know where that extra money went. Now, there’s nothing wrong with these two. This is real, real, real good shit. But this one is a fucking madman.
"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
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Apr 4, 2011 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions
You're right.
Fuck it, who cares about improving the show. If Dana deems that mediocre fighters putting on subpar fights and throwing chairs in the pool is good enough for me then who the fuck am I to argue.
"[UFC]’s a great rush, eh? It makes your sphincter get real tight." - Harold Howard
by lowellthehammer on Apr 4, 2011 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Depends on what you’re trying to sell. If a NASCAR Cup race got 1.5 million viewers next weekend, there would be ritual suicides at the presser.
by VirtualBalboa on Apr 4, 2011 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
To get a good sense of how it compares to other cable shows
Look no further than TV by the numbers (direct link to relevant ratings breakdown)
The Ultimate Fighter (SPIKE, 9pm)
- 1.484 million viewers
- 0.9/1 HH
- 0.8/2 A18-49
Interestingly, on thursday
TNA: Impact (SPIKE, 9pm, 121 minutes)
- 1.670 million viewers
- 1.0/2 HH
- 0.5/1 A18-49
After seeing/hearing/reading MMA fans thoughts on message boards and at live events....
…I absolutely agree with that sentiment. Fuck the fans.
And Luke Thomas would agree with me.
Yeah, I don't care about ratings or the formula
I watch every season and I love it. Same goes for shows like Top Chef.
"I can be friends with anybody. Man. Woman. Cat. Dog. Fish..... Alien." -Rampage
by Charles Awad on Apr 4, 2011 9:37 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Obviously ratings only mean so much. But as a guy who has seen some of his favorite shows like Arrested Development, Firefly and Veronica Mars canceled because of poor ratings, it’s worth tracking.
by Jonathan Snowden on Apr 4, 2011 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions
"[UFC]’s a great rush, eh? It makes your sphincter get real tight." - Harold Howard
by lowellthehammer on Apr 4, 2011 9:45 AM EDT up reply actions 7 recs
Franklin said some things Whitey wasn’t ready to hear.
by KatGirl on Apr 4, 2011 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
I need to know where this is from.
"That's racism man, I love to racism bro!"
by Hendo_One-Shot on Apr 4, 2011 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions
Arrested Development?
Unless you meant which episode or something like that in which case I dunno.
"[UFC]’s a great rush, eh? It makes your sphincter get real tight." - Harold Howard
by lowellthehammer on Apr 4, 2011 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions
yeah, that’s what I meant. The gif alone makes mew ant to watch.
"That's racism man, I love to racism bro!"
by Hendo_One-Shot on Apr 4, 2011 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions
It's a fantastic show.
If you have Netflix it’s on Instant. You could even get a trial for like a month I think and watch the whole thing, it’s only three seasons.
"[UFC]’s a great rush, eh? It makes your sphincter get real tight." - Harold Howard
by lowellthehammer on Apr 4, 2011 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions
Best. Comedy. Ever.
Fitch is awesome, I don't care what you think...
Bones Jones, future greatest MMAist ever.
“Arrested Development” is great, but it doesn’t hold a candle to “The Larry Sanders Show”, “The Office (BBC)”, and “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. “Fawlty Towers” and “Seinfeld” are better too.
"Caol Uno was like Mutoh. He developed into a star overseas and then returned to his home country a much bigger deal. Dokonjonosuke Mishima is like Kobashi because they both do moonsaults. Don Frye is like Stan Hansen because they are both fat dumb rednecks with mustaches." - Jonathan Snowden
by RagingNoodles on Apr 4, 2011 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Instead of replying to both...
I’ll give Seinfield equal credit as Arrested Development, although it was before my time, so I’m more partial to A.D. I also enjoy Curb, and both versions of the Office although the U.S. one has run its course, and haven’t seen the other two shows you mentioned.
Fitch is awesome, I don't care what you think...
Bones Jones, future greatest MMAist ever.
