MMA Universe

It was not a good Friday for TUF Live last Friday as the series scored its lowest ratings ever with 947,000 viewers.  Its the first time the series has dipped below a million average.

It was not a good night for the rest of the UFC programming either as the first episode of UFC Primetime: Jones vs. Evans began after TUF Live. It only garnered 462,000 viewers.  As a comparison, Spike TV’s reruns of UFC content received an average of 408,000 viewers.

TUF Live Episode 1: 1.28 million viewers
TUF Live Episode 2: 1.1 million viewers
TUF Live Episode 3: 1.2 million viewers
TUF Live Episode 4:  947,000 viewers

(h/t:  MMA Junkie)

Payout Perspective:

Dismal ratings all around for the UFC.  Do we attribute the poor ratings on the network change, the change to Friday nights, the content changes or all of the above.  Certainly, some viewers may DVR TUF Live and UFC Primetime although the show overruns make recording the west coast reruns impossible unless you record the whole night on FX.  As we reported last week, the UFC is still where it wants to be on FX based on the demos and overall performance of the network.  But, just like a young team that shows promise, there will be lots of growing pains.

It was not a good Friday for TUF Live last Friday as the series scored its lowest ratings ever with 947,000 viewers.  Its the first time the series has dipped below a million average.

It was not a good night for the rest of the UFC programming either as the first episode of UFC Primetime: Jones vs. Evans began after TUF Live. It only garnered 462,000 viewers.  As a comparison, Spike TV’s reruns of UFC content received an average of 408,000 viewers.

TUF Live Episode 1: 1.28 million viewers
TUF Live Episode 2: 1.1 million viewers
TUF Live Episode 3: 1.2 million viewers
TUF Live Episode 4:  947,000 viewers

(h/t:  MMA Junkie)

Payout Perspective:

Dismal ratings all around for the UFC.  Do we attribute the poor ratings on the network change, the change to Friday nights, the content changes or all of the above.  Certainly, some viewers may DVR TUF Live and UFC Primetime although the show overruns make recording the west coast reruns impossible unless you record the whole night on FX.  As we reported last week, the UFC is still where it wants to be on FX based on the demos and overall performance of the network.  But, just like a young team that shows promise, there will be lots of growing pains.

MMA Payout provides your Easter weekend with some pro wrestling business headlines including Lesnar’s contract, Spike TV reups with TNA and the US Marines call in a favor.

Lesnar’s impact and contract

Finally…Brock Lesnar has returned back to the WWE.  He made his appearance on Monday Night Raw the night after Wrestlemania.  Although a brief cameo at the end of the program (where he F5’d Jon Cena), the Wrestlemania bump and the Lesnar rumors had RAW draw a 2.0 rating (according to TV By Numbers) for the second hour of Raw which was up from the prior week among adults 18-49.  The programming ran up against CBS and the National Championship Title Game which is pretty good considering March Madness had been impacting MMA ratings.

As for Lesnar’s contract, it’s being reported that his 1 year deal is worth around 5 million dollars (via CageSide Seats).  The deal runs through next year’s Wrestlemania which will be held at Met Life Stadium in New Jersey which we may presume Lesnar will be in the main event.  Lesnar will not be on the road full time but will appear twice a month with more frequency running up to Wrestlemania.

Spike TV and TNA Wrestling agree to extension

TNA Wrestling has agreed to a multi-year extension with Spike TV.  TNA’s “Impact Wrestling” show on Thursday nights has been drawing an average of 1.7 million viewers in 2012.  Financial terms were not disclosed however there is speculation that TNA will be involved in additional projects with the network in addition to its weekly show.  I was surprised to know that TNA is drawing so well.  Its interesting compared to the TUF ratings from past seasons on the network.

Wrestler Randy Orton pulled from WWE film

The WWE has pulled Randy Orton from a starring role in its film studios’ ongoing feature film Marine 3.  The “Marine” series put on by WWE Films is the longest running and most notable of its film franchises (which may explain why the WWE film division is in its current state).  Orton, a real US Marine in the 1990s was dishonorably discharged from the Corps after two AWOLs and a disobyeing a command from a superior officer (h/t Cage Side Seats via TMZ Sports).  The WWE indicated that it “demonstrated poor judgment” in casting Orton in the role even though it knew of his past.

One does not usually see the WWE concede fault but the fact is the WWE is a staunch supporter of the Armed Forces (as shown by its annual holiday shows in the Middle East) and the Marines rely on the support of the WWE as it can tap into the young male demo.  Here, it made sense for the WWE to pull Orton off of the film as it would have heaped a lot of bad press on the WWE further impacting the issues the film division has right now.

