Ufc flops on FX

On FX 1.3 million viewers isn't very good. When Lights Out pulled a 1.5 and Terriers a 1.6 million rating in its their debuts there was already talk about cancelling it. That article talks about 1.5 and 1.6 like it's a complete failure (leading to cancellation) and ufc on FX only got a 1.3.

FX's 'Lights Out' debut takes ratings punch: http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/01/12/fxs-lights-out-debut-takes-ratings-punch/

Looks like only 1.5 million viewers (793,000 million adults 18-49) watched the series premiere, which not only is far cry from the mega opening of last year’s Justified (4.2 million), but also was on par with the now-deceased Terriers (1.6 million, though Lights out did edge out Terriers by 17% in the adult demo).

How funny would it be if Fox ended up cutting the ufc and they were left without a deal a year down the road? No one would touch them then being a ratings flop.

This past weekend's four-fight UFC on FX 1 event, which was the first UFC main card to air on the FOX-owned FX, averaged 1.3 million viewers.

Additionally, the night's six-bout preliminary card averaged 148,000 viewers on FUEL TV.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed the ratings information with industry sources.

UFC on FX 1 took place Jan. 20 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Jim Miller submitted fellow lightweight contender Melvin Guillard in the night's main event, and Josh Neer did the same to welterweight vet Duane "Bang" Ludwig in the co-headliner. Additionally, the show marked the debut of the UFC's new "B team" broadcasting duo of Jon Anik and Kenny Florian.

The two-hour main card, which boasted four fights on FX, averaged a 1.19 rating among men 18-49 and a 1.21 among men 18-34.

The three-hour preliminary card, which featured Jorge Rivera's successful retirement fight against middleweight Eric Schafer, featured six bouts and was one of FUEL TV's most-watched programs to date.

The UFC recently moved much of its live-event programming from Spike TV to FX and FUEL TV thanks to the seven-year deal with FOX. By comparison, UFC Fight Night and The Ultimate Fighter Finale events on Spike TV averaged approximately 1.8 million to 2.2 million viewers in recent years. A recent "UFC Prelims" special for UFC 142 averaged 880,000 FX viewers prior to the night's pay-per-view main card.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/27100/ufc-on-fx-1-ratings-1-3-million-fx-viewers-and-148000-fuel-tv-viewers.mma

Serials attract a totally different demographic, so of course they expect more viewers for those seeing as its not expected to only bring in the 18-34 male demographic. Kind of unfair to compare. Also, couldn't expect too much better considering the main card.

Also, Terriers was the shit. Hated to only see it last one season.

Kinosis wrote:

How funny would it be if Fox ended up cutting the ufc and they were left without a deal a year down the road? No one would touch them then being a ratings flop.

UFC should have co promoted with M-1,they would have been rolling with Putin and living large.

Now its too late for UFC with dismal viewership on all their recent shows, and their Showtime now reduced to bush league outhouse promotion.

^Yup and now they have burned so many bridges (ESPN, Spike, etc) they would have no where to go if this doesn't work out.

Kinosis wrote:^Yup and now they have burned so many bridges (ESPN, Spike, etc) they would have no where to go if this doesn't work out.

Yeah, not saying this is how it will go, but I think it was obvious to a lot of people from the beginning that this was among the possibilities. It seems like the Zuffa guys are so arrogant that the actually believed they had hit the big time due to the Fox deal, not even considering the potential adverse outcomes. As if Fox won't dump them to the curb if they don't draw big enough ratings. Obviously the 8 year contract is one sided in the way of Fox, as television networks can cut programs that don't perform, and especially a network as big as Fox. Zuffa's Fox contract is probably a lot like a Zuffa slave contract. Funny how that works out.

How long before Zuffa gets cut?

They've already had a botched Fox primetime card (if a single 1 minute fight can be called a fightcard), and now a disappointing showing on FX doesn't raise their stock.

People on arnedog think it's a good rating...funneh

Bubble burst, ufc is dying.

Spike TV's two-hour slot of counter-programming for this past weekend's UFC on FX 1 event averaged 699,500 viewers.

A 9 p.m. ET/PT "UFC Unleashed" episode averaged 648,000 viewers, and the 10 p.m. ET/PT one-hour episode averaged 751,000 viewers.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed the ratings information with industry sources.

