Week three of TUF XII sees continued growth.

Episode three of TUF XII saw a slight uptick in the overall audience as the average audience hit 1.8 million, one hundred thousand more than last week.

As I said last week, we won't have a decent idea of just how this season will do until the fifth week or so. If the numbers stay at this level, it will be one of the more successful seasons. Thus far, things have been understated. No fireworks, in or out of the house, but the teasers certainly suggest that chaos is coming.

Confrontations certainly can draw interest, but seasons 7-9 had plenty of that and did some of the weaker ratings. Junie Browne did bring numbers up a tad, but his season delivered lackluster numbers overall.

Episode one: 1.3 rating with a 2.0 in M18-34, a 1.8 in M18-49 and an average audience of 1.6 million.
Episode two: 1.2 rating with 1.84 in M18-34, a 1.7 in M18-49 and an ave audience of 1.7 million.
Episode three: 1.3 rating with a 1.9 in M18-34, a 1.71 in M18-49 and an ave audience of 1.8 million.

For comparison, here are the first three eps of season eleven:
Episode 1: 1.5 rating with a 2.1 in M18-34, 1.8 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.9 million.
Episode 2: 1.2 rating with a 1.9 in M18-34, 1.54 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.5 million
Episode 3: 1.3 rating with a 1.63 in M18-34, 1.53 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.6 million.

Fun with numbers: UFC Heavyweight finishes 2010-2006.

Ok, so this time around I have put together the numbers for the UFC Heavyweights for the last five years. I think it is hard to get much out of this because of the thinness of the division. When you look at some of the match-ups, the outcome was pretty much a foregone conclusion.

Regardless, here they are. In the next week or two, I will post the rest of the UFC divisions. SF will follow in late October.

2010 thus far:
# of fights: 27
KO/TKOs: 14 for 52%
Subs: 6 for 22%
Decisions: 7 for 26%

2009:
# of fights: 24
KO/TKOs: 12 for 50%
Subs: 5 for 21%
Decisions: 7 for 29%

2008:
# of fights: 23
KO/TKOs: 17 for 74%
Subs: 3 for 13%
Decisions: 3 for 13%

2007:
# of fights: 13
KO/TKOs: 4 for 31%
Subs: 1 for 13%
Decisions: 8 for 62%

2006:

# of fights: 20
KO/TKOs: 13 for 60%
Subs: 3 for 15%
Decisions: 5 for 25%

Total:
# of fights: 107
KO/TKOs: 59 for 55%
Subs: 18 for 17%
Decisions: 29 for 28%

TUF XII episode two holds onto week one audience.

Two weeks into TUF XII, the numbers look solid,

Episode two did a 1.2 rating with a 1.84 in the Males 18-34 demo, 1.7 in Males 18-49 and had an average audience of 1.7 million.

By comparison, the second ep of TUF XI did a 1.2 rating with a 1.9 in M18-34, 1.54 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.5 million.

The series appeared to be in trouble when seasons 8 and 9 saw individual episodes dip below 1.0, a number that is generally seen as the benchmark for success. One thing I find interesting is that last season, and so far this season, were tame in terms of hijinks and mayhem. They focused more on the fights and less on pranks and drinking. While there is no doubt that Evans, Jackson and Kimbo are partially responsible for the renewed interest, I wonder if the lack of wackiness has helped keep some of those folks coming back for more?

 I don't think we will have any real idea of just how well the season will do until episode four or five.

Episode one: 1.3 rating with a 2.0 in M18-34, a 1.8 in M18-49 and an average audience of 1.6 million.
Episode two: 1.2 rating with 1.84 in M18-34, a 1.7 in M18-49 and an ave audience of 1.7 million.