CLASSIC
Hats off to you, Sir. Greatest ep, imho. “THAT’S MY WIFE!” and “Oh, Hello, Tobias” were some great lines that ep
by Franklin Goodish on Apr 4, 2011 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions
TUF isn't on a major network, though.
Spike TV is ultra-niche, I imagine 1.5 million being about average for what a show on Spike gets. It’ll only really become a concern if it starts dipping under the one million mark; then you have a problem.
Well, the problem is there is a much bigger cash outlay this season. So to get the same old ratings is a bad thing.
by Jonathan Snowden on Apr 4, 2011 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions
Well, the problem is there is a much bigger cash outlay this season. So to get the same old ratings is a bad thing.
Link?
Brock Lesnar is doing it out of his love of the sport and willingness to give back. He’s lying when he says he did it because the UFC gave him a lot of money.
by VirtualBalboa on Apr 4, 2011 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
i see your sarcasm font is broken, sir
http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/
by Cory Braiterman on Apr 4, 2011 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions
What do you think they used to get Brock to come down from his mountain cave?
"[UFC]’s a great rush, eh? It makes your sphincter get real tight." - Harold Howard
by lowellthehammer on Apr 4, 2011 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions
I imagine
UFC is paying that, though. Not Spike TV (or most of it, at least).
Why would the UFC cancel their own show?
I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this, but:
-UFC is paid a contractual amount by Spike to run TUF episodes. If they spend a bunch of money above and beyond the norm, it cuts into the profit of the show’s production.
-Its a contract year for the UFC. If they can’t prove that they can get create stars and big ratings for TV, it makes getting a TV deal that is worth a damn much tougher.
by VirtualBalboa on Apr 4, 2011 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions
-UFC is paid a contractual amount by Spike to run TUF episodes. If they spend a bunch of money above and beyond the norm, it cuts into the profit of the show’s production.
Reality television like TUF doesn’t exactly break the bank, however. Even if they are paying Brock Lesnar with Spike TV’s money, I doubt the show would be operating at a loss – and even if it is, the money that UFC brings for Spike TV with it’s other programming would still outweigh those losses, I’m sure. Regardless, at this point I think Spike TV needs the UFC more than the UFC needs Spike TV, and one bad financial season of TUF won’t lead to the show getting cancelled by the network.
-Its a contract year for the UFC. If they can’t prove that they can get create stars and big ratings for TV, it makes getting a TV deal that is worth a damn much tougher.
Yeah, I fully agree with this.
I very seriously doubt that Spike TV is investing in Brock Lesnar for this season. Very seriously. That’s a pretty big leap in logic. No one is saying they’ll be cancelled – Bellator won’t be cancelled either. For what that network does, 150K for viewership is great, just like a 1.0 on Spike is pretty good. Its what you have to spend to get that viewership that’s the problem.
To me, the whole thing looks like Dana White getting shook by bad ratings and turning internet goon to blame hardcore fans in spite of no one caring about them.
by VirtualBalboa on Apr 4, 2011 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Oh, of course
I’m just saying it isn’t an indication of my enjoyment of the show. Some of the sophomoric stuff seems to have died down, also. Pretty important fact, for me anyway.
And yes, every time Will Arnett makes an awesome TV show, I know I will be hurt again.
"I can be friends with anybody. Man. Woman. Cat. Dog. Fish..... Alien." -Rampage
by Charles Awad on Apr 4, 2011 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions
his favorite shows like whatever, Firefly and whatever
Keep hope alive!!!! It’ll be back, bitches!
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 Apr 4, 2011 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions
Did you just call all MMA fans bitches?
For shame.
"I can be friends with anybody. Man. Woman. Cat. Dog. Fish..... Alien." -Rampage
by Charles Awad on Apr 4, 2011 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions
How could I ever be trusted
to moderate such a large MMA site?
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 Apr 4, 2011 11:20 AM EDT up reply actions
And it's too late to turn back
Oh the horror.
"I can be friends with anybody. Man. Woman. Cat. Dog. Fish..... Alien." -Rampage
by Charles Awad on Apr 4, 2011 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions
TUF isnt going anywhere!!!! deal with it.
darn. but can we have less of it? like once a year? thanks.
