As WSOF and NBC extend agreement, promotion heads to network television

[kingcillo24]

Has the UFC ever put on a card during the day in the USA? It should be interesting to see how the shows do on NBC at 4pm.

 

[BionicCommando]

Has the UFC ever put on a card during the day in the USA? It should be interesting to see how the shows do on NBC at 4pm.

I don't know if this counts as during the day but I seem to remember one of their Brazil cards starting at like 6 PM eastern I think.

 

[lowsingle]

are we still pretending that wsof isnt owned by zuffa and now ufc will have both fox and nbc

 

[Thread]

Your site is not empirical evidence. You want proof that Fitch has virtually no draw in MMA? Listen to the just bleed fans in the venue booing and falling asleep. Just cause he has name recognition doesn't mean people will tune in to see him.

My site, MMADraws.com, has Fitch as the #14 draw at WW in all of MMA and the 2nd biggest name not in UFC outside of Jake Shields. In UFC, he's right around the Tyron Woodley-Damien Maia range but outside UFC, he's the biggest name they've got and they should put him on the card.

He's a name people recognize and when you're trying to attract fans that maybe watched some UFC in the past and see a name they recognize, it's a good tool.

Even on a weekend afternoon timeslot, they're going to get far more eyeballs watching their show than on a late Saturday night on NBCSN, I think that's a virtual guarantee.

 

[grooves12]

Honestly, I never understood why the UFC didn't try the weekend afternoon slot when it went to primetime TV.

The NFL has built an extremely successful promotion around weekly Sunday afternoon contests. I could see MMA getting more interest if they had a weekly Saturday afternoon promotion.

The UFC has a deep enough roster to do it. Instead of having ALL DAMN DAY long prelims for PPVs. Split them up and do 3-5 fights every week in the same time slot leading up to a monthly PPV that airs directly after one of the afternoon network TV cards.

It would be a lot easier to gain a following if you could draw in casual fans who would then know exactly when and where it will be showing again.

 

[Mikedh]

Has the UFC ever put on a card during the day in the USA? It should be interesting to see how the shows do on NBC at 4pm.

They have for foreign events on FS2 and Fuel. To my knowledge they have never aired an afternoon card live on Spike, FX or FS1.

 

[DezWalker]

Your site is not empirical evidence. You want proof that Fitch has virtually no draw in MMA? Listen to the just bleed fans in the venue booing and falling asleep. Just cause he has name recognition doesn't mean people will tune in to see him.

Bellator's biggest TV numbers have traditionally come when UFC retreads are put in feature positions and I don't this as any different. You think Matt Hamill lights the world on fire when he fights? There's a reason he was signed and it's not because he's exciting. It's because he's a name people know. And he's not a draw either. His PPV with Rampage was the only poor buyrate Rampage every drew in UFC.

And don't even get me started on Jake Shields. But when he debuts in WSOF, it will be on NBC. It's not because he's an exciting fighter, it's because he's a name people know.

And back to Fitch...He fought in two UFC PPV main events and co-main evented another one and the shows did an average of 475,000. I'd imagine some of those people tuned in to see him.

 

[SBC]

Well that's nice. Can they just get rid of that annoying little git Aziz now?

 

[MilesAbove]

Have people figured out that WSOF is essentially working under the good graces of UFC yet?

Dana has already indirectly given his blessing. Sefo and the UFC have a positive and strong relationship. It's definitely still working independently, but it's not really in competition with the UFC. There's a reason so many of the former UFC guys go there immediately and not to Bellator.

 

[DezWalker]

Have people figured out that WSOF is essentially working under the good graces of UFC yet?

Dana has already indirectly given his blessing. Sefo and the UFC have a positive and strong relationship. It's definitely still working independently, but it's not really in competition with the UFC. There's a reason so many of the former UFC guys go there immediately and not to Bellator.

And, and this is probably even more important, they're able to get out of their WSOF deals when UFC calls.

 

[PIT FIGHTER]

My site, MMADraws.com, has Fitch as the #14 draw at WW in all of MMA and the 2nd biggest name not in UFC outside of Jake Shields. In UFC, he's right around the Tyron Woodley-Damien Maia range but outside UFC, he's the biggest name they've got and they should put him on the card.

He's a name people recognize and when you're trying to attract fans that maybe watched some UFC in the past and see a name they recognize, it's a good tool.

Even on a weekend afternoon timeslot, they're going to get far more eyeballs watching their show than on a late Saturday night on NBCSN, I think that's a virtual guarantee.

My Twitter says your blogspot site ranking Fitch as "the #14 draw at WW in all of MMA and the 2nd biggest name not in UFC outside of Jake Shields" is meaningless.

Fitch is a name people may recognize, but that doesn't mean they will tune in on a Saturday afternoon on fourth of July weekend to watch, or even DVR.

The hardcore base which watches WSOF anyway will definitely watch. To think Fitch will factor into whether or not casual fans will watch is laughable, regardless of what you write on your blog.

