As expected, the ratings for Elite XC's second installment of "Saturday Night Fights" on CBS were down from the inaugural show on May 31. Without Kimbo Slice's drawing power, Gary Shaw's over-the-top promoter shtick and with the initial appeal of the whole thing having worn off for some, record numbers were not expected.
And according to TVByTheNumbers.com, that's exactly what happened this time around.
In fact, the final rating is estimated to be right around a 2.0 and somewhere between 2.5 to 3 million viewers, which is down about 40 percent from May 31. However, it's certainly not a complete failure. As mentioned before, the initial numbers weren't expected to be duplicated and it was hard for CBS and Elite XC officials to estimate what would be a success or a failure as far as the ratings went.
It's probably safe to say both parties would have liked to have seen higher numbers, but things could have been much worse. "Unfinished Business" did leave us with reasons to believe Elite XC can still be a success.
That's because the event in itself was a success.
The show improved by leaps and bounds as far as production and credibility goes. Hopefully for Elite XC, that will lead to more viewers the next time out because there is a lot riding on that October 4 event in Ft. Lauderdale.
In deed, this is a make-or-break event for Elite XC as far as the CBS deal goes.
Having said that, CBS will likely not look for record numbers on October 4, but there certainly has to be an improvement. Elite XC needs to prove to CBS that it can pull in consistent numbers and draw that key demographic.
If the promotion can do that then maybe we'll see an extension signed or perhaps even a more lucrative deal with a rival network. However, if Elite XC can't prove that to CBS then who knows what would happen to Elite XC.
As of right now, it appears that there is a lot riding on the broad shoulders of Kimbo Slice on October 4. More than usual.
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