Meaningless statistics: UFC Finishes 2006-2010

2010 thus far:
# of fights: 165
KO/TKOs: 51 for 31%
Subs: 40 for 24%
Decisions: 73 for 44%
DQ: 1 for 1%

2009:
# of fights: 221
KO/TKOs: 70 for 32%
Subs: 54 for 24%
Decisions: 95 for 43%
DQ: 1 for .5%
NC: 1 for .5%

2008:
# of fights: 199
KO/TKOs: 83 for 42%
Subs: 52 for 26%
Decisions: 64 for 32%

2007:
# of fights: 154
KO/TKOs: 50 for 33%
Subs: 48 for 31%
Decisions: 54 for 35%
DQ: 1 for .5%
NC: 1 for .5%

2006:

# of fights: 157
KO/TKOs: 55 for 35%
Subs: 50 for 32%
Decisions: 52 for 33%

Total:
# of fights: 896
KO/TKOs: 309 for 35%
Subs: 244 for 27%
Decisions: 338 for 38%
DQ: 3 for -
NC: 2 for -

UFC 114 posed to become second biggest PPV in UFC history.

From Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer (Subscription required):

Some updates on PPV numbers. UFC 114 (Quinton Jackson vs. Rashad Evans) based on the latest cable estimates is at 1,050,000 buys putting it at No. 2 on the company’s all-time list (well, tied with the 2006 Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz match). That’s up from the first day estimates. As far as confirmation, trending patterns indicated a big number, but not quite that big (maybe 850,000) but the reports on bar traffic (through the roof, very close to that of UFC 100) would coincide with the larger number.

Wow, that is more than most expected it to do. The initial estimates were around 900k. I think it is safe to say the UFC has considerable momentum right now. Last year, the UFC did eight million buys and it seems a safe bet they will pass that this year.

Estimated buy rates of late:
UFC 115: 520,000
UFC 114: 1,050,000
UFC 113 520,000
UFC 112 500,000
UFC 111 770,000

Rampage Greatest Hits

Anchor Bay
Release date: DVD: June 1st,l 2010, Blu-ray: June 8th, 2010
MSRP: DVD: $19.97, Blu-ray: $29.97

Quinton Rampage Jackson is about to gain more fame than ever before, thanks to his potrayal of B.A. Boracus in the upcoming film version of THE A-TEAM. But Jackson is already famous in the MMA world as one of the hardest hitting Light Heavyweights alive. Jackson first came to fame in the now defunct Pride Fighting Champions of Japan and eventually came to the UFC, in 2007, and won the LHW championship.

Last year, Quinton and UFC president Dana White got into a spat about Jackson pulling out of a planned bout so he could star in THE A-TEAM. Neither guy is shy when it comes to speaking his mind and a very colorful pissing match played out on the internet.

Jackson and White eventually made up and the UFC is now releasing Rampage Greatest Hits (Why is it not Rampage's Greatest hits?). Had Jackson not come back, this collection might have had a totally different line-up filled with Jackson's losses and mugshot. But the boys did make up and each has since found other targets for their anger.

There is a voice-over introduction by Jonathan Adams, setting the scene before bouts.

Fights included:
Rampage Jackson vs. Yuki Ishikawa (Pride 17)
Jackson vs. Igor Vovchnchyn (Pride 22)
Jackson vs. Kevin Randleman (Pride 25)
Jackson vs. Chuck Liddell I (Pride Final Conflict 2003)
Jackson vs. Ricardo Arona (Pride Critical Countdown 2004)
Jackson vs. Marvin Eastman (UFC 67, Quinton's UFC debut)
Jackson vs. Chuck Liddell (UFC 71, Quinton becomes the UFC Light Heavyweight champion)
Jackson vs. Dan Henderson (UFC 75, While not officially a unification bout, Dan was the final Pride 205 pound champion)
Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva (UFC 92)
Jackson vs. Keith Jardine (UFC 96)

It is interesting listening to the differences between Pride commentators Bas Rutan, Stephen Quadros and Mauro Ranallo and the UFC's Joe Rogan and Michael Goldberg. Die-hard MMA fans will argue passionately as to who was the best, but I will simply say that I enjoyed both and found Bas Ruttan co(first Quardos and later Ranallo) more playful.

