Dana White claims Power Slap League viewership is at par with NBA, reveals social media numbers
Despite the mounting public condemnation, UFC President Dana White has been staunch in defending his latest endeavor, Power Slap League. Criticism has been leveled at the slap-fighting league for its brutality, low pay, and rapidly declining viewership.
The announcement of All Elite Wrestling's (AEW) All Access has fueled suspicions that White's current endeavor will be discontinued on television. Nonetheless, Dana White has bolstered his efforts to defend the Power Slap League's viewership ratings, asserting that it is equivalent to that of the NBA (The National Basketball Association).
Speaking with Robbie Fox in a recent interview, Dana White stated:
"It has been pretty good actually. We are going into our sixth episode here.... I mean, the numbers have been off the charts for us. Over a billion views on social media. On Instagram alone, it's doing 38.5 million views a week... and on TikTok alone we are at almost a billion. Rumble had the international rights for it and those numbers are up around 10 million views"
Touching upon whether the Power Slap League has exceeded his expectations, White added:
"There was one night where we went head-to-head with the NBA and that game was when Kyrie [Irving] moved over to the Dallas Mavericks.... and played for Dallas against the Clippers. They did 5,70,000 viewers. We did like 3,17,000 viewers on our fourth episode. They [NBA] promoted the sh*t out of that game [and] we got no promotion."
Catch White's comments below:
Sean O'Malley outlines the lasting health impact that competitors in Dana White's Power Slap League might face
Dana White's Power Slap League has received mixed reactions from fight fans. A number of people have voiced their displeasure with the new format, while others seem to have developed a liking for it.
Dr. Bennet Omalu, a leading CTE specialist, has deemed the sport extremely dangerous due to the potential for lifelong brain damage. According to Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD, a medical consultant for the Health Reporter, it can potentially cause hearing loss, vision loss, or blindness. In addition, slap-fighting can have negative effects on mental health, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
How is the Power Slap League okay? https://t.co/8IZVtkbeai
Taking all of this into account, Sean O'Malley explained on his YouTube channel why he doesn't enjoy watching Power Slap League:
“It’s weird because some people just love it. I could see maybe watching the TV series part of it like The Ultimate Fighter, like them at the house, meeting them, seeing their back stories. But the actual ‘sport,’ whatever you wanna call it, itself, I can’t watch. I cannot watch it. I don’t know if it’s I can’t watch it, because I understand what concussions are. I understand [that] I’ve been through them. I know how bad it is to do that to your brain. … I can’t even see it.”
Check out the full video below: