jaytrainwreck - 

rufus -

What's Bellator?

Not a MMA fan I see.

No, I've only been here for 8 1/2 years longer than you.  What's MMA?

Orcus Knows MMA Better Than Goku - 

MMALOGIC - 

Orcus Knows MMA Better Than Goku - 

why didnt UFC counterprogram bellator?

 

Because they cant.  FX doesnt give a flying fuck about bellator or spike... they certainly wont prgram around it.  Why on earth would they bump their award winning programming to counter program spike when they wont even do it to give the UFC better placement.

 

And Fuel isnt in enough homes for counter programming to be effective.

FS1 is launching this summer which is available in 80 million homes...  Once this launches Zuffa will have the ability to counter program spike.  They will likely counter program the bellator reality show with an international tuf (brazil, aus, or whatever) and they will likely counter program bellator live events with UFC ppv replays.

zuffa has to just shave off 10 to 20% of their viewers to decimate them.  With fs1 and their every growing content library they will be able to do just that.

the only time the UFC will counter program bellator with a free live event is if bellator puts on a ppv.

fox doesnt control the ufc.  its a partnership.

Fox doesn't control the UFC .... but they do control the programming schedule for their stations.

FX has too much quality programming to be bothered with counter-programming.  Unlike SpikeTV, who has MMA and a bunch of fucking terrible shows that they will gladly reschedule in order to get an MMA ratings bump.

Hey, here's a pretty good "thread placement" idea:

why didnt UFC counterprogram bellator?
? (32) [998] by Orcus Knows MMA Better Than Goku ? - 1 2

Bellator can't fill a gymnasium?
? (15) [932] by smth416 ?

Joe_Drogan420 - They're not counterprogramming, but they are making sure no one knows anything or posts anything relevant about bellator on the UG.

Is that why you didn't create any Bellator threads? Cuz Zuffa made sure you didn't know anything or post anything about it?

Cindy

same reason I dont unload a machine gun on a rabbit runnning through my yard

Orcus Knows MMA Better Than Goku - 

beallator on spike has the potential to blossom into something that actually rivals the ufc with the fight shows and the reality show...not right now, but somettime in the future if they play it smartly...this is different than the other bigger competitiors of the ufc in the past...i do not see this as a flash in the pan...

some time in the future? 

the UFC has 31 live events scheduled this year... so that means 31 saturdays are taken this year with at least 2 hours of free ufc fight nights (fox, fx, fuel), and ppv prelims.   and on top of this you have the ppv's.

And there schedule of events will only grow.  Staurday nights have been taken off the books... what kind of threat are they going to be with the ppv night for mma gone?

You now have tuf on tuesday nights which is more accessible than friday nights for the target demo.  around 24 episodes a year.  Fox is even replaying the tuf premier on Big Fox saturday night 11pm.

The casual fan has more mma than they can handle with the UFC.   the hardcore fansbase is not enough to sustain a national mma promotion as evidenced by all these other promotions dying.

You've got fs1 launching in the summer.  bellator will roll out their reality show at earliest in the fall.  Zuffa can easily counter program it with tuf australia.

There's only one night left that has proven to work with free mma programming which is wednesday night... i suspect spike will move the bellator live events to wednesday nights once they secure an audience for it using tna and place the reality show on thrusday night to replace it.

The UFC will likely replay ppv's and fight nights on FS1 wednesday nights to counter program.

They really dont have to do anything... Zuffa is producing and distributing so much content there's no space for bellator to gain any traction and Zuffa's production is only going to increase.

well well well..

Bellator 85 ratings: Spike TV debut does 'fantastic' numbers

by Dann Stupp on Jan 18, 2013 at 4:30 pm ET

Bellator's Season 8 debut produced "fantastic" ratings, according to Spike TV President Kevin Kay.

With the move from MTV2 to Spike TV, Thursday's Bellator 85 event averaged 938,000 viewers, nearly three times the organization's previous record.