The UFC and Multi Screen Media announced a four year deal to broadcast UFC programming in India.  Multi Screen Media is a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television and its new sports channel, SIX, will air UFC events, taped special and fights from the UFC library.

Via UFC press release:

“When we went to India over a year ago I felt the market held enormous potential for the UFC,” said Lorenzo Fertitta, Chairman of UFC. “India has a long history of martial arts and traditional wrestling like Kushti. Indian athletes have also demonstrated worldclass levels in combat sports as evidenced by the country’s 2008 Olympic medalists in wrestling and boxing.”

“I’ve been saying for a few years that India would be next and it was just a matter of finding the right partner in the market. MSM has been a pioneer in India, broadcasting  new sports franchises like the IPL.  We’ve got big plans for India and MSM couldn’t be a better partner” said Dana White, President of the UFC.

Payout Perspective:

This should be a good partnership for the UFC as it builds its product overseas.  Recently, a Sports Business Journal full page ad indicated that international version of The Ultimate Fighter Live would have a stop in India (as well as Australia).  A recent MMA startup league, Super Fight League, ran its first card this year and it looks like the sport is growing interest.  Having UFC shows on a dedicated channel should help build into the MMA fan base in India.

Last year, UFC and FOX announced a huge 7 year TV deal worth as much as $90-$100 million per year, which would move UFC programming from Spike TV to FOX, FX, FSN’s, and Fuel TV.  Now that Q1 of 2012 has passed, we look back and analyze what type of impact UFC programming had on the FOX properties and how the new platforms have impacted the UFC.

NETWORK: FOX (112M households) Q1 Ratings:

UFC on FOX:

UFC on FOX 1: Velasquez vs Dos Santos: 5.7M, 3.1 household rating  (1 Hour Block, 1 Fight) UFC on FOX 2: Evans vs Davis: 4.7M, 2.6 household rating (2.5 Hour Block, 3 Fights)

Q1 Average: 5.2M … Trend: Down

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NETWORK: FX (99M households) Q1 RATINGS:

TUF LIVE:

TUF Live Episode 1 – 1.3M TUF Live Episode 2 – 1.1M TUF Live Episode 3 – 1.2M TUF Live Episode 4 – 1.054M

Q1 Average: 1.16M Viewers, Trend: Down

TUF Season Average Rating (last 5 seasons) on Spike TV:

TUF 14 Season on Spike TV (2011) Averaged 1.5M viewers TUF 13 Season on Spike TV (2011) Averaged 1.3M viewers TUF 12 Season on Spike TV (2010) Averaged 1.74M viewers TUF 11 Season on Spike TV (2010) Averaged 1.65M viewers TUF 10 Season on Spike TV (2009) Averaged 3M viewers

TUF Season Average (last 5 seasons) on Spike TV: 1.84M Viewers

Spike TV Comparable Trend: Down

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UFC on FX:

UFC on FX 1: 1.3M UFC on FX 2: 1.4M

Q1 Average: 1.35M Viewers, Trend: Up, Flat

UFN Average Rating (last 5 events) on Spike TV:

UFN 25 on Spike TV (2011) Averaged 1.8M viewers UFN 24 on Spike TV (2011) Averaged 2.2M viewers UFN 23 on Spike TV (2011) Averaged 1.85M viewers UFN 22 on Spike TV (2010) Averaged 1.2M viewers UFN 21 on Spike TV (2010) Averaged 1.6M viewers

UFN Average (last 5 events) on Spike TV: 1.73M Viewers

Spike TV Comparable Trend: Down

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UFC Primetime:

“UFC Primetime: Diaz vs. Condit” (Episode 1): 657,000 viewers “UFC Primetime: Diaz vs. Condit” (Episode 2): 520,000 viewers “UFC Primetime: Diaz vs. Condit” (Episode 3): 442,000 viewers

Q1 Average: 540,000 Viewers, Trend: Down

UFC Primetime Debut Episode Ratings (last 5 events) on Spike TV:

UFC Primetime: GSP vs Shields on Spike TV (2011): 610K viewers UFC Primetime: Lesnar vs Velasquez on Spike TV (2010): 974K viewers UFC Primetime: Rampage vs Evans on Spike TV (2011): 1.2M viewers UFC Primetime: GSP vs Hardy on Spike TV (2010): 1M viewers UFC Primetime: GSP vs Penn II on Spike TV (2009): 880K viewers

UFC Primetime Debut Episodes (last 5) Average on Spike TV: 933K Viewers

Spike TV Comparable Trend: Down, Flat

UFC on FX Prelims:

