Fan suggestions to improve UFC on the Fox network
UFC/Fox deal not working.. From: MMALOGIC Edited: 05/08/12 4:13 PM Member Since: 8/17/08 Posts: 4313 The final tally for UFC…
UFC/Fox deal not working..
From: MMALOGIC
Edited: 05/08/12 4:13 PM
Member Since: 8/17/08
Posts: 4313
The final tally for UFC on FOX 3 is in: 2.4m average with a 2.9m peak.
Compare this to the TUF 14 finale on Spike which averaged 2.5m and a 3.5m peak.
The problem isnt “FOX doesn’t run enough commercials for it” or “UFC isn’t using enough star power.” The problem is deeper; the problem is structural.
First, The UFC fan base is confused. Once you lose the base you dont have a strong foundation. Consistent UFC programming is on Fuel which nobody gets, FX has one hour of UFC programming which is in a time slot nobody cares for, and then you have a few shows on fox. On top of all this Zuffa promotes Strikeforce on Showtime.
The structure is flawed and everybody is paying for it – Zuffa, FOX and the fans.
Fuel isn’t gonna benefit any if The UFC weakens. The way you build fuel is from the top down. The UFC needs to penetrate as much as possible and shore up its base. You cant do that on Fuel. You can do that on FX and Fox.
TUF needs to go back to being taped and moved to a better night on FX. In return FX needs to get what it orginally wanted which is a live fight night series on Friday nights.
Now we have a foundation for the base.
Star potential is uncovered on FX fight nights, then featured on FOX and then monetized with PPV.
Forrest Griffin isnt a star because of TUF, he’s a star because of his fight with Bonnar which was on a live fight night. UFC didnt explode because of a reality show, it was a free fight night with Griffin vs. Bonnar.
The UFC isn’t mainstream in Brazil because of a reality show. It didnt even have a reality show. It became main stream because of free fights.
Kampann vs Alves was rightly a main event on FX. Ellenberger vs. Diego which was a fantastic and relevant fight was on Fuel which nobody saw. If it was on FX in a five round main event you just set up a feature fight (Ellenberger vs. Kampmann) on Fox where the winner can break out as a star and you can monetize on PPV.
This is how they are gonna build viewership. You can’t do that without a base though and right now there is no base.
Fox and Zuffa made a mistake. They should have shored up the base with FX and FOX and then began building fuel with all the new fans.
If they don’t fix this by 2013, they are gonna be in trouble.
TUF on FX can develop talent for a weekly Fight Night series on FX. Potential stars can emerge on FX and be featured on FOX to hopefully capture the mainstream consciousness, and then be monetized on PPV.
Imagine if Jon Jones fought Hammil, Vera, and Matushenko on FX. There would be great buzz around this kid. And then imagine he fought in a #1 contenders match against Bader on FOX. He would be huge; the UFC would begin its mainstream penetration.
Fuel can carry all the live event replays, it carry all the FX and FOX prelims for its live event programming, all the international TUFs, pre and post fight shows, and magazine shows.
This is for Fuel’s benefit – the more mainstream the UFC becomes, the more people will want to watch fuel for ancillary UFC content.
The current structure is just not working.
Instead we neeed:
•Taped TUF on a better night and weekly fight night series on FX;
•Three or four major FOX shows a year;
•FX and FOX prelims on Fuel; as well as:
•International TUF, pre and post fight shows, magaizine, and other ancillary programming. And finally, •12 to 14 PPV a year.
This will solve the problem.
What are the challenges to getting here?
Financial:
Zuffa wants around two million per fight night which means another 50m to 100m on the deal (depending if it’s a 26 week fight night series, 30, 40, etc). With the savings of going back to a taped TUF format, and the value such a property can bring to FX, I believe this can be worked out where both FX and UFC are happy.
Logistical:
Strikeforce needs to go away – which I think it will by the end of this year – because Zuffa will need more main eventers, female division would help, etc.
With Strikeforce put to sleep, Reed Harris and his crew will beef up the infrastructure needed to put on the extra events.
Ego:
The brutal truth is the sport will not become mainstream until fighters ego’s can be bigger than Dana’s. Dana needs to take a step back and allow the fighters to grow beyond his shadow. Otherwise the sport will only be as big as Dana White, and that’s a problem.
This is it. I believe they have no choice at this point. TUF Live is a failure, UFC on Fox viewership is eroding and the next card is similiar, nobody has Fuel, etc…
No the world isn’t ending. Spike is still airing UFC content so this year there is a likely net positive in terms of eyeballs on UFC. However next year Zuffa will be in trouble in the States if this flawed structure isn’t rectified.
Dana was expecting three million viewers for TUF Live.
You can’t expect people to sacrifice their Friday nights to watch a 40 minute countdown show which culminates in a live amateur fight. A Live Fight Night series is something that can garner up to three million eyeballs, especially with all the bars showing it.
You get up to three million on FX, then you can start doing six million plus on FOX and then You’ll start routinely pulling Mayweather PPV buys and then you start building up Fuel. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.