It is also interesting to listen and watch the differences between the Japanese (Pride) and UFC (U.S. and U.K.) audiences. The UFC crowds are more vocal and rowdy, with those of Pride being more reserved.
I am not going to go into too much detail about the fights themselves, but I will comment on this: It was interesting to re-watch Jackson/Liddell I. UFC President Dana White sat in on commentary and complained (bitched) about Chuck not following the game plan of throwing leg kicks early in the fight. Years later, it came out that Chuck had sustained a hamstring injury prior to the bout. Knowing that, one can understand why Liddell opted to make it a boxing match. I want to stress I am not making excuses for Chuck, he may well have still gotten blasted, but knowing about that injury does make things a little more interesting. As Chuck kept it quiet and Dana had no clue. Even if Chuck had thrown more kicks, Jackson might have still worn him down and put him out. Dana does show some class by offering to bring the UFC crew to Jackson's locker room to help him prepare for the finals latter that night.
While the intent is clearly to make Jackson look good, not including some o his losses certainly weakens this set. Including his Pride debut, a loss to MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba, would hardly hurt his legacy. Jackson did better than many expected and that historic bout should be here. We hear Jackson say he felt he beat Forrest, yet viewers are not allowed to judge for themselves.
Picture:
The quality is uniformly good. Some of the later UFC bouts look better (especially on the Blu-ray) but nothing looks bad. Some of the older footage does have some issues, but it is minor and certainly does not affect the overall viewing pleasure. The Blu-ray does feature the UFC bouts in HD and they look great. The Pride bouts are in a 4:3 ration with the UFC ones in 16:9.
Extras:
Nothing really. This I don't get. Why not toss in some old Pride promos or something? Give us a little extra stuff here! If nothing else, there should be a biography to give folks a look at Jackson and his life. They certainly have the footage from past UFC countdown shows.

While Die-hard MMA fans likely have most of these bouts on separate DVDs, this is a nice collection for casual fans interesting to seeing some of Jackon's older bouts. With the inclusion of aforementioned bouts and some biographical material, this could be a really great release. As it is, it is still a solid disc with bang for the buck.

Order RAMPAGE GREATEST HITS on DVD or Blu-ray.

Jeremy Lynch

The Ultimate Fighter's ratings hold steady.

In a season that, outside of X with Kimbo, has been the strongest in quite some time, folks stuck with TUF to watch Tito leave.

Episode ten did a 1.3 rating with an average audience of 1.5 million, the same as last week.

Whether it is the star power of Tito and Chuck, the drama of Tito leaving or simply the new folks from season ten sticking around, this season has been a definite success with an average weekly audience of 1.66 million viewers and an ave rating of 1.3 thus far.

Many of the recent seasons seasons that have had fighters doing insane things and certain guys labeled, or acting like, a bad boy. This season has seen everyone behave for the most part and nobody has really stepped up as a Leben, Gabe or Junnie.

Season so far:
Episode 1: 1.5 rating with a 2.1 in M18-34, 1.8 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.9 million.
Episode 2: 1.2 rating with a 1.9 in M18-34, 1.54 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.5 million
Episode 3: 1.3 rating with a 1.63 in M18-34, 1.53 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.6 million.
Episode 4: 1.5 rating with a 2.4 in M18-34, a 1.9 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 2 million.
Episode 5: 1.3 rating with a 2.6 in M18-34, a 1.92 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.8 million.
Episode 6: 1.3 rating with a 1.54 in M18-34, 1.4 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.7 million
Episode 7: 1.3 rating with a 1.9 in m18-34, a 1.7 in m18-49 and an ave aud of 1.8 million
Episode 8: 1.0 rating with a 1.5 in m18-34, a 1.2 in m18-49 and an ave aud of 1.3 million
Episode 9: 1.3 rating with an ave aud of 1.5 million
Episode 10: 1.3 rating with an ave aud of 1.5 million

Prelim buyrates for UFC 114 over 900,000.

