UFC on Fox 3 BOMBS in the ratings

[Liquidrob]

I cant wait for Evan Dunham vs Joe Stevenson main event, only on FOX!

[Warner2BruceTD]

There is some irony in the fact that UFC fans bash Bellator mercilessly, yet Hector Lombard is walking into the UFC and headlining on FOX in his first fight.

MINOR LEAGUES

[Liquidrob]

And if hector wins he gets the title shot next

VIA LA BELLATOR

[SHOGUN]

Brutal.

Not one fuck is given...not even by Shogun.

Not going to lie, it's getting harder to give a fuck about these weekly UFC events and I'm somebody that will watch any MMA if I have the time for it. I was legitimately more excited about the Invicta FC 1 event than I was for UFC 145 and that was an all-female event. There's no more breathing room and with the lesser talent on these UFC events, it feels like I'm getting a double dose of Bellator every month (no disrespect to Bellator). With Zombie Strikeforce just going through the motions of being a 'major' org and no DREAM (ONE FC isn't there yet), it's getting hard to find a change of pace to get the palette cleansed.

[Steel Mamba]

Sunday ticket is free to a large group of folks, me included. But really, I only use it to watch Steelers games.

I believe that deal just started this year, and it's only for new customers. the 2+million are people who've paid for it.

[Steel Mamba]

The next televised main event is Korean Zombie vs Dustin Portier.

Over saturated, over extended, over exposed.

Bad cards doesn't = over saturation. They're not one in the same. Over saturation indicates that fans are growing tired of the product, losing interest, and don't want to see it on a frequent basis. But, if Anderson Silva was fighting every weekend the numbers would be huge. So the fanbase wants MMA as often as possible, they just want the fighters who are worth watching, and who they know about. Which again comes to marketing, and also having a deeper talent pool. Guys like Nate Diaz can't draw due to a lack of marketing, not over saturation.

I'd like to see the argument as to why and how, if UFC on Fox 3 was the only card in the last 30+ days, how the ratings would have been any different.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Bad cards doesn't = over saturation. They're not one in the same. Over saturation indicates that fans are growing tired of the product, losing interest, and don't want to see it on a frequent basis. But, if Anderson Silva was fighting every weekend the numbers would be huge. So the fanbase wants MMA as often as possible, they just want the fighters who are worth watching, and who they know about. Which again comes to marketing, and also having a deeper talent pool. Guys like Nate Diaz can't draw due to a lack of marketing, not over saturation.

I'd like to see the argument as to why and how, if UFC on Fox 3 was the only card in the last 30+ days, how the ratings would have been any different.

Ultimate Fighter is doing record lows, PPV's declined for the first time since 2005 last year (and aren't doing so hot this year), and a prime time FOX card just did the lowest all time rating for a prime time network MMA show. FX ratings this year are also much lower than the Spike ratings last year, and when Spike counter programs old fights against live fights on FX, they nearly equal the number.

So yeah, I would say people are growing tired of the product, losing interest, and don't want to see it on a frequent basis. Based on anything you want to use that is tangible and measurable, interest levels are down.

Bad cards don't equal over saturation, but bad cards are a bi product of over saturation. The UFC name no longer means anything, because they didn't have enough stars to run as many shows as they do, and they over saturated the market with shit that nobody cares about. And as a result of giving people too much, the product no longer feels special. That's why nobody is watching TUF or buying PPV's unless GSP is on it, or to a lesser extent, Silva or Rashad or if it's loaded.

[Warner2BruceTD]

I'd like to see the argument as to why and how, if UFC on Fox 3 was the only card in the last 30+ days, how the ratings would have been any different.

Because if they ran 10-12 cards per year, and that was one of them, it wouldn't have been headlined by Jim Miller.

[Warner2BruceTD]

And you know, it may just be like others are saying, that MMA is just not ready to be a prime time network event. And that's ok, because there are very few sports that are. MLB, NBA, NHL, none of those sports are unless it's postseason, and even then in some cases they aren't.

MMA has had some good/moderate success in prime time on the networks, but only when it was freak show type attractions like Kimbo or Gina Carano, or when UFC gave away a world heavyweight title fight, which is always the big draw in combat sports. And if you notice, the brand names meant nothing, because that's three different promotions (EliteXC, SF, UFC). Everybody thought the UFC name would carry the day, but this isn't 2006 and they have killed the golden goose with too much product. They have learned one thing from this terrible rating - you cant just throw Jim Miller on TV with the UFC letters and expect people to show up.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Network "Prime Time" is overrated in 2010's...especially on the weekends.

It is not the 1980's anymore...most people can and will watch wherever, whatever channel it is on. Cable isn't a luxury.

By hitting network television...you are hitting approximately 8% of homes that are occupied...how many of those homes will be occupied during this time frame and how many will be watching UFC.

The reach to Network TV could legitimately mean a mere 1-2% growth in eyes at maximum...and as these events have shown us...they probably aren't hitting those.

[Liquidrob]

The UFC is giving crappy cards on FOX to try and sell more PPVs, which is funny because they dont want to give up this PPV scam, but are making there sport look 2nd rate with the cards they put on

Cain vs JDS was a disaster, they hyped Cain through the roof and he got KOd in 60 seconds, than Dana said JDS has no cardio, lol, than it's either boring decisions (which everyone predicted) or 'stand and bang' fights with guys who show little technique, when Hendricks is on the main card throwing arm punch caveman haymakers and winning it doesnt look good for thr sport

Imagine the casual fan watching Lavar/Barry or Hendricks/Kos than watching Mayweather vs Cotto? Talk about a huge gap in preceived skill level

[Liquidrob]

To jump on what Warner said, I remember 'MMA fans' on the other boards laughing at EliteXC and SF ratings for CBS and saying 'lol @ SF, they cant promote! They dont have any stars! If the UFC ever gets on network TV they will do 10 million easy!'

[Warner2BruceTD]

Network "Prime Time" is overrated in 2010's...especially on the weekends.

It is not the 1980's anymore...most people can and will watch wherever, whatever channel it is on. Cable isn't a luxury.

Well, sports rights fees still bring leagues a shit ton of money, and FOX paid UFC expecting results in prime time.

What is going to happen, and Zuffa might learn this the hard way, is if UFC can not deliver decent ratings in prime time, FOX will move them to midnight or the afternoon. Or worst case scenario, FOX will say "fuck it", cut their losses, eat the money, and cancel them like NBC did to McMahon the last time around. Networks don't give a fuck, you are as good as your last number. They eat money all the time and move on to the next big thing.

We are jumping ahead, here. Nobody expected Miller/Diaz to do well, but this was ugly. The deal isn't in danger, but now what Zuffa has to do is deliver big time fights to show that the rating was an abberation. And that means giving away more PPV caliber fights. Lombard/Stann scares me.

And people can blame Mayweather all they want, but JDS/Cain was the same night as a comparable boxing PPV and did 8 million viewers or whatever it was. People sampled that fight, saw 60 seconds of "action" in one hour and a weak looking glancing blow KO, and they are never coming back. Don't even get me started how badly they blew that opportunity. You get ONE SHOT at a first impression.