Spike TV Decided Not to Air UFC 72
Apparently the decision to make UFC 72 a PPV event as opposed to free was Spike’s decision. Here’s an email a member on the Sherdog forums received from Spike regarding the change:
Thanks for your email. SpikeTV has chosen not to carry this fight. It will be shown on PPV as well as UFC on Demand.
Thanks again,
Customer Service
Zuffa, LLC
Although the response in not entirely surprising there are two likely reasons for Spike pulling the plug. The first and most likely is that Spike’s licenses to carry the event were too much money when compared to the expeted viewership they were going to receive. UFC 70, arguably the most stacked free UFC card in histroy, was just the 5th best event even on Spike being topped by TUF 1’s live finale , TUF 2’s live finale, TUF 3’s live finale, and The Final Chapter with Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock. The other possibility is that Spike simply wasn’t all that impressed with the card that has shaped up including a recently changed main event of Yushin Okami vs. Rich Franklin.
More to come if/when the UFC makes an official announcement. In the meantime catch the most up to date UFC 72 information in our UFC rumors section.
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The UFC’s meteoric rise is showing small signs of turbulence.
- TUF fighter ratings are down.
- Spike chooses not to air a UFC event with weak fight card
- HBO president (or is it ceo) steps down. He was the one who championed for UFC against the strong objections of the sports department. What happens now that he’s gone?
I agree that these are like speedbumps. They might slow the sport down a little but it was going so fast it was going to come eventually. To address some of what you said. TUF ratings are down because the show is the same old, same old this season. The UFC needs to get creative for season 6 or an indefinate hiatus might be in store for the series.
As far as Spike declining to air because of the card, that is speculation at this point. We’ll see what happens with it. And with regards to HBO I just don’t know. I have a feeling the UFC is going to be relentless and HBO is going to see the good UFC can provide the company and the deal will still work out. I haven’t written a story on his departure because there it doesn’t affect the UFC all that much, at least for now.
[...] other thread about the same thing. Edit: The link is in the Rumor section but still makes sense: Spike TV Decided Not to Air UFC 72 | UFC Daily Last edited by IcemanCometh : Today at 03:49 [...]