UFC on FX 1 took place this past Saturday, Jan. 20, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. As MMAjunkie.com reported earlier today, the FX-televised main card averaged 1.3 million viewers, and the prelims on FUEL TV averaged 148,000 viewers.

Overall, the Spike TV counter-programming ran from 7 p.m. to midnight ET. The "UFC Unleashed" episodes heavily featured past bouts with Mevin Guillard, who suffered a submission loss to Jim Miller in the UFC on FX 1 headliner.

Spike TV owns the UFC's library rights through the end of this year, and officials said counter-programming will be the norm throughout the year. "TUF," for example, moves to FX with live Friday-night tournament fights this season, but Spike TV will counter-program with highlights from the past 14 seasons of the long-running reality series.

The UFC recently moved much of its live-event programming from Spike TV to FX and FUEL TV thanks to the seven-year deal with FOX. FX and Spike TV are available in approximately 100 million homes while FUEL TV is in approximately 36 million. By comparison, UFC Fight Night and The Ultimate Fighter Finale events on Spike TV averaged approximately 1.8 million to 2.2 million viewers in recent years.

For more on the UFC on FX 1 event, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

Zuffa really need the PPV buyers when they are cut. Zuffa will go out of business and the Fertittas will concentrate on their mafia casinos. Most of the UFC fighters will sign with Bellator, M-1, KSW and DREAM. I will be happy.

Johan Lofgren wrote:Zuffa really need the PPV buyers when they are cut. Zuffa will go out of business and the Fertittas will concentrate on their mafia casinos. Most of the UFC fighters will sign with Bellator, M-1, KSW and DREAM. I will be happy.

The UFC still makes profit and DREAM loses money. Let's not forget that before getting to excited.

i watched the shitty FX event and the only thing cool about it was seeing Brittney Palmer in HD.

i think i'm just going to stream these free cable events on my computer from now on (even though i have a HD big ass flat screen) just to not give the UFC any ratings help, fuck them they need to die.

AudaxPowder wrote:i watched the shitty FX event and the only thing cool about it was seeing Brittney Palmer in HD.

i think i'm just going to stream these free cable events on my computer from now on (even though i have a HD big ass flat screen) just to not give the UFC any ratings help, fuck them they need to die.

AudaxPowder wrote:i watched the shitty FX event and the only thing cool about it was seeing Brittney Palmer in HD.

i think i'm just going to stream these free cable events on my computer from now on (even though i have a HD big ass flat screen) just to not give the UFC any ratings help, fuck them they need to die.

Lol, it's a good sentiment.

However, the ratings agencies use surveys to assess viewership. There's no way that they can actually determine what people are watching from their cable boxes.

I actually did the surveys a couple of times. The call you and ask how many TVs you have, and send you a survey for each TV. They also send you cash in the envelopes for each survey (like $5 or something) and you take the surveys for like a week and then send it back.

I did this twice, but the second time I sent the surveys back like a week late so they didn't contact me again.

I blame Kenny Florian

UFC is done. I knew going on national TV would be the death of ZUFFA.

I don't watch a lot of TV but I actually watch FX sometimes and there was barely any promotion for this show, both on FX and on FOX proper. I watch Archer and Justified and Louie when I can. These are amazing shows and UFC doesn't fit on this channel.

Maybe they got some former Spike watchers, but I don't think it helps that most people who watch FX are not target demo for UFC or maybe even MMA. Also, I don't get FUEL and I don't know anyone who does.

@ nodo: well shit, i never really knew how television ratings worked so i guess i learned something new and how i can't impact Zuffa's numbers anyways still fuck them and i hope the surveys they get back have shit numbers.

brace wrote:I watch Archer and Justified and Louie when I can.

Louie is fucking awesome, i love It's Always Sunny as well!

brace wrote:I don't watch a lot of TV but I actually watch FX sometimes and there was barely any promotion for this show, both on FX and on FOX proper. I watch Archer and Justified and Louie when I can. These are amazing shows and UFC doesn't fit on this channel.

Maybe they got some former Spike watchers, but I don't think it helps that most people who watch FX are not target demo for UFC or maybe even MMA. Also, I don't get FUEL and I don't know anyone who does.

Same here. I had never even heard of FUEL before and FX does seem really out of place for the UFC. I hope Spike tv not only runs Bellator but other MMA promotions as well.