UFC 142 Prelims: 880K UFC 143 Prelims: 1.4M UFC 144 Prelims: 1.5M

 Q1 Average: 1.26M, Trend: Up

UFC Prelims Average Rating (last 5 events) on Spike TV:

UFC 141 Season on Spike TV (2011) Averaged 1.8M viewers UFC 139 Season on Spike TV (2011) Averaged 1.2M viewers UFC 137 Season on Spike TV (2011) Averaged 1.1M viewers UFC 136 Season on Spike TV (2011) Averaged 1M viewers UFC 135 Season on Spike TV (2011) Averaged 1.6M viewers

Previous 5 UFC Prelims Average on Spike TV: 1.34M Viewers

Spike TV Comparable Trend: Flat

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FX & SpikeTV: 2012 (Q1) Primetime Vs. 2011 (Q1) Primetime :

FX
- Men 18-49=  -20%
- Men 18-34=  -21%

Trend: Down

Spike
- Men 18-49 = +4%
- Men 18-34= +7%

Trend: Up

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NETWORK: FUEL TV (36M Households) Q1 RATINGS:

UFC on FUEL:

- UFC on Fuel TV 1: 217,000

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UFC on Fuel Prelims:

UFC on FX1 Fuel Prelims: 148,000 UFC on FOX 2 Prelims: 144,000 UFC on FX 2 Fuel Prelims: 113,000

Q1 Average: 135,000, Trend: Down

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UFC Tonight:

UFC Tonight Episode 1: 39,000 UFC Tonight Episode 2: 20,000 UFC Tonight Episode 3: 61,000 …

Q1 Average: 63,000, Trend: Up

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Overall Q1 Ratings Analysis (Fuel TV PR):

- Fuel TV is television’s fastest-growing cable network this year, according to figures released by Nielsen Media Research. In both the Total Day and Prime Time, the network recorded the largest percentage increases of total viewers among all rated, ad-supported cable networks in the first quarter of 2012.

- Fuel TV continued its unprecedented ratings increases in March, following the growth trend that began in January when Ultimate Fighting Championship® programming began to dominate key day-parts. February was the network’s most-watched month ever, featuring its first live UFC fight, which delivered the channel its most-watched program, most-watched Prime Time and most-watched week.

- Fuel TV aired 233 hours of UFC programming in February and added another 213 hours in March. FUEL TV telecast 646 hours of UFC programming in the first three months of 2012.

- Q1 2012 was FUEL TV’s most-watched in network history, finishing up +100% in Total Viewers and up +125% in M18-49 vs. Q1 2011

- Q1 Prime Time viewership increased +200% in Total Viewers and +260% among M18-49 vs. the same quarter last year

- Q1 Late Night increased +222% on Total Viewers and +275% among M18-49 compared to Q1 in 2011.

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Payout Perspective:

Making a conclusion as to whether the UFC and FOX TV deal is a success or failure based on only the Q1 ratings would obviously be premature, but it also doesn’t mean we can’t start to look at the performance of UFC content on the FOX platforms.

The obvious observations here after Q1 has to be how much UFC has helped out Fuel TV, not only in terms of ratings, but also increasing their reach from 30M to 36M since the TV announcement was made back in 2011.  However, Fuel TV at the end of the day only reaches 1/3 of the households that Spike TV reached while still being one of the lowest rated networks in cable TV, so unless Fuel’s reach picks up – doesn’t look like that will be the case until the end of the year at the earliest – the UFC will consistently be placing the majority of their content on a channel that only reaches a fraction of what Spike TV gets.

FOX is doing a great job at exposing the UFC product to the masses, but the last event was actually a big drop-off from the first event as every fight went to a decision and almost tripled the length of UFC on FOX 1. Not to mention that four shows a year is just not enough frequency for the casuals.  Getting mainstream sponsors for the FOX events has also not been as easy as was expected when the deal was made last year.  The ratings drop of the second show caused for the UFC to create “fun and exciting” match-ups for UFC on FOX 3 rather than book big names in hope that casuals will tune in and stick around for “fan-friendly” and exciting booked fights.

