Spike TV Does Well With UFC On Fuel TV Counter-Programming
by Nate Wilcox on Feb 19, 2012 12:30 PM EST
in Business of MMA
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The UFC had their first live Fight Night on Fuel TV this past Wednesday. The ratings for the event were great -- for Fuel TV. The Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez headliner drew 315,000 viewers and the whole show averaged 217,000 viewers. Both those stats are records for Fuel TV whose previous biggest shows were live UFC preliminary bout coverage for UFC on FX 1 on Jan. 20 and UFC on Fox 2 on Jan. 28, averaging 148,000 and 144,000 total viewers, peaking at 237,000 and 212,000.
But the reality is that many UFC fans either don't get Fuel TV or don't know the UFC has left Spike TV. Spike aggressively counter-programmed UFC on Fuel TV with a marathon of old UFC fights featuring Diego Sanchez. According to the OC Register they did very well, averaging 678,000 viewers.
Spike TV has the rights to their UFC library through the end of 2012. They are expected to begin broadcasting Bellator Fighting Championships in 2013. Bellator is currently on MTV 2.
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I don't like Fuel
It seems like FOX kind of threw it in to see what they could do with it. I don’t think it’s really helping, and if they have fight nights on there while Bellator is live on Spike that could be trouble.
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Ruining your special night roster: (mostly because I forget who's on my team)
Earl Montclair (Captain), Me, KJ_ZametovStPierre, AboveThisFire, RobertCowan, sunyue, Farthammer, trice, DirtyML, Rutager, and mountaineers101
by halitosis on Feb 19, 2012 12:36 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
as someone who doesn't get fuel
agreed
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by Cory Braiterman on Feb 19, 2012 12:42 PM EST up reply actions
I have FuelTV, and right now, it is pretty much a channel for purely UFC/Zuffa fans. There is a lot of recent UFC content on the channel. However, it’s in the 390’s (for DISH Network) as far as channels go, and I can’t imagine anyone other than UFC fans wanting that channel.
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by chrisbboy82 on Feb 19, 2012 12:50 PM EST up reply actions
I have it
But I just think it’s bad for the UFC. They’re definitely not pulling great ratings from it, but then again, their biggest draws there are prelims, where on facebook maybe they got nothing from it.
Please donate what you can to the Daniel James Miller Foundation.
Ruining your special night roster: (mostly because I forget who's on my team)
Earl Montclair (Captain), Me, KJ_ZametovStPierre, AboveThisFire, RobertCowan, sunyue, Farthammer, trice, DirtyML, Rutager, and mountaineers101
FUEL is awesome
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by Earl Montclair on Feb 19, 2012 12:55 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions
This. When it’s News Corp contract renewal time for Comcast and the other cable companies, and they pick the channel up due to demand for UFC programming; you guys will agree that it’s awesome and will also realize and agree with why they did this.
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by Rob Young on Feb 19, 2012 1:10 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
It will only happen if you call Comcast
And raise a stink. I already called and said that if Fuel isn’t in the lineup when my contract is up I will no longer be a customer.
by Scott Whitaker on Feb 19, 2012 4:51 PM EST up reply actions
UFC-FOX is a 7-year deal...
…not a 7-month deal. The UFC content and increased viewership will get Fuel in more homes.
Yes. It's only been like what, 6 weeks?
I’m not worried.
"You've got Floyd Mayweather making $25 million. He can't stop a double-leg..." Nick Diaz.
it is going to take time
but Spike’s ability to create ratings with reruns and the Spike rights to UFC library run out in a year. this is annoying for now but Spike needs to stop being petty and starting getting some new programming
To have a Cannae you must have a Varo
-George Patton
"The complete man must work, study and wrestle."
-Aristotle
Luckily for the UFC, they can't
I really hope Spike’s credibility goes to shit in a year. I hate that channel, and I can’t imagine liking their executives.
Please donate what you can to the Daniel James Miller Foundation.
Ruining your special night roster: (mostly because I forget who's on my team)
Earl Montclair (Captain), Me, KJ_ZametovStPierre, AboveThisFire, RobertCowan, sunyue, Farthammer, trice, DirtyML, Rutager, and mountaineers101
talking to some of the guys at my BJJ gym who are causal, occasional MMA fans
Spike generates real confusion with their counter programing. I had a guy come in after a UFC week and start asking me if I watch the fights, but then when on to describe B.J. Penn wins over Kenny Florian and I had to tell him that he watched a replay and not the actual card.
To have a Cannae you must have a Varo
-George Patton
"The complete man must work, study and wrestle."
-Aristotle
They word everything to make you think it's live
Like when they counter programmed UFC on FOX, they had commercials with Phil Davis and Rashad Evans “fighting to earn their title shot”
They’re snakes
Please donate what you can to the Daniel James Miller Foundation.
Ruining your special night roster: (mostly because I forget who's on my team)
Earl Montclair (Captain), Me, KJ_ZametovStPierre, AboveThisFire, RobertCowan, sunyue, Farthammer, trice, DirtyML, Rutager, and mountaineers101
When I first started watching UFC
and didn’t have cable I actually thought the replay of a fight night was live. That was then now they make it even more confusing I can understand how casual fans would get confused.
by nickrodamous on Feb 19, 2012 2:31 PM EST up reply actions
I wouldn't say this is especially petty
Spike has the rights to the content and many MMA fans don’t get fuel. So, on the night of a major MMA event, I’d say it’s just smart for them to air MMA programming.
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Seems like the ratings are going down for it.
Seems like people have started figuring out that it’s not on Spike anymore.
I think Spike is really killing Bellator with this
Its only making fans more loyal to the UFC brand thats the thing about MMA brand recognition is important. So with them showing fans UFC UFC UFC the fans that watch this will not want to watch Bellator when the contract is up in 2013
I’m not resting until I’m officially Anderson Silva status.- Jon "Bones" Jones
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