That was the worst TUF premiere I ever saw
I used to enjoy the first episode where they have like 2 fights and then show a bunch of highlights, this was just one very boring fight.
Brock was boring, and in the season teaser at the end they didn’t show him doing anything remotely exciting.
I think this season will fail miserably.
"I am very confident this fight can go either way"
by SpL on Apr 4, 2011 9:57 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
That fight was completely unwatchable. I would actually be interested in knowing how many people changed the channel after round 1. Thank god for DVRs or I wouldnt even bother with TUF.
by captainStevo on Apr 4, 2011 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Thank god for DVRs or I wouldnt even bother with TUF.
Exactly – I am not sure that I have ever watched an episode in real time, although I rarely watch it either way.
"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
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Apr 4, 2011 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
The episode was dull, there was no personal conflict at all ( they didn’t even show them picking the guys) and the fight was terrible. It was like they confused real for reality and we were just watching random guys do average things.
by who me on Apr 4, 2011 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
i get his point
and i also believe that hes right on this one,
but why do you have to act like a tough ass? i know its his way of running his company but im getting sick of his trash talking and i believe im not the only one.
Nothing but RESPECT for Matt "The Terror" Serra
http://gotmma.org/ - Korean MMA blog
Fastest growing sport in the world, guys. Or was I thinking of competitive horticulture? I don’t know.
It’s actually really interesting that Brock Lesnar was at the helm of one of the lower rated season premieres. Were there any other outstanding factors that could have influenced the low ratings?
maybe its that they used the same format for 5 yrs
im a huge fan of TUF but its kinda getting old.
im still watching tho lol
Nothing but RESPECT for Matt "The Terror" Serra
http://gotmma.org/ - Korean MMA blog
I haven’t watched enough season openers of it to say, but along with the start time change, isn’t there usually a fight night style live card leading into the premiere?
"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
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Apr 4, 2011 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t like TUF, I think the show is terrible. I wish they would have a show like TUF that got rid of the house. I just want to see the training and the fights. Two fights per show and a lot of training stuff. No Real World/J. Shore type stuff. But this would probably only appeal to hardcores, or those that do martial arts themselves.
I am free because I choose to be so-Me
When is 1.5 million viewers bad? When you were hoping for 2.5 million. Tuf is running about par for the course, it just didn’t bring in any new eyeballs with the premier. As far as them changing it up, well it’s running around the same as it normally does. We are surprised because we were assuming Brock would do Kimbo numberss but that’s all about Brock not about the show being stale in the eyes of the network. Sure we think it’s stale but then the internet has been bitching about the show since it first started, that’s nothing new.
The only real story here is “why did Kimbo do better than Brock?”
I’m pretty sure Kimbo is (or was) more popular than Brock. He was a major Internet fad. Brock is big with the pro wrestling crowd, but I don’t think the non-WWE fan likes him all that much. Casuals also seem to think he’s a boring fighter, for whatever reason (this is based purely on personal experience).
I think if had been Brock/Mir back then, or Brock/Carwin before they fought it would have been huge.
"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
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Apr 4, 2011 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Brock vs Mir would of drawn big numbers, Brock vs some guy casual fans didn’t even know Brock was fighting apparently isn’t. I don’t know if Kimbo is more popular or if he was just a different kind of popular, Kimbo could pull all sorts of attention but didn’t draw shit for a ppv. Brock vs Junior may do a big number on ppv but just not draw in the reality show eyeballs on free tv.
I think Brock acted and was perceived so differently before the Carwin fight than he does now. JDS is a genuinely humble guy who knows in his heart that he is a total bad ass but sees no need to act that way. While that is my kind of guy in general, it probably doesn’t do much ratings magic.
Your other comment about them using this a lead-in to another show makes me wonder if they didn’t severely overestimate the eyeballs Brock would bring in on his own. Hell, they were advertising it (and him) on my local FM station for the first time I can recall ever hearing a UFC or Spike ad for anything.
