Versus’ UFC Countdown
Jake Rossen Feb 26, 2010
It should be obvious by now that both Zuffa and Versus see their
March 21 debut of a UFC event on the channel as a lighthouse for
the World Extreme Cagefighting brand. If fans tune in for a brand
they recognize and trust, they might stick around for more MMA
programming on the same channel.
According to MMAJunkie.com, Versus will be airing a countdown show special March 6, similar in content and tone to the Spike barker shows that normally precede pay per views. That Zuffa is making this effort and expense for a free cable show is a fairly significant indication they see “UFC on Versus 1” as a crucial appeal to bolster the sister brand. Why they rarely provide the same support for the actual WEC shows is stranger thinking: a preview show for the first Jens Pulver/Urijah Faber fight helped that broadcast draw an impressive 1.5 million viewers.
The WEC is a strong and consistently entertaining brand, but sporadic promotion is not doing them many favors. Instead of a UFC barker -- a brand that needs little help -- why aren’t we seeing a Countdown to the Brian Bowles/Dominick Cruzfight that same night?
According to MMAJunkie.com, Versus will be airing a countdown show special March 6, similar in content and tone to the Spike barker shows that normally precede pay per views. That Zuffa is making this effort and expense for a free cable show is a fairly significant indication they see “UFC on Versus 1” as a crucial appeal to bolster the sister brand. Why they rarely provide the same support for the actual WEC shows is stranger thinking: a preview show for the first Jens Pulver/Urijah Faber fight helped that broadcast draw an impressive 1.5 million viewers.
The WEC is a strong and consistently entertaining brand, but sporadic promotion is not doing them many favors. Instead of a UFC barker -- a brand that needs little help -- why aren’t we seeing a Countdown to the Brian Bowles/Dominick Cruzfight that same night?