FX and the newly revamped “TUF Live” were a big part of the TV deal with TUF being the key platform the UFC uses to create future stars and PPV draws.  So far, the show has been a disappointment (in terms of ratings) with all-time rating lows for the series.  Dana White and the UFC brass predicted that they could very well reach 3 million viewers for TUF on FX  if they were getting around 1.5 million on Spike TV without any promotion.  Well, that prediction hasn’t panned out yet, even with heavy promotion leading up the the debut on FX.  More shocking is that after UFC moved to FX, FX network’s M18-34 and M18-49 demos have decreased compared to Q1 2011 while Spike’s have gone up.  FX dedicating Friday nights as “UFC Nights”, a day which is notorious for bad ratings and when the M18-34 demographic is not at home in front of their TV sets, has also not panned out for the UFC yet.  Moving the content to mid-week could be a solution, but FX is happy enough with the Friday night ratings since it’s an improvement from what they get with non-UFC content, so it looks like the UFC will have to ride this out for the time being.

There is something to be said about the simplicity of being a UFC fan and being able to find all the content you needed on one network.  Now, with multiple platforms designated with different UFC content, fans are having a difficult time migrating from Spike TV (who will continue to air UFC content through 2012) to multiple FOX platforms. FOX only shows UFC events 4 times a year, FX only on Fridays and sometimes on Saturday, while Fuel TV has designated days where they show no UFC content at all despite airing over 200+ hours of UFC programming a month . The complexity for the typical MMA TV viewer has definitely increased since the deal, but regardless of the vast TV programming now available, MMA fans can always count on tuning in on Saturday nights – usually once a month – to catch a big PPV event.  That is a consistent and simple message the UFC has promoted for years and one that still works. It gets hundreds-of-thousands of UFC fans pumped up for a UFC weekend. Sometimes, simplicity can be bliss.

MMA Junkie reports that Bellator 63 drew an average viewership of 140,000 viewers last Friday on MTV2.  The ratings are down from last week’s 175,000 viewer showing and the season average of 151,000.

Bellator 63 brings down season 6’s average to 148,000 viewers.

Bellator 62:  175,000 viewers
Bellator 61:  108,000 viewers
Bellator 60:  169,000 viewers

Payout Perspective:

And the roller coaster ride for Bellator ratings continues.  After a strong showing for Bellator 62, this past Friday’s showing declined by 35,000 viewers.  Bellator ratings are truly hard to decipher considering last Friday it had to compete with March Madness and this week without NCAA basketball, viewership declined.  In addition, TUF Live ratings were down as well this week.

Spike TV announced today that it is collaborating with the co-creator of “The Amazing Race” to develop a reality show for Bellator Fighting Championships.  The one hour unscripted show is set to debut in 2013 and feature Bellator fighters.

The network will work with Bertram van Munster, an eight-time Emmy Award winner most famously known for co-creating the widely popular “The Amazing Race.”  The concept of the show is being withheld at this time.

Payout Perspective:

This should be very helpful for Bellator when it comes to Spike TV in 2013 when introducing its fighters to a broader audience.  The concept of the reality series is a smart move because not only does it appeal to MMA fans, it could attract some crossover appeal. The partnership with van Munster does not mean that the Bellator fighters will be racing around the world (although that would be fun to watch), but it means that Spike is making sure that the show is done well and produced by a veteran with a good track record.

MMA Junkie reports The Ultimate Fighter Live received an average of 1.1 million viewers this past Friday.  Despite the lack of March Madness competition, it was the lowest rating of the season.

TUF Live Episode 1: 1.28 million viewers
TUF Live Episode 2: 1.1 million viewers
TUF Live Episode 3: 1.2 million viewers

Payout Perspective:

It may take some time for the UFC audience to gravitate to FX but, this NY Times article shows the reasons why the UFC’s key demo should help FX and vice versa. The article keys in on FX as a revenue generator for Fox as it focuses on the young adult male demo.  Mainly, it cites its original programming geared toward young males.   According to the article, FX was the 10th most watched basic cable channel and 8th most-watched in the 18-49 category in the first quarter of 2012.  This should help the UFC in the long run.

Minus Spike’s use of the UFC library next year and insert Bellator into that slot, the UFC should build on its share of the MMA fans on Friday nights.  Keeping the TUF Live product fresh is another issue which the UFC-FX is trying to do.

UFC on Fox released a new commercial this week featuring Anderson SIlva. In the commercial, a dubbed Silva voice explains how he’s a regular guy despite doing superhuman things.

Payout Perspective:

The commercial is part of the “ordinary guys” strategy that Fox is using to promote the UFC. The commercial is similar to the Frankie Edgar one where he tames a tiger at the zoo via rear naked choke and the Jon Jones commercial where he’s at the park with his kids.  Its a sign of the Fox influence on the UFC product.  Not only does it humanize these guys as normal people despite their extraordinary abilities in the octagon, it shows a humorous and approachable side of the fighters.  The new strategy should help new viewers to MMA approach the sport and tune in.

