The third episode of the UFC's new weekly news show, "UFC Tonight," drew a series-record 61,000 viewers to the FOX-owned FUEL TV.
MMAjunkie.com (
UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) recently learned of the figures through an industry source.
The new benchmark is more than the previous two episodes' viewership combined and also marks a 281 percent increase in viewership from the same timeslot in the previous year, according to FUEL TV officials.
The Jan. 3 series debut of "UFC Tonight" scored 39,000 viewers, and the following week's broadcast scored 20,000 viewers.
Though the UFC's numbers on FUEL TV mark a steep decline from the figures the company was used to garnering on Spike TV, UFC and FUEL TV officials caution that the entire cable channel is still a work in progress. After all, FUEL TV averaged just 15,000 viewers in 2011. However, with the UFC's recent move from Spike TV to FUEL TV, the channel has become the hub for UFC programming.
In 2011, FUEL TV was cable's lowest-rated channel. However, thanks largely to the UFC's new partnership with the channel, which airs live fights and an array of other UFC programming, FUEL TV has expanded from a meager 30 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.)
Whille the growth process has proved problematic for some hardcore UFC fans who don't have FUEL TV in their programming lineup, the cable channel has seen an immediate impact in its viewership. According to FUEL TV officials, the channel has seen a 56 percent gain in total viewers over the first two weeks of 2011 and a 75 percent increase in viewers in the coveted male 18-49 demographic.
Former WEC broadcaster Todd Harris and UFC fighter Kenny Florian host "UFC Tonight," and journalists Jay Glazer and Ariel Helwani are contributors. "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.
