It appears that UFC on Fox 1 will be starting at 9 PM EST, 6 PM PST, at least if the statements are true about it ending after the Pacquiao PPV starts but before the Pacquiao fight happens.
I looked at any number of sports schedules and it does not appear that Fox has any sports pre-empting their normal back-to-back episodes of COPS that day.
While I know COPS provides solid Saturday ratings for Fox, they're nothing to write home about and the programming should be entirely expendable. So what's the deal here? Shouldn't it be in both parties' best interests for the UFC to start an hour earlier? That way we could get Guida vs. Bendo plus at least one other fight too, and it'd feel more like the big-time event that is, plus Fox should benefit from the extra ad revenue. Is this something that could possible still be rectified maybe? I don't see a legit business reason for Fox to do it this way and I certainly don't see a legit reason for the UFC to only do one hour even if they got no extra money for it for this broadcast (although realistically they should be paid more for a two hour show). Is there anything I'm missing here?
Because Fox learned from CBS' mistake and they would rather test the waters first instead of shooting themselves in the foot by giving their entire night to something that might not beat reruns in the ratings most likely. If the hour-long show is a hit, look for entire fight cards in the future. If it is not then more hour long specials until the contract runs out.
horsesteroids - Because Fox learned from CBS' mistake and they would rather test the waters first instead of shooting themselves in the foot by giving their entire night to something that might not beat reruns in the ratings most likely.
1) They already signed a 7-year, $100 million per year deal with 4 shows a year on Fox. This is not a test run, this is to hit the ground running. Except there's no disadvantage to hitting the ground running with a two hour show and plenty of advantages.
2) Considering the ratings CBS pulled I seriously doubt that they would do worse ratings in the 18-49 demographic than COPS. Even if they somehow did it's better for Fox that the UFC get as much exposure as possible and the chances of it being an overally entertaining show are greater when you're relying on how three different matches go instead of one.
horsesteroids - If the hour-long show is a hit, look for entire fight cards in the future. If it is not then more hour long specials until the contract runs out.
Even if they somehow did worse on total viewership than COPS (highly unlikely), it would be incredibly amazing if they did worse on advertising revenue. The test should be a two hour show, it is the choice with a better chance of profitability.
BehemothMonk - It would be foolish to go against Pacquiao. Head to head it would be no contest. Thats why it's an hour show.
So then, in the geniuses at Zuffa and Fox's infinite wisdom, did they decide that this was the date to host the first event?
Seems strange if that is the hurdle.
You armchair quarterbacks really think you know more about television than FOX? I'd love more fights too, but that doesn't change the fact that it may be a better business decision to start off with the 1 hour show @ 9. I'm sure the years and years of experience between FOX broadcasting and UFC putting on fights were factored into this decision. This is a $100 million deal and decisions like this one are not made on a whim.
I can't believe that we are getting a heavyweight title fight on free TV and people are still bitching.
slamming -BehemothMonk - It would be foolish to go against Pacquiao. Head to head it would be no contest. Thats why it's an hour show.
So then, in the geniuses at Zuffa and Fox's infinite wisdom, did they decide that this was the date to host the first event?
Seems strange if that is the hurdle.
lol yes those guys who are number one in tv are morons...
i think it goes back to the fact that the ufc has a mediocre show a week before(dont want to show that), a dynamite show a week after(assuming they add another huge fight), and basically a strikeforce or ufc event every weekend till next year. It was basically the only weekend available and has a built in aid for success in that the world will be in fight mode with the huge boxing ppv coming up later that night.
so i would bet the plan is to book a big main event for the show on the 19th so they can sell it on the free show, and use the Manny ppv to get people to watch the free show on fox billing it as a lead in to the ppv.
limiting it to an hour show because it's the night of the pacquiao fight makes sense, why they didn't just choose a different night, doesn't.
