'UFC Tonight' debuts with 39,000 Viewers

[No More Sorrow]

This week's series debut of "UFC Tonight" earned 39,000 viewers on FUEL TV, MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) today confirmed with industry sources.

That's nearly three times FUEL TV's usual audience size, which averaged approximately 15,000 viewers in 2011.

"UFC Tonight," the UFC's new weekly news and analysis show, debuted on the FOX-owned channel on Tuesday (Jan. 3) and featured the latest news, notes and highlights from MMA's biggest promotion.

Former WEC broadcaster Todd Harris and UFC fighter Kenny Florian host "UFC Tonight," and journalists Jay Glazer and Ariel Helwani are contributors. UFC fighter Chael Sonnen also hosts his own segment. UFC president Dana White was a guest on the debut episode.

"UFC Tonight" airs each Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT). If the ratings prove strong, officials have suggested new episodes could air more regularly.

In 2011, FUEL TV was cable's lowest-rated channel. However, thanks largely to the UFC's new partnership with the channel, which will air live fights and an array of other UFC programming, FUEL TV has expanded from a meager 25 million U.S. homes to approximately 36 million in just a matter of months. (By comparison, the UFC's former longtime home, Spike TV, is available in approximately 100 million.)

Still, FUEL TV remains a premium-subscription option on many cable platforms, and officials face an uphill battle in expanding the channel's reach. A well-produced "Countdown to UFC 141" special, for example, garnered just 15,000 viewers for its debut and 1,000 viewers for a subsequent replay – despite the Dec. 30 event being one of the UFC's biggest shows of 2011.

Nice to see a sharp incline in ratings.

 

[Troy]

Good debut if it got three times the FuelTV average. I can see this show doing really well in the future so UFC should continue to push it, it is going to be massive in a couple of years time. I wish they would show it overseas as well.

 

[No More Sorrow]

It's a pretty good show It has great highlights and interviews. Chael Sonnen getting his own segment on the show is great as well.

 

[Slim]

I just hope that they wind up moving it to FX instead of Fuel cause not everybody has Fuel... yeah I wanna see it

 

[No More Sorrow]

Yeah for a show like that i thought they would've had it on Fx because like you said not everybody has Fuel Tv, doesn't every cable and satellite provider have Fx?

 

[Troy]

What does Chael Sonnen do on the show? Does he host a wrestling segment where he shows how to execute a certain move?

I can't see them moving to FX, I think this deal is to also help get FuelTV onto more cable providers around the US and once it does it's ratings will continue to increase.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Segments called Chael's Corner and he just talks about random stuff, mainly talking shit about other fighters though.