Bellator 85 took place at Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif. Featherweight champion Pat Curran and lightweight champion Michael Chandler made successful tittle defenses on the four-fight main card, which followed Spike.com prelims.

The Spike TV broadcast peaked with a 1.2 rating and nearly 1.1 million viewers for the opening fight betweem Curran and challenger Patricio "Pitbull" Freire. The night's other title fight, Chandler vs. Rick Hawn, averaged 950,000 viewers before the audience saw a noticeable dropoff after midnight (the broadcast officially ran until 12:12 a.m. ET).

Compared to the Season 7 debut, ratings were up 394% percent.

Bellator's previous ratings record came in May 2011, when Bellator 44 drew 325,000 viewers. Overall, Bellator's 50 events on MTV2 averaged 180,000 viewers per event.

hmmmm...

The all-time UFC-FUEL TV ratings include:

• UFC on FUEL TV 1 ratings (main card): 217,000 viewers
• UFC on FUEL TV 4 ratings (main card): 211,000
• UFC on FUEL TV 2 ratings (main card): 197,000
• UFC on FUEL TV 3 ratings (main card): 173,000
• UFC on FX 1 ratings (prelims): 148,000
• UFC on FOX 2 ratings (prelims): 144,000
• UFC on FX 2 ratings (prelims): 113,000
• UFC on FOX 3 ratings (prelims): 86,000
• UFC on FX 3 ratings (prelims): 84,000

The all-time UFC on FX main-card ratings include:

• UFC on FX 2 ratings: 1.4 million viewers
• UFC on FX 4 ratings: 1.3 million
• UFC on FX 1 ratings: 1.3 million
• UFC on FX 3 ratings: 1.1 million
• UFC on FX 5 ratings: 1.1 million
• UFC on FX 6 ratings: 972,000

The all-time UFC on FX preliminary-card ratings include:

• UFC on FX 4 ratings: 160,000 viewers
• UFC on FX 2 ratings: 113,000
• UFC on FX 1 ratings: 148,000
• UFC on FX 6 ratings: 96,000
• UFC on FX 3 ratings: 84,000
• UFC on FX 5 ratings: 44,000

khaynes21 - It would only make sense for Bellator or another promotion to Counter program the UFC.

It wouldn't really make sense for the UFC to spend its resources counter programming a smaller promotion.

The only reason Spike was Counter programming the UFC when the deal with FOX was done; was because spike owned the rights to those shows legally. It was spiteful to say the least. I'm sure the UFC and Spike relationship didn't end on the best note.

am i imaginging things but didnt ufc used to counterprogram shows?

i knew i wasnt the crazy one..you guys are the crazy ones..

Is The UFC’s Counter-Programming Strategy Working?

(‘Ultimate Iceman’: an excellent ratio of MMA buzz words.)

Never ones to sit on their hands while a competitor plans to usurp their throne, the UFC worked with Spike TV to try and distract would-be viewers from Elite XC: Primetime on Saturday night with their own counter-programming in the form of ‘Ultimate Iceman.’ The thinking here was fairly simple: hardcore MMA fans will feel compelled to watch Elite XC (if they’re home watching TV at all), but more casual fans might be swayed by a night of Chuck Liddell.

It’s not a bad strategy. Based on the informal research I’ve done in bars over the years, casual fans tend to know two things about MMA. One is that they like Chuck Liddell because he has a mohawk and knocks people out. The other is that Chuck Liddell is sometimes called “The Iceman.” Occasionally these people seem unaware that he has a real name, referring to him simply as “Iceman,” which instantly makes me wonder if the conversation hasn’t shifted to Val Kilmer’s performance in Top Gun (totally underrated, by the way).

But while this makes sense for the UFC and for Spike TV — especially considering that they don’t have much in the way of quality programming — the question is, is it working? The answer, according to the numbers, is kind of.

