Counter-programming alert: Spike TV targets Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 on Friday nights in 2012

by Jesse Holland on Dec 20, 2011 12:45 PM EST in UFC Programming

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 to its new home on the FX channel beginning March 9, 2012.

Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will coach opposite his arch rival and number one contender to the 135-pound title, Urijah Faber, in the two-hour season premiere with subsequent episodes airing every Friday night for the following 13 weeks.

The new format, promised to overhaul what many fans felt had gone stale after 14 seasons on Spike TV, will also feature LIVE fights on a weekly basis.

In other words, shit just got real.

As expected, Spike will take full advantage of its licensing rights to the UFC tape library and air weekly "Best of" compilations from TUF seasons past -- directly opposite TUF 15 in an attempt to lure away the casual fan who might not know any better.

Here's what to expect.

Spike TV, the recognized home of mixed martial arts on television, has announced a new three-hour programming block debuting on Friday, March 2 (9:00 PM – Midnight, ET/PT) featuring the greatest episodes from the 14 seasons of "The Ultimate Fighter." From Rashad Evans to Matt Serra, from Forrest Griffin to Kimbo Slice, "The Ultimate Fighter Fridays" on Spike TV will showcase all the incredible knockouts, unbelievable submissions, and tense drama from the seven years of the hit Spike series. The network will air special-themed editions of "The Ultimate Fighter Fridays" with input from fans via Facebook and Twitter. Details will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

The UFC is headed for greener pastures on the FOX network (including FX and FUEL TV) after Spike balked at Zuffa's increased licensing fees during contract negotiations earlier this year.

With the end of the Spike TV "Prelims" specials and various other MMA-related programming, the network had a pretty sizable gap to fill in its efforts to retain the 18-34 demographic that tuned in for televised fisticuffs.

Enter Bellator.

While Bjorn Rebney and Co. won't be able to make their Spike TV debut until 2013, the network will try and keep fight fans satiated with a constant stream of UFC fights, which they still have at their disposal.

Anyone think this will put a dent in the ratings for the debut of TUF 15?

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New programming or old

you are still watching the UFC. Smart people run Zuffa.

by TTB on Dec 20, 2011 12:54 PM EST reply actions

your still watching UFC... BUT the advertising dollars on spike are going just to spike... and if the old shows carry a decent rating in comparision to your live brand new programming then yes shit truly did just get real

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by RECE ROCK on Dec 20, 2011 1:11 PM EST up reply actions

"In other words, shit just got real"

Haha. The more the merrier for us viewers. Can’t wait to DVR many of the upcoming fights since I can’t watch all at once.

by mmachiro on Dec 20, 2011 12:56 PM EST via mobile reply actions

spike tv are just acting like a bunch of Klowns!

they good use there resources (ufc library), in much more productive ways then trying to counter program the UFC. how much do they expect to hurt the UFC? for maybe 2 weeks, until the rest of the world realizes that the UFC is on network television.

get a clue spike!

by John G. on Dec 20, 2011 12:56 PM EST reply actions

tuf sucks

"I started out with a hundred tapes, if you wasn't down then get the fuck out my face" - South Park Mexican

by antone04 on Dec 20, 2011 1:05 PM EST reply actions

This is becoming such a joke.

20$ on money pool season with kg12 as well as VM, on who finishes higher.

by freenow82 on Dec 20, 2011 1:08 PM EST reply actions

It's a shame Bellator has to be put on the back burner

I understand why it’s happening, but it sucks that it is.

TFK

Check out the MMA Forums at http://www.boxingfanatics.com/forums/f24/

by TFK on Dec 20, 2011 1:09 PM EST reply actions

true... to bad spike cant just hand the library back to zuffa and be done with them and start anew...

Follow @Ray_Mercado

Visit fiveouncesofpain.com

by RECE ROCK on Dec 20, 2011 1:12 PM EST up reply actions

They're counter-programming the UFC but they're also counter programming

BELLATOR!!!! What better way to get people inttrested in Bellator then by putting another mma option against them!

by bigdmmafan on Dec 20, 2011 1:15 PM EST reply actions

haha

20$ on money pool season with kg12 as well as VM, on who finishes higher.

by freenow82 on Dec 20, 2011 1:16 PM EST up reply actions

na.... the post says Bellator wont start on spike till 2013

"Why would I blow up the Chick-Fil-A it's fucking delicious"

by jakescissorhands on Dec 20, 2011 1:39 PM EST up reply actions

Bellator is about to start airing their cards on Friday to keep from competing directly with the UFC.

So spike would be counter programming Bellator.

by emperorj on Dec 20, 2011 2:24 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Yeah but Bellator is still gonna be on MTV2 on their new night, Friday, starting March 2nd. Hell Spike.com is airing the prelim fights.

I’m just saying if your trying to get Bellators name out there so when they come to your network they’re well known you dont counter program them.

by bigdmmafan on Dec 20, 2011 2:25 PM EST up reply actions

Can someone help me?

R they coaches wand & vitor or cruz & faber??

OnJan 14th Chad Mendes will handily defeat Jose aldo, GUARANTEED
Chris Weidman IS a future UFC MW champion

by JonBon Joey on Dec 20, 2011 1:56 PM EST reply actions

The US edition is Cruz and Faber, Wand and Vitor is for the brazil edition.

by bigdmmafan on Dec 20, 2011 2:25 PM EST up reply actions

Both.

Cruz and Faber will be the U.S version and Wand and Vitor will be coaching the inaugural Brazilian version. If I’m not mistaken the Brazilain version will be entirely in portugese.

by emperorj on Dec 20, 2011 2:26 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Ok thx

so do u know if they will both be televised during the same dates? & will ther be 2 tuf finales shows??

OnJan 14th Chad Mendes will handily defeat Jose aldo, GUARANTEED
Chris Weidman IS a future UFC MW champion

by JonBon Joey on Dec 20, 2011 2:28 PM EST reply actions

Wonder what Wand and Vitor's tuff house is going to look like.. lol

by MMA Dan on Dec 20, 2011 2:49 PM EST reply actions

I don’t see how this does anything but benefit the UFC. The more of their programming on the air the better. More chance for exposure for him. Sure, watching the Fox broadcast will have plugs for upcoming shows, but the more people watching UFC, the better.

by Andrew182 on Dec 20, 2011 2:51 PM EST reply actions

sounds like good business for SPIKE

What else do they have to chase the demographic they’re after? How many fucking eps of “1000 ways to die” & “Blue Mountain State” are there anyways? UFC Reruns are another way of keeping a toe hold in the 18-35 bracket or whatever they’re chasing. And besides, they’re definitely gonna air some fights off of PPVs I couldn’t be bothered to pay for bcuz I thought they were gonna be shit & ended up having a great fight & KO…this only bothers the ones amongst us without a DVR!

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." George Bernard Shaw

by Fat Daddy Doobs on Dec 20, 2011 6:04 PM EST via mobile reply actions