MMA Weekly reports that Facebook streams of UFC fights have received as many as 140,000 viewers on its web page.  This information comes from Dana White after the UFC 146 press conference this week.

In speaking with the press, White offered up a number of viewers to its Facebook streams which have aired prior to prelims on television.  “I think the most we’ve ever had watching on Facebook was something like 140,000 people. That’s a good number,” White added, “If you look at some of the numbers that some of these other organizations have pulled whether it’s on HDNet, MTV2, or whatever it might be, to pull 140,000 is a good number.”

White indicated that the Facebook streaming comes at a cost to the company.

Via MMA Weekly:

It does come at a cost, however. White didn’t put any numbers to dollar signs, but he did say that cost was a factor when they recently opted not to stream just a single fight on Facebook when there wasn’t space for it on television.

White told reporters that he didn’t know how many people that watch on Facebook actually buy the PPVs stating that there’s no way to accurately track it.

Payout Perspective:

The Facebook stream viewership has been one of the bigger secrets held by the UFC and its sponsors as no one has put a number to them.  It appears that White is pleased with the use but also looks to the fact that the costs may override the marketing benefits.  In the past, there have been sponsors for Facebook which may offset some of the UFC’s costs to stream.  But, one must think of the content its placing on Facebook.  Most of the fights are the opening bouts as the more interesting prelim fights are now televised.  With the Fox deal and the availability of Fuel and FX, Facebook may become less of a need.

Obviously, taking live fights off of Facebook somewhat flies in the face of the UFC’s championing of social media.  But, if the UFC steers away from live streaming of its fights on its Facebook page, I’m sure there’s other ways it can drive its fans to its Facebook page.

MMA Junkie reports that Bellator 62 ratings were up this past Friday and received an average of 175,000 viewers.  The ratings are up 61 percent from last week’s dismal showing and the live streaming prelims increased in viewership as well.

Via MMA Junkie:

Bellator 62, which got the organization back in the normal range for ratings, took place at Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas. In addition to the MTV2-televised main card, prelims streamed live on Spike.com. Although officials don’t reveal the total number of viewers, Bellator 62′s streaming audience more than doubled (up 110 percent) compared to the previous week.

Bellator 60 – 169,000 viewers
Bellator 61 – 108,000
Bellator 62 – 175,000

Payout Perspective:

The viewership came back to a normal range Friday night notwithstanding March Madness which is a good thing for Bellator.  Also, 62 exceeded the debut of season 6 which is a good sign as well. The numbers are still down from the season 5 average but the bounce back in ratings is a positive.  The live streaming on Spike.com also did well which reflects the fact that fans are getting used to turning to Spike.com to watch Bellator.

MMA Junkie reports that Bellator 62 ratings were up this past Friday and received an average of 175,000 viewers.  The ratings are up 61 percent from last week’s dismal showing and the live streaming prelims increased in viewership as well.

Via MMA Junkie:

Bellator 62, which got the organization back in the normal range for ratings, took place at Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas. In addition to the MTV2-televised main card, prelims streamed live on Spike.com. Although officials don’t reveal the total number of viewers, Bellator 62′s streaming audience more than doubled (up 110 percent) compared to the previous week.

Bellator 60 – 169,000 viewers
Bellator 61 – 108,000
Bellator 62 – 175,000

Payout Perspective:

The viewership came back to a normal range Friday night notwithstanding March Madness which is a good thing for Bellator.  Also, 62 exceeded the debut of season 6 which is a good sign as well. The numbers are still down from the season 5 average but the bounce back in ratings is a positive.  The live streaming on Spike.com also did well which reflects the fact that fans are getting used to turning to Spike.com to watch Bellator.

MMA Junkie reports that Bellator 62 ratings were up this past Friday and received an average of 175,000 viewers.  The ratings are up 61 percent from last week’s dismal showing and the live streaming prelims increased in viewership as well.

Via MMA Junkie:

Bellator 62, which got the organization back in the normal range for ratings, took place at Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas. In addition to the MTV2-televised main card, prelims streamed live on Spike.com. Although officials don’t reveal the total number of viewers, Bellator 62′s streaming audience more than doubled (up 110 percent) compared to the previous week.

Bellator 60 – 169,000 viewers
Bellator 61 – 108,000
Bellator 62 – 175,000

Payout Perspective:

The viewership came back to a normal range Friday night notwithstanding March Madness which is a good thing for Bellator.  Also, 62 exceeded the debut of season 6 which is a good sign as well. The numbers are still down from the season 5 average but the bounce back in ratings is a positive.  The live streaming on Spike.com also did well which reflects the fact that fans are getting used to turning to Spike.com to watch Bellator.