"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
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Apr 4, 2011 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions
Yea I think they thought Brock could pull a big number without a compelling storyline or a lead in event and they were wrong. Brock vs JDS isn’t really a special fight and 2011 Brock isn’t 2009 Brock. If they had had the standard live event lead in they would of probably matched what the show normally gets for a premier but there was definately something lacking even without the advertising they did.
Saying "1.5 million is a lot of people"....
…is technically true (I think) and also trying to argue in a vacuum.
It’s like trying to say “Isn’t a country with 1.5 million people a lot?”. Yes, I guess, depending on what “a lot” means. But the truth is it’s not a lot if you compare it to, say, any other country. It’s just an attempt to position a flat number that sounds big as an indication of success, but without context the number is meaningless. 1.5 million is either a shitload or a little bit and context is what settles the issue.
TNA, a pathetic pro wrestling program with little to no pub, did better ratings. Is 1.5 million a lot? Yes. Is it a lot compared to the amount of effort that went in to promote the show only to do less than TNA? No, it’s actually not.
And is 1.5 million a lot compared to every other debut season of TUF? Actually, it’s not.
I don’t think we can infer a ton from one episode. Let’s see how the season plays out. But if you think simply by stating “hey, look at this large number! isn’t that number big” you can undo reality, well, I’m not sure what to say.
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by Luke Thomas on Apr 4, 2011 10:49 AM EDT reply actions 10 recs
Attaboy, Luke
TNA, a pathetic pro wrestling program
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 Apr 4, 2011 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Great TNA comparison
That really puts it into perspective.
Is 1.5 million a lot compared to what they hoped to get with Brock Lesnar, the UFC’s biggest draw? Absolutely not.
█♣█
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who -- Jay-Z
Well Dana I think your show sucks
It’s stale and is producing worse and worse “winners” by the season. I’ve stopped watching it regularly and sure enough many others will, forcing you to change this now totally wretched show. HINT: The solution isn’t more semen stunts. Deal with it.
"If I had a dollar for every brain you don't have, I'd have one dollar." - Squidward Tentacles
When was the semen stunt?
It seems like it gets brought up all the time as how shitty the show is and it only happened once. Also the show has slowly pulled away from showing the antics in the house. They didn’t even air the punch that broke that dudes jaw.
SINCE WHEN IS 1.5 MILLIONS VIEWERS BAD?
People have been saying it is dead since season 4.
Sit back and watch bitches or don’t. TUF isnt going anywhere!!!! deal with it.
I would rather see a Brock Lesnar hunting show or a JDS crimefighting show. Just throwing some ideas out there.
Bow Hunting fer Deerts with Brock Lesnar
Criminal Clobber Hour with JD
Keep Firing, Assholes!
Time to put some meat in your pain sandwich.
JDS/Paulo Thiago/Jon Jones CrimeTime?
"If I had a dollar for every brain you don't have, I'd have one dollar." - Squidward Tentacles
i couldn't have said it better Mr. White
"Live fast, die." ~ GG Allin
by Bonedoctor on Apr 4, 2011 11:55 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
DW telling people to not watch TUF if they don't like it
Bold thing to say
if less people watch it, TUF won’t be around despite what he says
"Although detractors decry it as a brutal, bloody form of human cockfighting, aficionados know it is a brutal, bloody, totally f***ing awesome form of human cockfighting"
He’s telling people on the UG to not watch TUF if they don’t like it because he knows most of them probably didn’t watch it anyway before they started bitching about it. As long as enough people with Nielsen boxes watch it then his ratings will stay up (ratings are a sample, if you aren’t a “Nielsen family” no one knows or cares what you watch on tv anyway).
i think his smack talk helps growth
when ur mainstream you can act with class and dignity, but at this point his outburts draw attention to the sport, thepeople who are offended, at this point probably wouldn’t be fans anyway. I think dana needs to further the sport not his brand. To me this get guys 15-30 to know the sport. I think what really harms him is how aggressive he is toward illegal streams and pirating I know in order to get ppv guys he gotta talk it up as horrible and illegal but behind the scenes I think dana has to understand some fans are too young to spend 50 a month or even go to a bar to watch the sport.. even if he would lose now more people will know about the sport and in the future these will be your paying fans.
