TV Ratings: WEC 45, Strikeforce: Evolution
The television ratings from the latest WEC and Strikeforce offerings have been released courtesy of Versus and Showtime (brought to us by MMAJunkie):
WEC 45 – 330,000 viewers
Strikeforce: Evolution – 341,000 viewers
Payout Perspective:
The results definitely favor Strikeforce in this latest head-to-head. Not only did Strikeforce outperform the WEC in viewership, but it did so on a network, Showtime, with a significantly smaller subscriber base. However, in the overall picture, 341,000 isn’t exceptional for the organization – it’s about par for the course.
The same cannot be said for the WEC’s 330,000 on Versus. It’s below what it has been doing lately (about 400-500k) and well below their best effort in 2008 (WEC 34, 1.54 million viewers). The non-title headline was likely the greatest influencing factor here, but you could also argue that the greater appeal of the heavier fighters on the Strikeforce card was very much evident in the week leading up to the fight.
It highlights the curious dichotomy that exists within combat sports: despite being arguably more entertaining on the average – largely on account of their speed, endurance, and tenacity – lighter fighters are often not as popular as heavier fighters (holding all else equal…like skill, for example).
Part of the intrigue of the WEC is that it can differentiate itself using the smaller, lighter, and faster fighters. But in order to be successful, the organization will also have to wage a continuous PR and marketing war that fights this very dichotomy in the future.
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