bellator-mma[ads1]Spike TV’s debut season of Bellator MMA was a ratings success for the network, delivering an average of 861,000 viewers, culminating with 952,000 viewers for its finale event this past Thursday, April 4.

The live Bellator programming improved Spike TV’s ratings in the same time slot (10 p.m.-12 a.m.) 36% when compared with last year.

 

Bellator’s shift from MTV2 to Spike TV proved to be a ratings bonanza for the rising MMA league. The most recent season 8 on Spike TV delivered +388% more viewers than Season 7 on MTV 2 and +403% more viewers than Season 6.  Also of note, the weekly encore presentation of the Bellator events drew an average of 336,000 on Thursday night (12:00-2:00am) – thus the weekly cume was an impressive 1,197,000 viewers.

Bellator programming was also able to land in the top 10 for cable programming in the 18-49 male demographic which is coveted by advertisers.

“As the television home of mixed martial arts, we were thrilled to deliver to our fans an exciting, action-packed live Bellator event each week with the compelling story-telling and high production values viewers expect from Spike,” said Kevin Kay, President, Spike TV.

“The response from fans on television and in-arena was tremendous this season,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said.  “Our partners at Spike have given Bellator an enormous platform to showcase some of the best mixed martial arts on the planet.  And…this is just the beginning.”

Emphasis Mine: The first season was a success for Bellator MMA. The tournament format worked for the most part and there were certain fighters they were able to make a name for themselves moving forward. The hardest part for Bellator to overcome will be the length of time between their seasons, and the inability to promote their weekly events during their tournament seasons. It was often difficult for fans to keep up with which fighters were fighting on which card.

They have their reality show debuting this summer at some point which could potentially provide good shoulder programming and more brand awareness. Season one was definitely a success, but really the ratings had nowhere to go but up considering what they were doing on their former home at MTV2.

I think they have clearly solidified themselves as the number two MMA organization in the world behind the UFC. Let’s home they can continue to build on this initial success in the coming months.
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