Report: Spike Has Given Up On UFC

[Ben]

A source at Spike, speaking on the condition of anonymity, indicated that the company has essentially abandoned any notion of a new deal with the UFC, since it believes the UFC is "very close to a deal with G4."

"They want their own channel, and this is an opportunity for their own channel," the source said.

As for the Spike counter programming moves, it's "pretty obvious why we're doing what we're doing," the source said, but it hasn't resulted in any animosity between UFC and Spike employees.

"We're all just doing our jobs," said the source.

But just because the UFC may be moving on, that doesn't mean Spike will be content to get out of the MMA business altogether. It has reportedly shown interest in a deal with Bellator, which currently airs on MTV2 and is thus, as the Spike source pointed out, already "in the Viacom family."

http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news...ven-up-on-UFC/

Still all for a all UFC card, I think they have enough programming to make it work, and think we would see more cards on free TV. Totally expect Spike to pull in Bellator if they can though.
http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/335905/Report-Spike-has-given-up-on-UFC/

 

[No More Sorrow]

I''ve always like the UFC on Spike, but i think they could do alot better on a diffrent network they just fit in with Spike's theme of the channel being more of a "guy only" station. So i think they should try to keep MMA on the network somehow, like Ben said,Bellator. I completely agree with you if Spike could get them on the their network that'd be awesome.

 

[SAIYANS]

If I was spike, I'd look to bring boxing to the network personally so that the next MMA show doesn't get the same stigma as TNA gets, which is second rate and not worth my time from the general fan.

 

[SAL]

You're right. Boxing won't get any stigma at all. Because nobody cares about boxing.

 

[PHX]

: pretty much so wouldn't do spike any good to bring in something that is just gonna fail. Best bet is to just replace MMA with MMA to still appease that audience.

 

[SAIYANS]

They could do everything with boxing that they do with UFC.

Show old matches - boxings old draws and Floyd/Manny will get better ratings and have gotten better ratings historically. Shoot the espn classics with them still do good numbers.

Do a reality show - BET got Floyd to do the Iron Ring and teach a team how to box, so it isn't impossible to think they could get him and some old fighters like Tyson/Holyfield/Jones/Hoya/Mosley/Lewis to train people to compete in their weight classes against one another with Spikes higher bank roll.

Friday Night Fights used to get good ratings for crying out loud that make UFCs look bad even with UFC bing on the most watched night for tv. They could show a guy like I don't know, Kimbo, as he makes the transition to boxing to kick the series off

Boxing isn't as big as it was but the audience is still there as it pertains to certain fighters, and that was seen when UFC and Floyd had ppvs the same night and he slaughtered them.

And let's be real boxing is bigger than any other mma company not named UFC in general even with the diminished audience. Plus why would MTV even give up the rights to belator?

 

[SAL]

Psych responds with the one person in the sport who has any money.

 

[SAIYANS]

There are plenty of people with money and plenty money to be made. They just need the same platform and exposure again that they were once upon a time getting on the likes of Espn and FSN

 

[SAIYANS]

You guys are acting like UFC draws good ratings in general and boxing can't also pull in a mid 1

 

[PHX]

I'm acting like boxing is way more in then boxing is cause it's a fact right now. I like boxing but it's simply not cared about unless it's Pac or Mayweather. Kind of sad when your best hope in the heavyweight division to bring it any relevancy is gonna be in Kimbo Slice.

 

[No More Sorrow]

I actually wouldn't mind seeing a boxng reality show, because i don't hate the sport it's just dead nobody wants to pay any attention too it. But if they did a reality show they would need a credible boxer to host it, and aside from Mayweather and Pacquiao i'm not too sure there are many boxers that anybody would actually watch host the show. But either way Spike should keep some kind of fighting sport on the network.

 

[Ben]

Boxing is a mess right now and is in no state where they can give away top flights on free tv. To start off there's 2-3 guys that are active that anyone actually cares about, and there going to be getting in the 5million plus range to fight, and there not going to be doing it on free TV, it's going to be PPV. If Spike was to do it they would have to focus on all unknown guys and hopes people will still actually care, which they won't. No name guys boxing isn't going to touch the ratings UFC gets.

Like I said the best bet is to bring Bellator over, there doing great numbers on MTV2 a channel no one watches and could easily step in and bring in similar rating to UFC.

 

[No More Sorrow]

No doubt about it i mean off the top of my head i can only name of two boxers, Manny and Mayweather. Boxing is pretty much dead, and i try to follow it but it's hard when it doesn't appeal to me anymore i used too love it back in like 2000-2002 iv'e bought one boxing PPV in about 8 years.

Spikes best bet is to replace UFC with Bellator, but it wouldn't suprise me if they looked into a boxing show or something, even if it was with shitty boxers that nobody cares about just to do an expirment or something.

 

[PHX]

Boxing is a mess right now and is in no state where they can give away top flights on free tv. To start off there's 2-3 guys that are active that anyone actually cares about, and there going to be getting in the 5million plus range to fight, and there not going to be doing it on free TV, it's going to be PPV. If Spike was to do it they would have to focus on all unknown guys and hopes people will still actually care, which they won't. No name guys boxing isn't going to touch the ratings UFC gets.

Like I said the best bet is to bring Bellator over, there doing great numbers on MTV2 a channel no one watches and could easily step in and bring in similar rating to UFC.

Pretty much boxing is so thin in terms of the stars they do have that they can't afford to really give away anything like UFC can as people care about UFC the brand as a whole. Boxing has one money fight left and it may not ever happen due to being stubborn which is another negative about boxing which is the fact there is just too much diva attitudes when it comes to boxing for anything good to ever happen. So unless they can somehow talk a big name or even a someone who is a has been to do a fight on the network there is no chance of anybody to care. Best they would get from Mayweather was to follow him around counting his money