After three successful broadcasts in 2009, Spike TV officials today announced the cable station will air a total of 10 preliminary-card specials prior to UFC pay-per-view events in 2010.
The one-hour specials, now dubbed "UFC Prelim," feature between two and four bouts from the un-aired preliminary cards of each pay-per-view event.
As MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com) first reported last week, Spike TV will air a UFC 108 teaser on Jan. 2, and Spike TV officials also confirmed the station will air a UFC 109 teaser on Feb. 6.
The remaining eight broadcast specials will be announced at a later date.
The UFC first offered a PPV teaser broadcast in September for UFC 103, when the UFC went head-to-head with a boxing PPV broadcast featuring Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez. The Spike TV slots are usually reserved for fighters who appeared on "The Ultimate Fighter 10," other Spike TV-televised events, and those who traditionally end fights early (due to time constraints).
Since the original UFC 103 special, the three "UFC Prelim" broadcasts have averaged between 1.3 and 1.4 million viewers. The ratings, of course, pale in comparison to those Spike TV garners for full-event broadcasts, such as UFC Fight Night and The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale airings, but they lead to an increase in PPV buys on the night of the event, which is the UFC's primary revenue generator.
As recently as last month, UFC president Dana White would not confirm if the specials would be a regular occurrence and instead said the decision would be made on a case-for-base basis. Today's announcement, though, means they'll become a regular offering and provide more free MMA to fight fans.
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