Apr 12, 2011 - According to a report by MMA Junkie, Showtime pulled in an average of 528,000 viewers for Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley on Saturday night. The event peaked with 806,000 viewers during the Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley title fight.
The numbers suggest a few things. First, Showtime as done an excellent job of turning itself into a destination for combat sports fans with elite boxing and MMA live programming. Second, despite the numbers being very high, they do not tell us if there was a clear "UFC effect" in play. Fans that subscribe to Showtime to watch live Strikeforce content are likely more up to speed on MMA news and generally had a sense about the UFC's (Zuffa's) purchase of the organization. That customer base already existed and it isn't clear new fans were added as a result of the marketing push from UFC channels.
We can also surmise that because of Diaz's now clear history as a ratings draw. To wit:
The five top-rated Strikeforce-Showtime shows, as compiled by MMAjunkie.com, include:
- "Strikeforce: Silva vs. Fedor" (February 2011): 741,000 viewers
- "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg" (August 2009): 576,000
- "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg" (January 2011): 561,000
- "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" (April 2011): 528,000
- "Strikeforce: Miami" (February 2010): 517,000
It is true that Diaz has been the focal point of a push by Showtime and Strikeforce. The last three cards he's fought on he's headlined and the event moniker included his last name (Diaz vs. Noons 2, Diaz vs. Cyborg, Diaz vs. Daley). He's been a key figure the promotion has pushed at the top of bill on five occasions since April of 2009 beginning with Diaz vs. Shamrock and including Strikeforce: Miami. There's an argument to make that even by sheer volume and ubiquity of having Diaz's name on a fight card that those events would rank somewhere towards the top of Showtime's best dates.
The amount of pushing Diaz received, in part a result of a thinner fight roster, probably helps that argument a little, but Strikeforce wouldn't position ratings cancer with such frequency. They also wouldn't so heavily invest in talent that couldn't demonstrate capacity for growth as a draw. Diaz has been pushed hard by Strikeforce, but he's clearly delivered. Consider this: only Gina Carano and Fedor Emelianenko have headlined Strikeforce events with better ratings. Think about that for a moment.
Strikeforce has long been accused of being unable to create stars. They could harness the existing power of stars for decent effect, but there was a sense they weren't able to move careers or narratives forward. Nick Diaz might be the best evidence that Strikeforce has finally moved past that stumbling block. This was a card Strikeforce put together before any UFC purchase. With the recency of the UFC takeover, it's unlikely what little attention they were able to give this show mattered much in the final tally. As for now, Is the praise even relevant now that UFC-infused juice will be put into major future Strikeforce cards?
It's probably overly generous to suggest Strikeforce was turning a promotional corner when Zuffa purchased them. But it is fair to acknowledge that while slow going for years, the Strikeforce machine had finally shown evidence of producing names that serve as ratings and live gate draws. It took intense focus and heaping amounts of attention. In no way does it even compare to UFC efficiency on those terms. But it's admirable and a real achievement in the world of MMA promotion.
Too bad we'll never know how far it could've gone.
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Comments
I think Diaz was already enough of a star from his days with the UFC that it’s not proof enough of SF building a star (heck, he even gets added benefit of having his brother in the UFC still).
I also think the attention he got for the brawl with Miller (Miller being famous for being on MTV more than anything else) did more for him than SF would have normally.
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by JeremyShane on Apr 12, 2011 6:17 PM EDT reply actions
There’s no way to quantify the effect of the brawl, so that’s a non-issue.
But the rest of your point is revisionist history. He was in no way, shape or form a star when he moved to Strikeforce. He was bounced from the UFC following three straights losses. He was eventually brought back for two fights, one of which never aired (Gleison Tibau). He had name value, had fought on Spike TV and was a hardcore fan favorite, but the idea he was some huge star pulling monster ratings or filling arenas or killing website traffic or any other indicator of star status is wrong.
His UFC background provided visibility and some measure of awareness. He has grown since then and did so under the slow but steady Strikeforce push.
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by Luke Thomas on Apr 12, 2011 7:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, in terms of the Diaz/Cyborg card, it was you yourself that said it wouldn’t have done nearly as well if Herschel Walker wasn’t on it. That slices into Nick’s drawing cred a bit.
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by Tim Burke on Apr 12, 2011 6:20 PM EDT reply actions
Sure, but
That’s how you build stars. You put them on cards in important growth periods with other certifiable draws to help their brand. That’s exactly what Strikeforce did.
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by Luke Thomas on Apr 12, 2011 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions
True enough
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by Tim Burke on Apr 12, 2011 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I terms of SF turning a corner, it is telling that three of their top four events have occured this year. Also, virtually every event this year has surpassed every event last year. Most ineterstingly, even a small time promotion like M1 is able to get 200,000 viewers on Showtime. Strikeforce, and MMA on Showtime in general, has been a growing success. The UFC can either capitalize by continuing their relationship with Showtime, or they can allow another promotion to step in and claim the number two spot in a big way by inking a deal with Showtime. Either way, I don’t think we have seen the end of MMA on Showtime, even after Strikeforce dissolves in to the UFC.
by TheRage on Apr 13, 2011 1:36 PM EDT reply actions
NICK F*&%IN DIAZ!
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by RolloTomasi on Apr 13, 2011 8:35 PM EDT reply actions
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