Faber/Pulver Battle Makes VERSUS Most-Watched Among Key Male Demos
WEC ON JUNE 1, HEADLINED BY FABER/PULVER CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE, MAKES VERSUS MOST-WATCHED CABLE NET AMONG KEY MALE DEMOS
Fight was Highest-Rated and Most-Watched WEC on VERSUS Telecast Ever;
Epic Bout to Re-Air Wednesday, June 4, at 7 and 10 p.m. ET
Stamford, CONN. (June 3, 2008) — VERSUS, the network that celebrates real competition and the exclusive cable television home of World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), garnered a 1.4 HH rating and averaged 1,535,705 viewers (P2+) for its June 1 WEC telecast featuring the most-anticipated featherweight fight in history between WEC champion Urijah Faber and former UFC champion Jens Pulver. The fight lived up to the hype as Faber, in his epic homecoming bout, retained his title by unanimous decision after going five explosive rounds in the cage with Pulver.
Since the WEC debuted on VERSUS one-year ago, the June 1 telecast is the highest-rated and most-watched WEC on VERSUS telecast ever and the highest-rated and most-watched non-NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs / non-Tour de France telecast in network history (OLN/VS) among households, total viewers and key male demos. For the 9-11:45 p.m. ET time period, VERSUS was the most-watched cable network among Men 18-34 (534,385) and Men 18-49 (885,743). Additionally, the Faber vs. Pulver telecast was the third most-watched telecast in network history (OLN/VS) among Men 25-54 (773,267).
As compared to the average of the previous six live fights on VERSUS, the June 1 telecast is up 180 percent in HH rating (1.4 vs .5), viewership jumped 216 percent (1,535,705 vs 485,288) and viewership for key male demos showed dramatic increases which range between 222 and 336 percent. The June 1 HH rating is double the previous best WEC live telecast rating garnered on December 12 (1.4 vs .7) in which Urijah Faber choked out Jeff Curran in the second round in a title defense fight and Jens Pulver made his WEC debut.
In Sacramento, Faber’s hometown and the fight’s location, the telecast garnered a 2.7 HH rating, making VERSUS the #1 ranked cable network in the market for the 9-11:45 p.m. ET time period.
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good for them. i think WEC did a great job promoting this fight and they delivered with some great fights. the torres fight would’ve been enough for me to watch but the pulver/faber match was an instant classic. i’ve never been so happy to see something go 5 rounds cuz every second of that fight was watchable. luckily for the ufc, the wec is also owned by zuffa cuz they just became the only realistic threat out there.
Faber-Pulver was great even though pulver lost. And Torres just keeps getting more fun to watch(esp upkick)
from a sherdog post
group of investors led by Dana White have agreed in principle to purchase the UFC from Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta for an undisclosed amount. Included in this investment group is WWE’s Vince McMahon who will now own a minority stake in the company. They also have plans on taking the company public by years end.
At the press conference also expect Dana to announce that with the help of McMahon, who has extensive connections in the New York State Athletic Commission, they were able to get the UFC sanctioned in New York, and plan on having a show sometime in the winter at Madison Square Garden. That is all I have right now.