Dave Meltzer, on Observer Radio, has reported that the early numbers, for UFC 114, suggest a buy rate of 925,000.

That is a little higher than I thought (I was thinking 825-850), but the Prime Time series did great numbers and I think this drew more than usual from the African-American community. I went to Champps in St. Paul and while it was an ave crowd for the first part of the show, it was easily the biggest UFC crowd by the time the main event started. The main event crowd was 25-30% of the final audience. That is more than I have seen before.

This number is higher than many onliners were speculating. MMAPayout and Tapology both predicted a buy rate of around 700,000.

I think 700k would have been the lowest pos this could do and still be success. 800k would be a strong number and 900 has to been seen as a big success. I can't help but wonder what it would have done if this fight took place at UFC 107.


It is worth pointing out that these early numbers can be off by 10-15%. But even so, the worst case would still be around 800,000.

Numbers for episode 9 of TUF, ep 3 of Prime Time:

After a softer week eight, TUF bounced back a bit with a 1.1 rating and an ave audience of 1.5 million.

Season so far:
Episode 1: 1.5 rating with a 2.1 in M18-34, 1.8 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.9 million.
Episode 2: 1.2 rating with a 1.9 in M18-34, 1.54 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.5 million
Episode 3: 1.3 rating with a 1.63 in M18-34, 1.53 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.6 million.
Episode 4: 1.5 rating with a 2.4 in M18-34, a 1.9 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 2 million.
Episode 5: 1.3 rating with a 2.6 in M18-34, a 1.92 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.8 million.
Episode 6: 1.3 rating with a 1.54 in M18-34, 1.4 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.7 million
Episode 7: 1.3 rating with a 1.9 in m18-34, a 1.7 in m18-49 and an ave aud of 1.8 million
Episode 8: 1.0 rating with a 1.5 in m18-34, a 1.2 in m18-49 and an ave aud of 1.3 million
Episode 9: 1.1 rating with an ave aud of 1.5 million

The go home episode of PRIME TIME: Rampage vs. Evans drew 1.1 million viewers, up from 875,000 for the second episode. The debut episode did a show high 1.2 million viewers.

Early numbers for UFC 113.

Early estimates for UFC 113 look to be around 500-540k buys.

Dave Meltzer, in the last Observer (Subscription required and recommended), stated it appears to have done 520,000 and that the first had done 450,000.

Early reports on UFC 113 on 5/8 in Montreal have the show doing 520,000 buys, slightly above the 450,000 that the first Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua fight did. We should note that there were cable reports as high as 687,000 for the show, and trending patterns were only slightly behind GSP vs. Dan Hardy and the highest besides that show since August, which would also indicate something closer to the latter than the former. There are a lot of other measures that also indicate the higher number, but as far as the number of buys from people who would have the numbers and that can be confirmed, the lower number is the best number we've got.

I had heard a broader range of 500-540k, but Meltzer is almost always solid. It should be noted that these early reports can be off by 10-15% and that more reliable numbers should start floating out in another week to week and a half. That said, I will be shocked beyond words if they ends up anywhere NEAR 687k.

My own prediction was 575-600k. Anything over 500k is solid. 520k is not a great number, but it is good for a show that got little real promotion. Zuffa appears to have opted to focus their marketing power on the upcoming Evans/Jackson fight (UFC 114), a card that will do one of the bigger, if not the biggest, buyrate of the year. One thing that is noteworthy: Kimbo Slice's presence on the card does not appear to have had any real impact on the buyrates.

That is not to say he can't still pop some ratings on television, but it does not appear to go beyond free TV.

Ratings slip in week eight of TUF XI.

The numbers took a drop this week as episode eight did a 1.0 with an ave audience of 1.3 million.

General thinking is that the NBA playoffs damaged TUF as the Lakers/Suns game drew over seven million viewers.

