MMA Payout has learned that UFC Fight Night 30 airing on Fox Sports 2 received a viewer average of 122,000 viewers. The show aired live from Manchester, England and aired in the states in the afternoon.
UFC Fight Nights on FS1
UFC Fight Night 26: 1.78 million viewers
UFC Fight Night 27: 824,000 viewers
UFC Fight Night 28: 539,000 viewers
UFC Fight Night 29: 638,000 viewers
Payout Perspective:
This was the first UFC Fight Night on FS2. It’s obvious that the switch to FS2 hurt the ratings and coupled with the mid-day start a low rating was bound to happen. UFC/Fox was likely hoping for a better return on the rerun later in the day (we are working on obtaining that number). As it is, the WSOF event on NBC Sports actually had more viewers than the UFC with an average of 161,000 viewers on Saturday night.
But these numbers should at least be combined with the evening replay. That probably puts it at around 200k.
I caught the last 2 fights of the live broadcast and then watched the replay. I would guess the replay did 220,000- 240,000 range.
Kinda as expected. Does it even make sense to continue with events on FS2 like that? For UFC, these are abysmal numbers. They should have 4x FS2 events next year, but with the numbers like that… I don’t know if they should stick to that plan or reconsider it (as they did immediately with prelims on FS2).
Caidel
You have to realize that these events are small show events used to tap into small markets. If not for being aired on FS2 the events wouldnt be aired at all. They also want to grow the network. With the UFC breaking into new countries these events have to happen. Low ratings or not I think People are happy to see them.
Would be interesting to know how this faired in the “target market.” How many viewers in the UK, or even Europe, watched this?
UFC is pulling fuel TV numbers again LOL!
Good question Leon. These events will always draw poorly on FS2 given the channel’s poor distribution and the events’ start times, but they’re not being put on to draw in the US in the first place.
DocOc obviously they are drawing Fuel TV numbers on a channel that WAS Fuel TV until August, what makes you think Fox Sports 2 would be in more homes or have more viewers?
Fox Sports 1 has other stuff they can air on Saturdays that do quite well, they don’t have the space on Saturday’s to put on European or Asian cards.
FS2 = Fuel. Doesn’t matter how you rebrand it. It’s not in HD, and no one knows what the hell they show. Just call it Fox El Ocho and be done with it.
@Machiel Van, @LeonThePro:
The events that air live in the UK from the US air at like 2 or 3AM. They typically pull in numbers around 20K-50K. I would expect them to improve since this event was actually in the UK, but not anywhere near a million.
@ Jose
I’m not sure I follow you. If UFC FN 30 aired live @ 2 pm EST that means it would’ve been 6 pm in London, UK. So they would air live in local time, at prime time (ish).
I was referring to the number of people who watched this at 6 pm GMT (London) time, who reside in the UK.
I would guess that it’s a lot more than 50k, especially since it’s a local event (more hype). Would it be over 1 M or is that reaching?
Nothing on BT Sports has ever did a million viewers, the EPL does about 400,000-800,000 a week for their one game they show and that’s the most watched thing by a mile.
BT Sport is a subscription channel, you can get it “free” if you have the top Virgin TV package or subscribe to BT Broadband, otherwise it’s £12 a month or £3 extra for HD.
The good thing about BT Sports is they actually promote it elsewhere, and have more UFC shoulder programming at reasonable times, ESPN just put it on live, the bad thing about it is we are stuck with more Gareth A Davies.
@Leon: Listen to cutch. They are not going to do millions. If anything it will be like Fuel TV numbers here.. probably around 100K-300K for UK events. Events from US get like 20K-50K, so yeah.
The UK “only” has 60 million people which is quite a lot for a country that is smaller than Texas but that’s still only 20% of the population of the US, so ratings will not be as large.
It should in theory help ratings all across Europe (and Africa) as there is only like an hour or two time difference across Europe (when not counting Russia)
Shit so if you add FS2 live + FS2 rerun + UK channel your only looking at 500k viewers? Not much… Makes you wonder.
Diego,
This event was broadcast in primetime in the UK (hence the early start time stateside).
Whoops, meant Jose.