UFC
TUF 13: Team Lesnar vs. Team Dos Santos ratings disappoint again, episode two down to 1.2 million viewers [UPDATED]
Apr 8, 2011 - 8:45:07 AM TUF 13: Team Lesnar vs. Team Dos Santos ratings disappoint again, episode two down to 1.2 million viewers [UPDATED]

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The Ultimate Fighter 13 continues to disappoint from a ratings standpoint, as episode two on Wednesday night drew an average of only 1.2 million viewers to Spike TV.

The network revealed the numbers on Thursday.

The second episode, which featured coach Brock Lesnar's team getting their first win from Chris Cope in a decision over Team Dos Santos' Javier Torres, was down from last week's debut, which brought in 1.5 million viewers.

In Spike TV's key demographics, the show drew a 1.13 rating for men 18-49, while it drew a 1.4 rating for men 18-34. Overall it brought in another 1.0 household rating.

Penick's Analysis: There's no spinning this number in a positive light. For what the UFC ultimately needed to pay Lesnar to bring him on the show and the expectations his name and status as a pay-per-view draw brought, this is far below what they should be getting. The timeslot change, which now pits the show against Fox's American Idol behemoth among other things, is a definite factor, and two boring fights to kick off the season haven't helped things either. Lesnar's mystique may be all surrounding his fights and not him as a person outside of the cage, and that may be affecting the interest some have on that front. Regardless, this is not a good trend for the UFC for this season needs to pick up for them quickly.

UPDATE: I've gotten several emails from our readers stating that the TV listings for this week's episode were incorrect, stating that old episodes from previous seasons were on the schedule, causing their DVR's to not record the show and making them catch the replay later. If that's a widespread issue with Spike and cable/satellite systems having the wrong listing that could have played a major factor in such a low number as well.