‘Ultimate Iceman’ drew 1.6 million viewers on Saturday night (that’s a 1.2 rating), when it aired opposite Elite XC: Primetime. By comparison, Elite XC peaked with 6.51 million viewers for the main event, almost double their first half-hour, where they had 3.38 million. If Spike TV’s efforts made a small dent in that action, you have to assume that both they and the UFC are pleased. But something about the way they’re trying so hard to downplay Elite XC’s ratings success makes them seem more envious than confident.

MMA Payout quotes Spike TV as relaying the following message:

More on Elite XC: Rank Among CBS Primetime Telecasts: of 497th Primetime telecasts this year on CBS, Elite XC ranks 468th in average audience. Among the key advertiser-desired demo of M18-34, the CBS event had a lower rating than Spike’s UFC 70, UFC 75 and Ken/Tito 10/06. The median age for CBS (41 years) was over a decade older than what Spike sees for UFC live fights.

The “median age” argument is somewhat flawed to begin with, because older people tend to watch more network TV and less cable (unless it’s the Weather or History channels). Older people also tend to watch far less Spike TV, presumably because their years of experience have already taught them all the “Manswers” they need in life.

But what does it mean if the UFC events that aired live on Spike outpaced the Elite XC broadcast on network TV as a whole? It might simply mean that because Spike has benefited so much from the success of the UFC, they’re more willing to help the UFC with advertising and marketing efforts. CBS has a few other things going on, as you might have noticed, and with Sumner Redstone’s comments they seemed to be taking a ‘wait-and-see’ approach to airing MMA from the start.

Either way, both Spike TV and the UFC seem determined to get their share of press out the Elite XC network debut. Just the fact that they feel compelled to discuss it at all, rather than focus on solely on their own upcoming offerings, is interesting enough. Could it be that the UFC is feeling the pressure from Elite XC’s ratings success? Or will this only make Spike and the UFC circle the wagons in the coming months to make sure they stay at the top of the MMA foodchain?

We’ll have to wait and see, but this does make me think that there’s a lot to be said for having a cable network so solidly behind your organization. I suppose they don’t have much choice when the rest of their lineup is comprised of police chase videos, bear maulings, and extended debates on fake breasts. “Ultimate Iceman” is practically Shakespeare compared to that.

(-Ben Fowlkes)

rufus -

jaytrainwreck - 

rufus -

What's Bellator?

Not a MMA fan I see.

No, I've only been here for 8 1/2 years longer than you.  What's MMA?

DamnSevern - 

Kostakio -  "I'm having surgery and don't have time to fuck with people." - Dana White

?

"Hey Frank, why do all of these idiots on the internet think Dana is in charge of the UFC?" - Lorenzo Fertitta

Orcus Knows MMA Better Than Goku - 

well well well..

Bellator 85 ratings: Spike TV debut does 'fantastic' numbers

by Dann Stupp on Jan 18, 2013 at 4:30 pm ET

Bellator's Season 8 debut produced "fantastic" ratings, according to Spike TV President Kevin Kay.

With the move from MTV2 to Spike TV, Thursday's Bellator 85 event averaged 938,000 viewers, nearly three times the organization's previous record.

Bellator 85 took place at Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif. Featherweight champion Pat Curran and lightweight champion Michael Chandler made successful tittle defenses on the four-fight main card, which followed Spike.com prelims.

The Spike TV broadcast peaked with a 1.2 rating and nearly 1.1 million viewers for the opening fight betweem Curran and challenger Patricio "Pitbull" Freire. The night's other title fight, Chandler vs. Rick Hawn, averaged 950,000 viewers before the audience saw a noticeable dropoff after midnight (the broadcast officially ran until 12:12 a.m. ET).

Compared to the Season 7 debut, ratings were up 394% percent.

Bellator's previous ratings record came in May 2011, when Bellator 44 drew 325,000 viewers. Overall, Bellator's 50 events on MTV2 averaged 180,000 viewers per event.

What did TNA draw as a lead in?

ufc prolly wanted to see what they were dealing with