Bellator 138: Kimbo Slice vs Ken Shamrock fight draws record numbers, sets Spike TV record
Ken Shamrock vs. Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson produced record ratings for Bellator MMA, Spike TV today announced.The catchweight bout, which headlined this past Friday’s event at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, drew 2.1 million viewers in its timeslot of 11:45 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. ET/PT, the network said in a press release. In an unexpectedly back-and-forth fight, Shamrock nearly pulled off a submission finish before Slice rallied to earn a first-round TKO. An average of 1.6 million tuned into the main-card broadcast, according to the release.Previously, the viewership record for the Viacom-owned promotion was 1.8 million live viewers, set by this past November’s Bellator 131 headliner between Tito Ortiz and Stephan Bonnar. An average of 1.2 million tuned in overall.
Nevertheless, the fight was declared the most watched MMA fight on cable since January, when Irish featherweight Conor McGregor fought Dennis Siver at UFC Fight 59, drawing a peak viewership of 3.162 for the main event on an average of 2.75 million viewers.Spike TV also touted Shamrock vs. Slice’s demographics and social media reach, declaring victory over its competition, the U.S. Open golf tournament, in the key demo of 18-49.