How much longer can the show go on?
TUF reality show still fighting on The Ultimate Fighter 9 finale Saturday at The Palms was a microcosm of what…
TUF reality show still fighting on
The Ultimate Fighter 9 finale Saturday at The Palms was a microcosm of what the reality show has been since its debut on Spike TV in 2005.
There was drama and unforgettable moments, but there was also some moments that were hard to take and difficult to understand.
The 10th season of the show that essentially saved the Ultimate Fighting Championship from extinction is almost guaranteed to be a ratings bonanza, largely because of the presence on the cast of one-time street fighter Kimbo Slice.
Ratings, though, have stagnated and while both Spike and UFC officials insist they’re pleased, they don’t mirror the UFC’s pay-per-view growth. Pay-per-view sales have skyrocketed since 2005, but the reality series hasn’t come close to matching the 1.67 household rating from Season 1 or the 1.77 from Season 3.
Beginning in Season 6, the ratings have gone 1.29, 1.20, 1.25 and 1.19. While that’s a solid figure and almost unheard of for a cable reality series in its ninth season, the numbers would suggest that some have had their fill of it.