On Tuesday night, UFC fans were treated to an incredible night of action on the main card of UFC on Fuel 3. The Korean Zombie showed the world that he has evolved into a legitimate member of the MMA elite as he used vastly improved striking and ground work to dictate the pace against Dustin Poirier.
The bout itself was highly entertaining with several near finishes and strong action from both fighters. Without question, fans will point to the contest as the moment where The Korean Zombie transformed from a tough fighter with a kickass nickname into a full-fledged title contender. Unfortunately, no one saw it.
Well, almost no one.
Yesterday, MMAJunkie.com confirmed with industry sources that UFC on Fuel TV 3 garnered a meager 173,000 viewers. Those numbers are not indicative of the UFC fan base, as Pay Per Views rarely attract less than 300,000 buys. Let me reiterate: buys, not viewers. Assuming PPVs are purchased by a group of four friends who split the cost, you’re looking at more than one million views on an undesirable card.
Fox is a fantastic partner for the UFC. Through association, they provide legitimacy within the mainstream that money can’t buy. With the prized 18-35 male demographic as a primary viewer, this deal was made in heaven for fight fans.
Part of the agreement included the production of events on FX and sister network Fuel TV. While FX is an established network with ultra-popular original programming like Sons of Anarchy and Rescue Me, I am not alone in saying that I was unaware of the existence of Fuel TV until the beginning of their relationship with the UFC.
Is it that the star power isn’t on Fuel? I’m sure that has something to do with it. The featherweight division isn’t tremendously popular, nor do they have any breakout stars until now. Outside of the main event, the biggest star on the card was Donald Cerrone—hardly a household name. However, the UFC is smart enough to save their marketable talent for events that people can actually tune in for.
The biggest culprit here is the fact that Fuel TV is simply not available to many MMA fans. While Fuel TV is available in 36 million homes nationwide, it is far below the national standard. In comparison, Spike TV is available in 96.1 million homes. As a Comcast customer myself, I have called several times and written a handful of emails in an attempt to demand that they offer UFC programming in its entirety.
Unfortunately, I am just one man. That is why the UFC needs your help. That is why your favorite lower-tier fighters need your help. That is why I need your help.
If everyone who reads this article is willing to send an email to their cable or satellite provider and demand Fuel TV, we can send a big message that this isn’t a problem that they can afford to ignore.
It’s a simple solution to a problem that affects us all. Keep in mind that the UFC is putting more than 2,000 hours of programming on Fuel in 2012 which includes live fights, post-show events and several countdown and preview events.
Right now, go to the website of your television provider and go to their Contact Us section. Writing an email takes only a few minutes. Make sure you tell them that you pay them good money every month and that you demand to have Fuel TV as part of your television package.
The voice of one is easily ignored. The voice of 10,000 is not.
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