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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The UFC saw a shakeup in viewership in 2012, moving off of their longtime home of Spike TV and moving to Fox cable outlets FX and Fuel TV. Now, after trying to inform viewers about where they're programming can be found, they'll face another shift later this year.
According to a report from the Sports Business Journal (via SportsMediaWatch.com), FX will no longer be carrying sports programming come this August, as the Fox-owned SPEED network will be rebranded into Fox Sports 1, and Fuel TV will be rebranded to Fox Sports 2.
The UFC isn't the only sports entity affected by the change, as FX will not be carrying sports programming of any kind, including college football, baseball, or NASCAR events as they have in the past.
Penick's Analysis: In the long run it will be a good thing, but it's again going to take time to acclimate viewers to a new network. Having"UFC on Fox Sports 1" or "UFC on Fox Sports 2" will be a better branding than being on FX and Fuel TV, but that doesn't mean they'll be bringing in even similar viewership as they are now on FX out of the gate. Once they can educate fans on where to find their programming again, things will come around, but there will be another growing pains period before that happens. Still, they're a big part of Fox's plans this year and beyond, so it's just a matter of patience for now.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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