Can Brock Lesnar beat Kimbo Slice (in ratings)?
There are several reasons Slice’s season pulled in strong viewership. There was a mystique factor about Slice heading into the…
There are several reasons Slice’s season pulled in strong viewership. There was a mystique factor about Slice heading into the show. Despite his exposure in ESPN the magazine or on CBS, many people were curious to learn more about him.
Additionally, Slice was a competitor on the show. The mere fact that he was fighting brought intrigue. That he was doing so against ostensibly legitimate opposition in pursuit of UFC employment, a legitimizing act that many curious fans were hoping to witness.
Lesnar is in a far different position. He’s much more of a known commodity. There are some who will watch to learn more about him, particularly as his personality is on display and professional image develops. But how high can he realistically push the ratings bar?
My best guess is that tonight’s numbers will be strong. Lesnar’s mere presence on the show will elevate baseline ratings. The fact that he’s done significant amounts of promotion and that the season has been heavily advertised in print, television and radio.
From there, though, the picture becomes far less clear. Lesnar and dos Santos don’t seem to have much of a rivalry. This is not Ken Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz. There don’t appear to be a ton of tense moments to play off of. Moreover, this entire season is a building platform for dos Santos and the Lesnar vs. dos Santos fight at UFC 131. In a very real sense, this season is very much “business as usual”:
All of this is to say, don’t expect a repeat of season 10’s ratings. Lesnar’s inclusion in the show will help boost numbers from seasons 11 or 12, but seem unlikely to reproduce the magic of the Kimbo Slice TUF era.