MMA Junkie reports that Bellator 62 ratings were up this past Friday and received an average of 175,000 viewers.  The ratings are up 61 percent from last week’s dismal showing and the live streaming prelims increased in viewership as well.

Via MMA Junkie:

Bellator 62, which got the organization back in the normal range for ratings, took place at Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas. In addition to the MTV2-televised main card, prelims streamed live on Spike.com. Although officials don’t reveal the total number of viewers, Bellator 62′s streaming audience more than doubled (up 110 percent) compared to the previous week.

Bellator 60 – 169,000 viewers
Bellator 61 – 108,000
Bellator 62 – 175,000

Payout Perspective:

The viewership came back to a normal range Friday night notwithstanding March Madness which is a good thing for Bellator.  Also, 62 exceeded the debut of season 6 which is a good sign as well. The numbers are still down from the season 5 average but the bounce back in ratings is a positive.  The live streaming on Spike.com also did well which reflects the fact that fans are getting used to turning to Spike.com to watch Bellator.

MMA Junkie reports that TUF Live’s third episode received an average of 1.2 million viewers.  The ratings remain flat from last week’s 1.1 and the debut’s 1.3 million viewer average.

The ratings reflect an 8 percent increase from last week but the 1.2 million viewers is the new average for the series’ debut on FX.

White was quoted as stating he didn’t think that TUF Live would do “3.5 million out of the gate.”  Well, its done 3.6 million…in the first three episodes.  Probably not the performance he was hoping for although there is still time to do better.

Payout Perspective:

We should probably temper the concern right now considering the last two weeks have been subject to competition from March Madness.  As we wrote this morning, Dana White is optimistic that the ratings will come.  It would be interesting to see what viewers think about TUF Live on FX. Have the changes helped? Or, is it too soon to determine.  At this point, none of the competitors have distinguished themselves as someone you’d tune in to watch.  In my opinion, it’s hard to get into the Faber-Cruz rivalry.  I realize that every rivalry is not going to be Rashad-Rampage and I realize that there’s real disdain between Faber and Cruz.  Yet, it feels like something is missing.

MMA Junkie reports that despite good reviews, The Ultimate Fighter Live ratings are not reflective of the praise.  Still, Dana White believes that the show is positioned well on FX.

The debut of TUF Live on FX scored an average of 1.28 million viewers yet saw a decline in the ratings over the course of the show. The second episode last week were down with a 1.1 million viewer average. We may discount last week’s ratings decrease since it went up against the NCAA Tournament.

Via MMA Junkie:

“There’s so many things that are involved in those numbers,” White said. “I didn’t expect to jump on FX and do 3.5 million viewers right out of the gate. But here’s the thing: The format is awesome. It’s perfect. We’ve got a great season, and we’re going to build this thing.

“Believe me, the way that FX deals with their programming and how they handle it, they’re so analytical. These guys are like [expletive] rocket scientists how they break this stuff down and look at it. Trust me, everything is positive over there.”

One thing that has peaked White’s interest is that Vegas sportsbooks are taking action on the TUF Live fights.  White also addressed the fact that the ratings are due in part to the NCAA tourney.

“March Madness” will wrap soon, casual viewers will eventually figure out the show is now on FX, and hardcore fans may very well become again interested in the show thanks to the new format.

Payout Perspective:

We may discount last week and this week due to the tournament but we shall see if viewers will gravitate to FX.  We will see if the ratings will increase over the season as White predicts (or hopes).  The UFC has tinkered with the show to keep the show different and the jury is still out on whether the live fights will attract more viewers.  Of course, there was White’s initial expectations about the viewership doubling on FX.  Perhaps we were not to take this literally or expect the ratings to double in the first season on FX but there are definite expectations on how TUF Live will perform.

With Wrestlemania one week away, the WWE is pulling out all the stops in ensuring that the biggest event of its year gets the full promotional treatment. The WWE is airing a one hour “Once in a Lifetime – Rock vs. Cena” special utilizing NBC Universal’s television power.

The first ever WWE behind-the-scenes-style look at the two main eventers will also air on Syfy, Bravo, E!, Oxygen, G4, Style, NBC Sports Network, mun2, CLOO and Universal HD.

Via WWE press release:

This lifestyle special is a candid and compelling look at two of the biggest icons in sports entertainment history as they prepare for their Once in a Lifetime main event match. From touring and training on the road to Hollywood movie sets to the 54th Annual Daytona 500, this in-depth look with exclusive footage gives viewers unprecedented access and a glimpse into the personal lives of these men.