"Hey, there is a huge UFC PPV on tonight that we're going to order and invite a bunch of people over to watch."

"Cool, but how about we stay inside during the afternoon of the biggest party weekend of the summer to watch an MMA show featuring Jon Fitch!"

^^^ The only people who would even contemplate doing so would be fans who were planning on watching WSOF to begin with.

 

[NHB7]

I'm rooting for them. I'm hoping that if they do become competitive, they stop kowtowing to the UFC, because I respect Sefo 1000X more than White.

 

[MilesAbove]

And, and this is probably even more important, they're able to get out of their WSOF deals when UFC calls.

Indeed. Great point as well.

They don't seem to be funded by the UFC or a 100% official feeder. However, they do seem to be on some level of compliance with the UFC.

 

[PIT FIGHTER]

And back to Fitch...He fought in two UFC PPV main events and co-main evented another one and the shows did an average of 475,000. I'd imagine some of those people tuned in to see him.

One of Fitch's UFC main event fights was a championship bout vs GSP who is one of the biggest draws in UFC history.

The co-main event featuring Fitch was UFC 117, which was a huge main event between Silva vs Sonnen.

Those cards were big because of GSP, Anderson and Sonnen....Fitch was not a factor. GSP has drawn well against pretty much everyone he's faced, and nobody ordered UFC 117 because Fitch was on the card.

Fitch vs Penn did a reported 260,000 buys, and this was in 2011 when the UFC was pulling in a lot better numbers on average than they are now.

To try and argue Fitch is relevant as a draw in 2014 because he drew well vs the PPV GOAT five years ago, was featured on a card with one of the biggest $$$ rivalries in the history of the UFC four years ago, and drew below average as a headliner three years ago is bunk.

 

[CC27]

Indeed. Great point as well.

They don't seem to be funded by the UFC or a 100% official feeder. However, they do seem to be on some level of compliance with the UFC.

Its their niche, their whole thing is come fight for us, get paid ok, complete your deal and if UFC wants you we wont be Bellator and ruin your life and keep you from living your dreams.

 

[DezWalker]

One of Fitch's UFC main event fights was a championship bout vs GSP who is one of the biggest draws in UFC history.

The co-main event featuring Fitch was UFC 117, which was a huge main event between Silva vs Sonnen.

Those cards were big because of GSP, Anderson and Sonnen....Fitch was not a factor. GSP has drawn well against pretty much everyone he's faced, and nobody ordered UFC 117 because Fitch was on the card.

Fitch vs Penn did a reported 260,000 buys, and this was in 2011 when the UFC was pulling in a lot better numbers on average than they are now.

To try and argue Fitch is relevant as a draw in 2014 because he drew well vs the PPV GOAT five years ago, was featured on a card with one of the biggest $$$ rivalries in the history of the UFC four years ago, and drew below average as a headliner three years ago is bunk.

My point is not that Fitch drew those numbers. If he did, he'd be a lot higher than 14. My point is that a lot of people saw those shows and will recognize his name. If you've got nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon, you're more inclined to tune in and watch if it's a name you recognize vs a name you don't.

I'm not saying he's going to draw a huge number or anything, I'm just saying he'll do better than "random fighter A who I've never head of". If not, he wouldn't be there because they can get guys to fight for a lot less money than whatever they're paying Fitch.

 

[GSP_37]

Does WSOF have enough UFC washouts to stack a broadcast NBC card?

 

[Sherdoggy]

Its their niche, their whole thing is come fight for us, get paid ok, complete your deal and if UFC wants you we wont be Bellator and ruin your life and keep you from living your dreams.

I would write it: "If the UFC wants you we won't make you honor the contract you have signed with us."

 

[ggtopdog]

Why the faaaak are they going head to head w ith ufc biggest card?

 

[Sherdoggy]

What about it? I mean it's good, very good in fact for WSOF. There's just little to suggest they're going to capitalize on the opportunity. It's not like they were setting the world ablaze with their numbers on NBCSN to begin with. I know NBCSports isn't exactly a premier destination channel but I don't think they've ever outdone Bellator on MTV 2 numbers. I think their high to this point is 240K viewers.

But if the numbers weren't good in the eyes of NBC Sports Network I don't see them increasing the deal.

It would be a great thing if WSOF were to be a smash hit. More eyes on MMA and more money to the fighters is a great thing. The reality though is that this is the equivalent of cheap, niche programming for NBC. They put shows on the same days as other big shows (remember when NBC Sports wanted WSOF 2 to be on the same day as UFC on Fox in Jan) and do VERY little to promote these things.

I think that Fox is demonstrating that MMA is niche programming. If you are gonna run it in prime time, it belongs on young-male-oriented Spike or a sports channel or a subscription channel, not a major network. But most sports are like that. Even NASCAR doesn't run in prime time on network TV. Monday Night Football started the "sports in prime time" thing, but it eventually got moved off of ABC onto a sports channel.