by Joshro on Apr 4, 2011 12:19 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I just caught the end of that terrible fight while waiting for Coal Miner to start. Spike needs the UFC bad lol
by AHutch on Apr 4, 2011 12:34 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
That fight was terrible, but i would watch repeats of that episode 100 times before i would ever watch that stupid fuckin coal show again. Thats what TV was missing, west virginia hillbillies talkin in their irritaing twang about how ‘my daddy was a coal miner, my daddies daddy was a coal miner, and im sure my hillbilly kids will be coal miners!!!’
Just curious
Why did they not do the coaches picking the fighters like they normally do? Was weird seeing Dana White do it.
Yes, 1.5M viewers is nice, but not when you compared it to what the show has been doing, this is terrible news. Dana is trying to polish a turd here. They have to be in panic mode over there.
Host of Bloody Elbow Radio/Founder of Team Buh Bye
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SINCE WHEN IS 1.5 MILLIONS VIEWERS BAD?
Quite simply, since it meant 0.2 rating points less than any previous season of TUF. And when that happened with your biggest star’s involvement. And when it happened after sending that star on a big media push to promote the debut episode.
Since then
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Apr 4, 2011 1:05 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Do you by any chance know what the ratings of the same night replays of the previous seasons were? I’ve tried to find it but can’t. I think thats a pretty important piece of info and that it’s far too early to talk about it like it’s a failure until the regular viewers get settled into the new time.
Plus like someone else said, I’m pretty sure they’ve always had lead up unleashed episodes prior to it, which helps ratings.
I couldn’t find that info. But if you add the 9pm airing and the 10pm airing into one number it’s still only like the 4th biggest rating that they pulled on a debut.
There’s no way to spin this as a win really. It’s a bad number. Could it go up? yeah, and I imagine like every other season there will be the odd episode that tops 1.5. But the biggest thing is to constantly remind yourself that the UFC’s plan with having Lesnar was not “same ol’ ratings”
I doubt that Spike is in any rush to cancel TUF but when they go into talks for the new contract the network FINALLY has some degree of leverage to go “we can’t invest much more than we already are in airing the show since the ratings are steady to declining”
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Apr 4, 2011 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions
How much do you think the lack of a lead-in fight and the time slot change affected the numbers?
"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
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Apr 4, 2011 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Not much honestly. There have been a ton of mid-season episodes which have drawn better numbers than a 1.5 without a lead in
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Apr 4, 2011 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions
It probably would of made enough difference to get this up to an average premier episode though. The problem isn’t as much that this rating was low for a TUF rating it’s that this rating was drastically low by what they had to be expecting a Brock Lesnar season to do.
From the person I talked to that has a lot to do with the production end of things, it was WAY below what they were expecting. Like…insanely low.
White and some fans are trying to sell this like “it’s really not that bad” but based on what they were expecting internally, it’s bad. It’s real bad.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Apr 4, 2011 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions
And FYI, i can’t get into the exact numbers that I was told they were expecting since my guy requested I not. BUt I just want to make it clear that I’m not pulling the “these are bad numbers” thing out of my ass or just making my own declaration.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Apr 4, 2011 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m going to assume they were expecting numbers comparable to Kimbo’s premier (2.2 ~ 2.9 million viewers). It’s bad news, real bad news but it’s not bad news because TUF sucks it’s bad news because Brock didn’t draw squat. Needing to change TUF isn’t the issue from these ratings, Brock not drawing is.
Wouldn’t adding them up make them 2nd only to season 10? As much as he’s a joke to us, Kimbo was a powerhouse for ratings. So being the best non kimbo season is definately better than what we are lead to believe here imo!
Also, considering the only good thing on Spike is the UFC, I think they will always be the bitch in negotiations. Theres only so many ways to die one can watch.
