Bellator 51: Despite stellar show, ratings near all-time low
by Brian Hemminger on Sep 28, 2011 12:06 PM EDT
in Bellator FC News & Results
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Bellator Fighting Championships turned up the heat this past weekend with one of the most exciting and evenly matched events in the promotion's history with the debut of the stacked season five bantamweight tournament.
Too bad it aired at the same time as UFC 135, the night of a much-hyped UFC light heavyweight title bout.
The upstart promotion was likely hoping that they would be a free alternative to the UFC pay-per-view event, but instead it appears that many MMA fans simply chose to ignore them.
MMANation brings the word that this past Saturday's Bellator 51 garnered just 158,000 viewers -- the fourth worst showing since the promotion partnered with MTV2.
Granted, that's at least an improvement over last week's abysmal 114,000 viewers which was an all-time record low for the promotion.
We'll compare how these ratings stack up to past events after the jump.
Bellator 44: 325,000 viewers
Bellator 47: 277,000 viewers
Bellator 45: 264,000 viewers
Bellator 49: 235,000 viewers
Bellator 36: 230,000 viewers
Bellator 48: 226,000 viewers
Bellator 40: 218,000 viewers
Bellator 35: 200,000 viewers
Bellator 42: 199,000 viewers
Bellator 46: 185,000 viewers
Bellator 43: 182,000 viewers
Bellator 39: 174,000 viewers
Bellator 37: 173,000 viewers
Bellator 51: 158,000 viewers
Bellator 38: 150,000 viewers
Bellator 41: 132,000 viewers
Bellator 50: 114,000 viewers
Bellator set a ratings record this past May with the season four lightweight tournament finals which also featured a "superfight" for middleweight champion Hector Lombard. Ratings were strong this offseason with the special featherweight "Summer Series" and things looked great for them when season five debuted with 235,000 viewers.
The recent run of weekly UFC events airing simultaneously as Bellator will end after October 8, so the promotion may finally be able to catch a break, but until then, they're likely in store for similar results.
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Get this on Hi Def and more people will watch
Its as simple as that.
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People are afraid Sideshow Bob Askren will be on the card.
When a Texan decides to take his chances, you know chances will be taken.
+1 BILLION
They really screwed the pooch with that one.
I will blind you with my Albino Mormon Rainbow Powers of Sunshiny Joy™. - Dak
Nah, get it off MTV2 and people who actually watch the sport might know it exists.
The people who watch MTV are not the target demographic. Hell, were any of you aware that MTV is bringing back Beavis & Butthead? I loved that show and I only noticed because my girl was watching one of her stupid Jersey Trash shows and saw a commercial. And it will flop, because nobody gives two shits about that channel in this decade except women. And they don’t turn out for MMA or B&B in huge droves.
You mind your own damn business.
by jestermarcus on Sep 28, 2011 12:24 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Yes MTV2 is a detractor. MTV is maybe the worst channel on TV. In fact if Bellator weren't on it I would never change to that channel.
As it stands I only do DVR, which by the way, are probably numbers not included in the above counts.
"It’s Mark Pavelich calling from the Maximum Fighting Championship,
I’ve just received notice that Drew Fickett or you, I don’t care which one of you fuckers did it, has signed a contract to fight in Strikeforce this fucking weekend. I’m going to get on a fucking plane soon and go where you’re at and choke you the fuck out. I’m telling you right now, I’ve had enough of your fucking shit. First of all, I’ve sent you the fucking pictures and secondly, I placed Drew Fickett in a fight fucking months ago and five weeks prior to my main event of my fucking fight card. You’re going to give me a fucking call tomorrow or I swear I’ll get on a fucking plane and go right where you’re at right now. You’re pissing me off, I’ve been nothing but professional to you motherfuckers and you’re doing this kind of bullshit, alright? Call me back, I’m fucking pissed."
by Swedish Chef smerdy herdy verdy on Sep 28, 2011 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions
I dont understand why they just
do it on days tht UFC isn’t on.
by johnnysmash on Sep 28, 2011 12:28 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Or on mondays
Monday Night Fights!