The special will premiere on the USA Network one hour before Raw this Monday night.

Payout Perspective:

Putting aside your personal thoughts about pro wrestling, this is an interesting look at how the WWE has been influenced by the UFC. The WWE has had behind-the-scenes looks at wrestlers. Most of these happen when they are doing charity work or are visiting the US Troops in the Middle East. It will be interesting to see how the WWE will produce this special as it’s being billed as a “countdown” style look at Rock and Cena. The television special also shows the advantage of the WWE’s partnership with the NBC Network as it can play its special over multiple network partners. Sound familiar? The UFC has taken advantage of the network synergy in promoting its events. Of course, having the Rock as one of its key characters in the special will help with ratings.  Is this a new level of promotion for the WWE or is the WWE concerned with how the PPV will do next week?

The Sports Business Daily/Journal had another short report from Fox Exec Eric Shanks and UFC head Lorenzo Fertitta at the 2012 World Congress of Sports.  The two spoke today at the conference during a panel discussion entitled, “How the UFC/Fox deal could be a game changer.”

For those wondering, here’s the synopsis of the talk from the brochure:

In 2011, Ultimate Fighting Championship expanded into South America and Asia, and continued its surge in popularity, particularly among the 18-34 year-old male demo. But it was the mixed martial arts organization’s seven-year agreement with Fox — to show UFC programming on the Fox broadcast network and cable TV channels FX and FUEL TV — that made the biggest splash. As part of the deal, dozens of live fights will be airing on Fox networks and, this spring, “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show will feature a new format that includes live fights, rather than prerecorded events. This session will take an inside look at the UFC/Fox agreement and its role in the growth of mixed martial arts. You will hear from Lorenzo Fertitta, Chairman & CEO, Zuffa (Ultimate Fighting Championship); and Eric Shanks, President & COO, Fox Sports.

Shanks and Fertitta spoke about the UFC-Fox deal and the issue of control being a huge factor in Zuffa’s decision to go with Fox.

Here are some additional highlights:

-  Shanks said that the 64 second JDS KO of Cain at UFC on Fox 1 wasn’t ideal but “it was exciting,” he added, “It was a knockout. It was a style of a knockout people were used to seeing. It could have gone a lot of other different directions.” As a result, it learned that fans want more action and less fluff (i.e., talking and promoting).

-  As indicated at the end of last year, the UFC and Fox are concentrating on expanding its advertising partners. In addition to sponsors RYU and MetroPCS signing on recently it has secured Dr. Pepper.  Its had success with the auto category but is still looking for sponsors in the financial services, insurance and other areas.

-  Shanks stated that there is still room to grow to procure blue chip advertisers but emphasized its strong 18-34 male demo.

-  Fertitta believes that more advertisers will sign on citing, as Shanks did, that it will take time for advertisers to understand the UFC audience.  He also cited the fact that the UFC has an “affluent fanbase” as the average income for fans is $80,000 a year and the average UFC ticket is the highest in sports at $275.

-  Fertitta also touched on the New York legalization issue stating that the brand will be elevated if (and when) MMA is legalized in the state.

Payout Perspective:

Nothing earth shattering from Shanks and Fertitta so don’t feel bad you weren’t in Dana Point, CA (the site of the World Congress of Sport) this morning unless you are a leader in sports business – in that case where were you?  Nonetheless, I find the average income of the UFC fan really high.  Of course, it’s not clear if Fertitta is referring to household income or that of an individual. Also, $275 for an average ticket is really steep and it’s ironic since we hear so much of the tons of comps that are given out at various UFC Vegas events.

It will be interesting to see what sponsors get onboard with the UFC this year.  It was expected for there to be some time for advertisers to get comfortable with the UFC product which Shanks and Fertitta acknowledge.  But, how long will it take?

MMA Junkie reports that Bellator 61 ratings for this past Friday almost hit a record low with an average of just 108,000 viewers.  The ratings reflect the impact of March Madness added to the jammed MMA lineup on Fridays.

The 108,000 viewership average is the second lowest for Bellator on MTV2.  Bellator 53 in October 2011 received just 103,000 viewers.

Bellator 60: 169,000 viewers
Bellator 61: 108,000

Payout Perspective:

Obviously the first weekend of the NCAA tournament did damage to the ratings of all MMA programming Friday night as this past week/weekend is one of the most watched sporting events of the year.  One would have to hope that Bellator should bounce back after the tournament ends.