I am betting next week will be one of the bigger drawing episodes of the season as the promo announces Tito pulling out of the Liddell fight, we get two fights and there is a confrontation between the coaches.

Thus far, this is the strongest season since TUF V with Pulver and Penn.
Season so far:
Episode 1: 1.5 rating with a 2.1 in M18-34, 1.8 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.9 million.
Episode 2: 1.2 rating with a 1.9 in M18-34, 1.54 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.5 million
Episode 3: 1.3 rating with a 1.63 in M18-34, 1.53 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.6 million.
Episode 4: 1.5 rating with a 2.4 in M18-34, a 1.9 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 2 million.
Episode 5: 1.3 rating with a 2.6 in M18-34, a 1.92 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.8 million.
Episode 6: 1.3 rating with a 1.54 in M18-34, 1.4 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.7 million
Episode 7: 1.3 rating with a 1.9 in m18-36, a 1.7 in m18-49 and an ave aud of 1.8 million

TUF XI week seven numbers holding steady.

Just past the half-way point of the season, TUF XI is still drawing strong numbers. Episode seven delivered a 1.3 rating with 1.8 million viewers.

Thus far, this is the strongest season since TUF V with Pulver and Penn.
Season so far:
Episode 1: 1.5 rating with a 2.1 in M18-34, 1.8 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.9 million.
Episode 2: 1.2 rating with a 1.9 in M18-34, 1.54 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.5 million
Episode 3: 1.3 rating with a 1.63 in M18-34, 1.53 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.6 million.
Episode 4: 1.5 rating with a 2.4 in M18-34, a 1.9 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 2 million.
Episode 5: 1.3 rating with a 2.6 in M18-34, a 1.92 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.8 million.
Episode 6: 1.3 rating with a 1.54 in M18-34, 1.4 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.7 million

Numbers of ep one of PRIME TIME: Rampage vs. Evans looking good.

Episode one of UFC Primetime: Rampage vs. Evans delived a damn impressive 1.2 million veiwers and had a rating of 0.9.

For comparison, the first ep of GSP/Hardy did one million viewers while GSP/Penn did 880,000.

Obviously we don't know if they can sustain those numbers but if they can, UFC 114 will likely be one of the biggest of the year. Don't forget that THE A-TEAM launches in early June and there will be a moderate amount of PR for it in the week leading up to UFC 114.

Week 5 of TUF XI continues to look good.

Episode five of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER XI did a 1.3 rating with an average audience of 1.8 million.

According to Spike, the show also did a 2.6 in the Males 18-34 demo.

This season continues to be, excluding TUF 10, the strongest since TUF 3. While it is likely numbers will have a dip or two before the end of the season, things are looking good overall.

Season so far:
Episode 1: 1.5 rating with a 2.1 in M18-34, 1.8 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.9 million.
Episode 2: 1.2 rating with a 1.9 in M18-34, 1.54 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.5 million
Episode 3: 1.3 rating with a 1.63 in M18-34, 1.53 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.6 million.
Episode 4: 1.5 rating with a 2.4 in M18-34, a 1.9 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 2 million.
Episode 5: 1.3 rating with a 2.6 in M18-34 and an ave aud of 1.8 million.

Week four of TUF XI continues strong season with increased ratings.

Episode four of The Ultimate Fighter 11 delivered season highs with a 1.5 overall rating, a 2.4 in Males 18 to 34, 1.9 in Males 18 to 49 and an average audience of 2 million.

Almost from day one, folks have been certain that the numbers would drop down to the levels of seasons 7-9 and even see some eps go under 1.0 and while that may still happen, Tito and Chuck appear to be keeping folks coming back for more.

It does not hurt that the fights are better than those on last season where the HWs plodded about until they gassed out.

Season so far:
Episode 1: 1.5 rating with a 2.1 in M18-34, 1.8 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.9 million.
Episode 2: 1.2 rating with a 1.9 in M18-34, 1.54 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.5 million
Episode 3: 1.3 rating with a 1.63 in M18-34, 1.53 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 1.6 million.
Episode 4:  1.5 rating with a 2.4 in M18-34, a 1.9 in M18-49 and an ave aud of 2 million.