Am I the only one that watched all of the interviews from the Fox press conference? The Fox exec said in one of the interviews the this fight was not part of the deal when they signed it and they are calling this "the bonus show". Giving the UFC 1 hour on prime time on just a few months notice seems a pretty good to me.
GeoDim - You armchair quarterbacks really think you know more about television than FOX? I'd love more fights too, but that doesn't change the fact that it may be a better business decision to start off with the 1 hour show @ 9. I'm sure the years and years of experience between FOX broadcasting and UFC putting on fights were factored into this decision. This is a $100 million deal and decisions like this one are not made on a whim.
I can't believe that we are getting a heavyweight title fight on free TV and people are still bitching.
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Chromium - 1) Except there's no disadvantage to hitting the ground running with a two hour show and plenty of advantages.
OK, so let's say they have a two hour show and open it with Guida vs Bendo. Guida executes the exact same game plan as he did against Pettis. Are the potential millions of people who have tuned in to see what the whole UFC thing is all about going to stick around to watch another fight? Most likely not.
The way the broadcast is scheduled is the best way to play it. I imagine they'll start out explaining some of the basics of MMA, most likely with Rogan and/or a third commentator talking over JDS and Cain highlights, explaining about striking, takedowns, GNP, BJJ etc. Then a bit of hype about the two fighters, then the fight. If it ends early, Zuffa/FOX have got a whole card of prelims to choose from, in order to put another fight on air that will make fans out of new viewers.
slamming -BehemothMonk - It would be foolish to go against Pacquiao. Head to head it would be no contest. Thats why it's an hour show.
So then, in the geniuses at Zuffa and Fox's infinite wisdom, did they decide that this was the date to host the first event?
Seems strange if that is the hurdle.
I'm asking why they don't start an hour earlier, since it would still be in primetime (at least in the Eastern and Central timezones), and they could show more fights.
In hindsight, I'll have to guess that the UFC managed to finagle this one from Fox, leaving it at one hour since they weren't positive they could produce a good two-hour main card at the time with the rest of the year packed so tightly. Evidently they were wrong about this. They are putting on a giant main-event, and a title-eliminator between two normally very exciting fighters right below it. They just need one more fight and while the Kid Yamamoto fight isn't hugely relevant, it should be fun. Or Poirier vs Garza even. Or book The Korean Zombie vs. Mark Hominick, since they've called each other out.
melvins -Chromium - 1) Except there's no disadvantage to hitting the ground running with a two hour show and plenty of advantages.
OK, so let's say they have a two hour show and open it with Guida vs Bendo. Guida executes the exact same game plan as he did against Pettis. Are the potential millions of people who have tuned in to see what the whole UFC thing is all about going to stick around to watch another fight? Most likely not.
You're seriously arguing that they consider Guida vs. Bendo too big a risk because it might be boring?? First off, I've never seen Bendo in a boring fight, and Guida fights are exciting more often than not. What's more, they are giving away a WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT on free television after that. That is the draw for casuals. Even if Bendo/Guida is somehow boring, it won't hurt JDS vs. Cain that much, since the headliner is still as big a fight as the UFC could make in that timeframe. However, if JDS vs. Cain somehow doesn't deliver and Cain just keeps taking him down and not finishing the guy off, having exciting fights on the undercard could save everything.
The only other reason I can think of is that the UFC may not want to make it a thing to do 8 PM EST start times when their PPVs all start at 9 PM, but if they're going to eventually do 3 hour shows on Fox (or even 2 hour ones) that may or may not change anyway.
melvins - The way the broadcast is scheduled is the best way to play it. I imagine they'll start out explaining some of the basics of MMA, most likely with Rogan and/or a third commentator talking over JDS and Cain highlights, explaining about striking, takedowns, GNP, BJJ etc. Then a bit of hype about the two fighters, then the fight. If it ends early, Zuffa/FOX have got a whole card of prelims to choose from, in order to put another fight on air that will make fans out of new viewers.
They'll still have all of those options and more with two hours instead of one.