One positive Bellator can takeaway from Friday night’s show was the highlight flying knee from Brian Rogers.  The YouTube clip of it has garnered 312,302 views as of this writing which engulfs the number of actual viewers of the card.  This bodes well for Rogers and for Bellator to promote him in his next fight.

Via MMA Weekly

The Ultimate Fighter Live debut on FX drew an average of 1.28 million viewers, as previously reported on MMAPayout.We will now take a closer look at the quarterly ratings breakdown, viewership ratings pattern, and expectations coming into the show.

The UFC ratings press release labeled the ratings as a “strong start” to the series, and according to John Solberg of FX, “Transformers” and the UFC led the channel to a #1 ranking on Friday (prime time) for the A18-49 and A18-34 demographics. We will now take a closer look at the numbers in our Ratings Breakdown analysis.

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TUF Live FX Debut Ratings Breakdown:

Viewership for First Hour (15 Minute Intervals):

1,505,000
1,454,000
1,446,000
1,364,000

Viewership for Second Hour (15 Minute Intervals):
1,389,000
1,160,000
1,236,000
1,181,000

Viewership for Third Hour (15 Minute Intervals):
1,173,000
1,052,000

Total Average Viewers: 1.28 Million

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TUF Live FX Debut Comparisons (Same  Friday  Time Slot):

TUF LIVE Premiere (FX) – 1.28 Million Average Viewers

TUF Friday’s (Reruns on Spike TV) – 653,000 Average Viewers

Bellator 60 Live (MTV 2) – 169,000 Average Viewers

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Historical Comparisons and Notes:

TUF Premiere Episode Averages Seasons 1-14:  2.0 million viewers

TUF 14 Premiere on Spike – 1.5 million viewers (lowest of the 14 seasons)

TUF 13 Premiere on Spike – 1.5 million viewers (lowest of the 14 seasons)

TUF 12 Premiere on Spike – 1.6 million viewers

TUF 11 Premiere on Spike – 1.9 million viewers

TUF 10 Premiere on Spike – 4.1 million viewers (highest of the 14 seasons)

TUF 1 Premiere on Spike – 1.7 million viewers

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Expectations from the UFC:

From a Dana White interview MMAWeekly.com performed regarding the matter:

“Now that we’ve got this new platform, going on big Fox and FX, the amount of viewers that are going to watch, I mean this season of the ‘Ultimate Fighter’ with no promotion whatsoever is pulling between 1.5 and 1.8 million viewers (on Spike),” White said.
…
“We’ll more than double that when we go onto FX. I mean we’ll probably have more than 3 million viewers on FX watching the ‘Ultimate Fighter’.”

Expected Viewership: More Than 3 Million Viewers (Actual: 1.3 Million)

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UFC’s Reaction:

Dana White’s answer after ratings were reported and asked if 1.3M was, as he tweeted, “:) sweet!”:

“yup!!! On a Friday night when our demo is out.”

White’s answer when asked by a fan if they could move their time slot away from Friday to improve ratings and not miss their demo:

“that’s when FX wants us on”

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Payout Perspective:

There are a few things to point out here.  The most obvious and important one is the ratings pattern, which constantly declined throughout the show.  That is not a good sign for the UFC who was hoping to make a big splash for their debut episode on FX.  The second observation to point out here  is that TUF Live lost one third (33%) of their audience from start to finish, which also isn’t great.  The event was heavily promoted all over FOX properties and all over the internet, which makes the 1.3 million that much more disappointing.  It was also the lowest TUF season debut in the history of the series, although it did win the A18-49 and A18-34 demos as well as their head to heads with Bellator on MTV 2 and Spike’s TUF repeats.

The main complain that was loudly heard from the fans was that the show format just didn’t seem to work live.  There were many awkward moments with no commentary while the fights were going on and you heard talking and conversation from Dana White and the TUF coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber discussing their observations, but it just didn’t seem to work out. John Anik’s usage seemed particularly odd, as he could have been doing the play-by-play but instead was relegated to doing interviews and announcements.  Most casuals we received feedback from labeled the event as “2.5 hours of random guys fighting one rounders that someone was filming from some underground location”.

The positive here is that this will not be TUF’s normal format, and their 30 minutes of drama and 30 minutes of fighting should improve the quality of the show, but you have to wonder how many first time viewers will return after that many turned their TV sets to another channel.   It will be difficult to gain traction with the Friday night time slot, but FX has made it very clear that it only wants to show UFC content on Friday nights and Saturdays on their network.Again, the typical format should be much more favorable to the casual and TUF fans, so we will have to wait and see how the next few episodes do to see if fans come back and settle in.