TUF 11 starts out on a strong note.

MMA Payout has reported the numbers for Episode one of season eleven of The Ultimate Fighter. The show had a rating of 1.5 with a 2.1 for males 18-34, a 1.9 for males 18-49 and an audience of 1.9 million.

While numbers may indeed drop somewhat, I don't know that I would agree that they will dip below 1.0. By most accounts, Tito and Chuck go at each other and the the initial bouts were exciting enough (Exciting meaning folks got KTFO). I think there will be a drop, but it will still be a bit higher than seasons 6-9. I don't think any season will match season ten.

By comparison:
Ep one of TUF 10: a 2.9 rating with 4.1 million viewers
Ep one of TUF 9: 1.3 rating with a 1.8 in M18-49, 2.1 in M18-34 and an ave audience of 1.8 million.
Ep one of TUF 8: 1.2 rating
Ep one of TUF 7: 1.3 rating

Personally, I think Zuffa needs to space out the seasons more. Twice a year is too much to generate genuine excitement.

One other suggestion would be to shorten the period between the start of filming and the actual Finale. Start playing the first ep as the actual events are unfolding. It might help make things more interesting.

Zuffa has launched the Ultimate Fighter website, so they should put it to use. They like to keep the participants secret until right before the season starts. Instead, announce them all two weeks in advance and post bios and a video clip of each fighter. Give folks a chance to get to know all of them prior to the start. It might make the elimination round a little more interesting. It would also allow folks to connect with those that make it to the house a little faster. As the season goes on, add clips online of the guys talking about their lives, families, hopes and dreams. Again, it would help the viewers become emotionally invested in the fighters.

Lastly, we saw Mike Van Arsdale and Tiki Goshen verbally sparring last season, how about having an Asst. coach from each team square off on the finale? You would have to have Coaches that were all under contract, but it could make things a little more interesting.

Early estimates for UFC 111 very strong.

If early cable estimates are accurate, UFC 111 not only did better than I thought, it did better than anyone thought possible.

According to the latest Wrestling Observer (Subscription required), UFC 111 is in the range of 850,000 buys. That would make it the 6th biggest ppv in the history of the UFC (After 100, 92, 91, 66, 94) along with UFC 101. Since 101, only UFC 104 and 107 managed to hit 500,000 buys.

Now it is important to point out that early numbers can end up being way off. At this point, those estimates are coming from a limited number of providers. In the next 7-10 days, the overall number will become a little more accurate. But even if it does trend downward, it is unlikely to drop more than 100-150k buys, which would still put it a little over my own prediction of 675,000.

If true, it would appear to verify a couple of things:
A) GSP is one of the top draws the UFC has. He does well in the U.S. and brings 100k more buys from Canada. While Lesnar is bigger today, GSP has, with his mainstream appeal, the potential to be bigger down the line. His manager has done an excellent job marketing him to mainstream sponsors. They hired CAA Sports and that has helped them sign deals with the likes of Gatorade and Under Armour.

B) Frank Mir has become a bit of a draw. MMA and Cable insiders give Mir some credit for the 620K buys of 107. Frank is one of the best talkers in MMA. He was quieter than usual, likely afraid of saying the wrong thing after the Lesnar remarks. But his talking for, and his performance at, 107 made an impression with folks.

As I wrote previously, the UFC is hoping 111 starts a hot streak that goes well into the fall. Barring any major injuries, the future. It will be especially interesting to see if the success of 111 provides any momentum for UFC 112, a strong card that has the disadvantage of being on tape delay. It is the strongest overseas card the UFC has ever had and will show us just how much being on tape delay hurts a card. In the past, those cards have generally been weaker than most domestic ones. So while that delay may indeed have hurt them, the quality of the cards also played a part.