M-1 Global/Strikeforce: Record Numbers for Worldwide “Fedor vs. Rogers”
M-1 Global and Strikeforce announced last week that the worldwide broadcast of Fedor vs. Rogers did record numbers:
AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND (November 24, 2009) – M-1 Global and Strikeforce announced today that the international audience reports from broadcasters all over the world revealed an unprecedented number of viewers for the November 7th “Fedor vs. Rogers” MMA event from Chicago, Illinois.
“We are extremely happy with the preliminary broadcast reports,” said M-1 Global CEO Joost Raimond. “The demographics of these numbers were very promising as our network broadcasting partners in the U.S., Russia, and Korea reach an enormous audience alone. Coupled with a dozen other countries and our successful internet stream in Japan and other territories, all early accounts and indications tell us that “Fedor vs. Rogers” delivered worldwide more than any other MMA show in the history of the sport,” concluded Raimond.
Scott Coker, founder and owner of Strikeforce and experienced MMA promoter responded “We are thrilled with the tremendous viewership figures that the Fedor vs Rogers event generated overseas. The results clearly demonstrate the appreciation that fans worldwide have for a number of M-1 Global and Strikeforce mixed martial arts superstars including the number one fighter on the planet – Fedor Emelianenko – and his opponent Brett Rogers.”
In total, over 25 million MMA fans all around the world were treated to a vintage performance from the world’s greatest MMA fighter, Fedor Emelianenko. The main event of Fedor vs Rogers reached an impressive 5.46 million viewers in the United States on the CBS Network. The fight was also broadcast in Fedor’s native Russia by “Channel 1,” Russia’s largest television network, and reached 16 million viewers in Fedor’s home country. In addition, “Fedor vs. Rogers” was broadcast to millions of viewers in Korea on SBS, one of the 3 major national South Korean networks, as well as television networks in China, Latin America, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ukraine, Finland, Africa, Turkey, Israel, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Malta. Live internet streams of the “Fedor vs. Rogers” bout generated ground-breaking viewer numbers in Japan and all over the world and these numbers continue to grow through Video on Demand.
‘”CBS was proud to be the U.S. broadcaster in a fight seen by millions domestically and by millions more around the world,” commented CBS Senior Executive Vice President Kelly Kahl. “Strikeforce and M-1 Global put together a great card, showcasing some of the best fighters in the world. Our ad sales for the fight were strong, especially for advertisers that target young men — a group with a growing appetite for MMA.”
Payout Perspective:
The numbers certainly are impressive, but be careful to note the clever bit of PR spin: Fedor vs. Rogers is not the most watched fight in MMA history, but in terms of global viewership from so many countries it set a ”worldwide” record. There is some question as to how reliable the figures really are, but it’s still a good result for the co-promotion.
Expect a rebuttle of sorts from the UFC – knowing them to be the competitive individuals that they are – regarding their international viewership. Lorenzo Fertitta has stated previously that UFC programming reaches an estimated 400 million people worldwide, and that figure is growing as they continue to lock-up distribution deals. Yet, they’ve never really commented on how well their fights are doing on a worldwide level.
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