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WWE's "Tough Enough" ratings down; higher than TUF

4K views 23 replies 15 participants last post by  Alex_DeLarge_V2 
#1 ·
WWE Tough Enough ratings down

April 13, 2011

Television by Numbers reports WWE’s reality series Tough Enough ratings grabbed 2.785 million viewers. The numbers show a decrease from last week’s debut.

Tough Enough scored a rating 0f .9 for adults 18-49.

In this week’s episode, Stone Cold Steve Austin eliminated indy wrestler Matt (aka M-Dogg 20 of CZW fame) for not having charisma and lack of wrestling ability (check you tube to see some of his moves). Its apparent that Miss USA will be one of the last competitors on the show to maintain ratings. So, yes, perhaps pro wrestling is fixed. It was also interesting that Austin started to use the nickname “MMA” for former mixed martial artist Jeremiah Riggs.

Bloody Elbow argues what makes TE better than TUF is Steve Austin:

One of the main reasons for this is Austin himself. As someone who grew up watching during the peak of the “Austin Era,” he has been and always will be one of my favorites. Maybe that has something to do with my love for Tough Enough. At the same time, though, I’m also a big fan of Lesnar’s antics and it just hasn’t translated like I thought it would. One of the best things about Tough Enough is the final 10 minutes of each show where Austin corrals the bottom three contestants in the ring and eliminates one of them, but not before grilling them with questions.
Payout Perspective:

TUF isn’t the only reality show that is experiencing down ratings. The strong numbers for the season premiere of TE were aided by Monday Night Raw and the momentum of Wrestlemania. Still, TE attracts more viewers than TUF. This week, we’ll see what UFC Primetime will do to assist, if anything, TUF ratings.
http://mmapayout.com/2011/04/wwe-tough-enough-ratings-down/



When I saw this show advertised I couldn't believe it. Such a blatantly stolen concept and seems so half-assed.


For comparison these are the ratings for TUF:

The season debut of “The Ultimate Fighter 13: Team Lesnar vs. Team Dos Santos” scored a 1.0 household rating and 1.5 million viewers.
http://www.mmaconvert.com/2011/03/31/brock-lesnar-fails-to-give-tuf-13-a-ratings-boost/
 
#2 ·
Stolen?

Tough Enough came way before TUF.


That said, Tough Enough was pretty interesting when I watched it.

It's basically like a reality tv show. They are sports entertainers so you know theres tons of drama, plus they have that hot Miss America girl on and lots of big stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock came in a special guest.

This season of TUF blows complete chunks. And I blame the retarded ass scouts for their beyond retarded method of picking fighters.

The way the whole thing is set up, no one except poor man's versions of Forrest Griffin can get in. They all suck shit..and the one guy that would've been worth watching, Myles Jury got injured on Day 1.
 
#3 ·
People don't realize it, but pro wrestling is still very popular. It just now has a different audience than it used to. In my opinion at least, there is a reason that the WWE has devolved to PG ratings, and that's because the audience that used to watch WWE during the "Attitude Era" has gravitated towards the UFC and MMA. Vinny Mac saw this coming and sought a new audience. It's no wonder Dana White has a lot of respect for Vince, he has a powerful business accumen and is extremely wise and savvy in the market.

Steve Austin is still very much a nationally known individual, arguably more than Lesnar. He's been in multiple movies such as the Expendables, and was the face of the WWE/F during it's peak. The UFC still has a selected audience, though it's growing by the day. If you ask the average person on the street, most people have no idea who Georges St. Pierre or Anderson Silva is, but just about everyone knows who Steve Austin is. Austin has had much more national exposure than Lesnar, so it's natural that he would be a larger draw.

Thanks for the article :)
 
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#5 · (Edited)
Are you saying the concept is stolen from the ultimate fighter? I believe this show came on the air years before TUF. Besides, this is reality TV. Ideas always get "stolen" from other shows. Im sure the UFC did the same thing when they developed TUF, but instead they obviously implemented MMA into the framework.

The WWE is a ratings juggernaut compared to anything the UFC does on network TV. Keep in mind these guys do weekly live shows and pull in 5 million people each show. Tough Enough is going to beat TUF each time!

I watched the show last week and was entertaining. TUF is the same thing over and over again each season so it's not as entertaining to watch. I wonder what the ratings are for the final 20 minutes of TUF since that's when the fights are on? That's the only thing that interest me during the show. Never liked the crap the dudes pull on each other while they are in the house.
 