by johnnysmash on Sep 28, 2011 12:28 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
that's the problem
do it friday or sunday nights. maybe a mid week wednesday mma action would be nice. everyne hanging on for saturday’s ufc’s can get their fighting fix to see them through
circa regna tonat
by sir.tickleberry on Sep 28, 2011 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions
it's just silly they can do a few things to boost promotion...
only the hardcore mma fans really watch bellator, no one else even knows it exists
"Did you know that if you mix equal parts
of gasoline and equal parts frozen orange juice
concentrate, you can make napalm?"
and then the hardcore fans always have to make the choice between ufc, sf or bellator
the way it is now there’s always going to be a zuffa card on when bellator is, and they just can’ beat that. as entertaining as bellator is it’s the ufc cards that matter. and before i get leaped on by anyone, go listen to yourselves when you bitch out overeem, fedor, lombard, aoki…anyone not in ufc when you say “can crusher” “they’ve not faced top competition” “they wouldn’t take a belt in the ufc” before anyone puts their “i’m better educated because i appreciate bellator” pants on you know the ufc fighters are the yard stick an mma career is measured against
circa regna tonat
by sir.tickleberry on Sep 28, 2011 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions
The picture sucks
Ever since they got rid of high-def i don’t even like to watch it anymore, the picture is too blurry and i feel like a teen girl turning on mtv2.
Compelling matchups
That’s what Bellator is missing more than anything… I want to see their champs fight in meaningful title defenses, no more non-title superfights against have-been’s or never-were’s. And while tournaments are nice, you need established and well-known guys in them… if not, they’re only battles of prospects and unknown, something that we get on the undercard of every single UFC event.
How many well known guys are there for Bellator to pick up and for the right price?
Bellator isn’t really for guys who just got out of the UFC, its for guys trying to make it into the UFC. They aren’t going to get too many big name guys, so that isn’t the way they are going to solve this. Getting on Spike is what they should be concerned with. Obviously there are obstacles but that should be their priority.
You mind your own damn business.
by jestermarcus on Sep 28, 2011 12:56 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Well, we’ve seen more UFC outcasts fighting in Bellator than Bellator guys making their way into the UFC… the main reason for that is that Bellator has contracts from hell and their good fighters are stuck there.
All I’m saying is that Bellator needs to improve their matchmaking… Seeing Askren fight Josh Thompson in 2011 is a huge waste of everyone’s time. They want to be a big time promotion, they should find ways to give us good meaningful fights. That’s all I’m saying.
I agree their match making puts me at a loss a lot of the time.
But the guys going to Bellator from the UFC weren’t top guys though, they were guys who typically only had a few fights and Bellator picks them up so they can say “Former UFC fighter”. It’s for marketing mostly but still, they aren’t going to pull top guys so they should concentrate on being on a channel that puts then in the best position to be on the most tvs.
You mind your own damn business.
by jestermarcus on Sep 28, 2011 1:50 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
agreed on Spike...
"Did you know that if you mix equal parts
of gasoline and equal parts frozen orange juice
concentrate, you can make napalm?"
epix in HD who the fuck ever heard of epix
Bellator puts on some great shows but it is hard to watch without High def.
by biggant on Sep 28, 2011 1:29 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
The UFC isn't the only competition they're facing.
It’s fall, and to a lot of people that means NCAA football. I love free MMA, but it isn’t even a question for me whether to watch Bellator or one of the big NCAA games in primetime. Football wins, and I’ll catch the video highlights on an MMA blog.
When the UFC isn’t on simultaneously, the ratings will likely go up. However, MMA is still a niche sport, so competing with football all fall is going to be tough for them.
by Some Guy Named Gabbo on Sep 28, 2011 2:07 PM EDT reply actions
Bellator
They have great fights and great talent! They need more exposure and I hope they get it. Right now I’m pissed because I don’t have MTV2 or whatever the Network is! I wish they would go to Spike or Versus! Wayne Arthur
by ussclaudejones on Sep 28, 2011 10:12 PM EDT reply actions
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