I think it’d be 3rd or 4th overall. Regardless that isn’t how ratings work. If nothing else it’d be a failure on Spike and the UFC’s part for not doing a better job of establishing what time the show was airing. Seriously, these were bad numbers.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Apr 4, 2011 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Here’s the thing tho, I don’t think people realize that maybe interest in Brock has fallen off greatly with the more casual fans since he had his head handed to him. That was a vicious defeat and sapped any aura he had. Couple that with his Mr. Rogers monotone demeanor and you are going to have a dull show. I bet he editors are working at breakneck speed right now to try to make this season interesting and I wouldn’t be surprised if they pull Brock in to do some ADR. Just the reality of the situation.
by memitim on Apr 4, 2011 2:12 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Who's this nigga
callin a BITCH?!
My whole existence is in sarcasm font.
http://twitter.com/TheFakeEmcee
he's joking, brother.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Apr 4, 2011 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Right now Spike and the Zuffa are trying to gain all the leverage they for their negotiations for a new contract at the end of the year. Zuffa puts their product on other channels to show they have options, puts their biggest star on TUF to show they can draw, and even buys up Strikeforce so the only promotion who can possible replace them if they left would be the anemic drawing Bellator. Checkmate
…except for the fact that the ratings on Versus and Ion have been less than stellar and their big Brock season of TUF looks like a bomb. Right now it looks like the UFC might need Spike as much as Spike needs the UFC. Who knew so many fans were really tuning in to watch Manswers.
And you’d think Dana would have better things to do then defend his ratings on the UG.
Who knew so many fans were really tuning in to watch Manswers.
Never question the power of big boobs on late night cable. I can imagine all sorts of drunk college kids tuning in :D
I sometimes tune in to crap shows like that
I mean, what else is TV for if not for laughs, boobs and MMA? <3 Spike
This is no different than some loudmouth in a bar going on about how the coach needs to be fired every time his team loses, or a guy calling sports-talk and saying he feels like the field goal kicker is unreliable. There is no information, just words. He doesn’t engage in any argument at all. Lame.
The guys on the UG would be that, Dana would be like a coach going off in a press conference about how the press is covering events or how his team played (something that happens quite a lot).
Lots of people that start companies
Are not good for the long term success of those companies. It happens all the time. People with entrepreneurial spirit don’t make the best managers and bean counters. They also can be too emotionally involved with the business to handle negotiations (see Strikeforce meetings) or dealing with people who don’t think like they do.
"Look man I don't know, I swear to god" "SWEAR-TO-MEEE!!!!" - Batman
by warren305 on Apr 4, 2011 6:08 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I think the hardcores
Are underestimating both the success of TUF fighters (I mean, they can’t all end up champions) and the impact of having fighters people have seen on TV on the success of the sport.
I mean, I understand that sometimes these guys get babied or given a lower standard of competition/higher standard of fail required to get cut. But that says something, and that something is that whether or not these guys are the best in the organization, they are still pulling ratings and making money for Zuffa.
The effect of TUF can’t be measured in terms of raw viewership; it has other impacts on the UFC as an organization as well, and now that Strikeforce is out of the competitive picture, the quality of the show should go up (one less company snatching away top young talent).
Promoters of emerging market products
Shouldn’t tell their benchmark fans, “If you don’t like it, go watch something else”
"Look man I don't know, I swear to god" "SWEAR-TO-MEEE!!!!" - Batman
Everyone involved in the sport should tell the people on the UG "If you don’t like it, go watch something else" at least once a week.
That like the GAP
Telling everyone who watches American Idol to f* off
"Look man I don't know, I swear to god" "SWEAR-TO-MEEE!!!!" - Batman
He’s right, a boring TUF episode that cost pennies to shoot in a gym gets 5-6 times the ratings Bellator gets. Oh, and 2-3 times more eyeballs than Strikeforce, too.
Not bad for a mostly boring reality tv show. Not bad at all.
You have no idea what it costs to produce that show, particularly this season. The idea that the measuring stick is Bellator on MTV2 is ludicrous on its face.
by Jonathan Snowden on Apr 5, 2011 9:44 AM EDT up reply actions
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