#6 ·
Here I was thinking it was a new show, could have sworn they said it was a series premiere, my bad.



I too would like to know the peak ratings for when the fights are on. Kimbo vs Nelson was an insane draw but I haven't heard them give us numbers for just the fights alone since.



Ari that's a good theory, never thought about that. I was wondering why they wouldn't try to counter TUF by airing Tough Enough at the same time. But I guess it's because McMahon is trying to co-exist rather than compete.
 
#8 ·
They did call it a series premier... but it was more like a remake of a 20 year old movie where they just use the single name as a title rather than deem it a sequel.

But I believe Tough Enough actually ran for at least two seasons, maybe three in the early 2000s.

I was watching Wrestling pretty regularly back then and Josh Mathews who is currently a WWE commentator was actually in the final three men of the first season. The guy who one, and the girl who one, as well as the other man finalist are all long since gone.
 
#7 ·
I am not shocked by this at all.. even though I have never seen this tough enough show in my life.

The first episode of the new TUF was soo bad, that I stopped watching this season. I have seen it already a dozen times.. Spike needs to get some new brains in there cause this show doesn't sell anymore.

People who know how to make TV for example.


Just for example, this "show" needs a new enviorment!

Go out in the nature with these guys!:thumbsup:

And stop casting American can's would be a good start!


They need to go World Wide otherwise this show will die out..
 
#10 ·
I lost interest when Jury went out, I thought he would out-class everyone on the show and was a decent prospect. I'm a big fan of Junior and Brock so I'm still watching it.

What they need to do is get actual prospects on there, Jon Jones, Rory MacDonald, Charles Oliveria, those kind of guys, that's what TUF is all about.

The last good season was the Heavyweight one, it got a lot of flack due to bad fights but it produced some alright guys, Nelson, Schaub, Madsen, Mitrione are all in the UFC now.
 
#15 ·
Tyrone Woodley tried out a few years ago too.

Obviously they know how to get prospects, they're just not putting them on TUF, maybe a Strikeforce TUF would be in the works one day, or maybe it's time a comeback edition, something needs to change though.

Bisping/Sonnen coaching though would be the quick fix, people love good trash talking and they'd sure get it with those two.
 
#21 ·
Exactly. Look back at the early seasons when the UFC was paying to air the show and had control. Its not a coincidence that the fighters from the early seasons have been more successful.
 
#19 ·
back to TE, i did watch the first season back when it was on Mtv, and Daniel Puder was on it, was awesome watching him go on Smackdown and chalenge Kurt Angle. Angle got a takedown and Puder slapped on a wicked Kimura and was about to snap his arm when the ref realised it and did a quick 3 count declaring Angle the winner. awesome times. i know Daniel Puder logs on here now and again, hope hes sees this, that was awesome Daniel!!!! :thumb02:
 
#20 ·
Its more popular for a pretty basic reason among the uneducated (in the sport) masses.

The guys on Tough Enough look like action figures. (Also Austin is an icon in "Sports Entertainment")

This season, the guys on TUF look like those whom the action figures save.
 
#22 ·
Its not a huge surprise i mean WWE and Fake Wrestling in general is more well known and add the fact that Steve Austin is a host of some sort you have a winner.

In all honesty i think TUF is corny enough as it is , but if they want more Ratings they need to go more cheesy and bring in some famous people. For example The Contender a boxing equivalent of TUF had Sylvester Stallone , Ray Leonard and had movie stars come to the events.
 
#23 ·
Brings up an interesting point. They're bringing in guys like Aldo, Hughes, Shogun, etc guys who are a really big deal to us enthusiasts but a casual fan isn't tuning in just for those guys. But us enthusiasts are feeling alienated because the selection process, the drama, the lack of quality fights etc.


They're trying to appeal to both crowds but it seems like they're failing at both.
 
#24 ·
They are both equally as entertaining. I don't even watch wrestling, but it's not like Tough Enough is a scripted wrestling show like RAW or Smackdown. It's about people trying to make it into the WWE...and before you trash it because it's incorporated with professional wrestling, the people on Tough Enough are sacrificing their bodies a hell of a lot more than the guys on The Ultimate Fighter. I don't watch pro wrestling, but when people trash it for being "fake", they're really being ignorant and fickle about it. Yes, it's tacky, yes, a lot of white trash watch it, yes, it's guys in tights that have gimmicks, but being a professional wrestler is not only more agonizing to the body than ultimate fighting, but it takes far more dedication (comparatively) and even risk.
 
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