MMA Payout has learned from a Nielsen source the ratings from Wednesday night of UFC programming. Notably, the debut of TUF scored just an overnight average of 595,000 viewers.
Preceding TUF was the UFC TUF Nations Finale from Quebec City. The Prelims which started at 2pmPT/4pmET received a viewership of 263,000 viewers whereas the main card starting at 4pmPT/7pmET received 641,000 viewers.
TUF Nations Finale (April 2014) FS1
TUF Nations (prelims) 263,000 viewers
TUF Nations (main card) 641,000 viewers
TUF Finale 18 (December 2013) FS1
TUF 18 Finale (prelims): 938,000 viewers
TUF 18 Finale (main card): 1,129,000 viewers
TUF Finale 17 (August 2013) FX
TUF 17 (main card): 1.7 million
TUF Finale 16 (December 2012) FX
TUF 16 (prelims on Fuel TV) 104,000
TUF 16 (main card): 1.3 million
According to a Fox source, the main event of the TUF Finale was the most watched program on FS1 on Wednesday.
The two hour season debut of TUF 19 featuring coaches Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn drew only 595,000 viewers although the show was delayed until 7:19pm/10:19pm for the TUF Finale overrun.
TUF 18’s season average was at 639,000 viewers in its first season on FS1. Notably, TUF 17: Jones v. Sonnen scored an average of 1.2M in its last season on FX.
Payout Perspective:
First TUF featured the 2 hour debut with fights to get in the house. I always find this an entertaining episode although ratings do not show it. It may be MMA fatigue as FS1 had 7 hours of UFC (more if you watched on Fight Pass and then watched the 1 hour special on an MMA fighter after). As previously noted Fox Sports execs are looking at the TUF franchised differently when evaluating ratings. Last year it noted same day viewership was down 22 percent last season which featured Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate. Live +7 was down only 10 percent but increased in viewership in the male demos of 18-49 and 25-54. We’ll try to keep track of the reruns and compare how it does during different time slots. Yet, the opening night numbers have to be a little disappointing.
Some odds and ends from TUF 19:
-Will Dana wear different MMA web site’s shirt each episode? Last night was Fightland.
-Bellator champ doesn’t even get into the house and then is buried. Ouch.
-Too bad the guy with the Polar Bear ears didn’t make it into the house. He would have been interesting to watch.
As for the ratings from TUF Nations, Wednesday nights may not be the night for these events. It will be interesting to see if FS1 considers Sundays for TUF when it is not carrying MLB or NASCAR. Wednesday had a number of good matchups and notable names on the card but the ratings did not reflect this despite being the most watched show on FS1.
Not sure if the over run will help or hurt these numbers for TUF. The lead in was the finale which averaged 600K plus. But the main event fight had to have ended with 750-800K viewers. Which means a lot of people left and didn’t stay for TUF. So that could suggest the numbers have have kept falling or there would be more of a lower number to average in. BUt then again the end of shows usually gain some viewers. So who knows. I don’t expect the ratings to move much once the numbers are adjusted.
Question. Does the TUF ratings include the last 19 minutes of the higher rated Finale? Not sure if those ratings are for the hour or just from when TUF started to the end of the hour. That could really inflate the ratings.
I think Fight Pass should have a reality show based just on the polar bear guy! Quiet the character lol
Wooow, agaaaaaaaaaaaain I’m goin nuts as to why they would put TUF immediately following five-plus hours of preceding UFC action. Who are these LITERALLY retarded Fox/UFC execs who continue to LITERALLY be retarded? PUT it on ANOTHER night… WHAT do you have to lose? The ratings possibly can’t get worse.
I don’t think that is an issue. Having that earlier program helped their numbers. Any other day doesn’t have enough viewers on FS1. This TUF isn’t bring in people in hoards. But with a live event it did get to go on the air with over 700K people tuned in. The problem is some of those people left. Which means without that lead in bring people to the channel. Even less would have tuned in. The Finale of a Non USA TUF isn’t an ideal lead in. But it is better than nothing. A Fight Night event would have been better. But the fact that the first TUF episode is 2 hours long. Makes using any live event a long night of fights. No lead in at all would be devastating to a TUF that doesn’t have the appeal it used it. Without the lead in I would bet it would have scored a450-500K viewers with a chance of worse.
There’s a bunch of former Bellator guys aren’t there? Lyman Good is well past his prime. It’s not like he went straight from being a Bellator champ to getting dumped from the TUF house.
As long as Fox is happy, I guess the ratings don’t matter.
Lyman Good hasn’t been a Bellator champ since 2010. He was the first welterweight champion in Bellator ever, winning the belt in June 2009. Bellator didn’t start putting on events until April 2009. He beat some random guy in the tournament to get the belt.
Lyman Good losing in TUF means nothing for Bellator and just shows how scared the UFC and Dana is of Bellator. He doesn’t mention any other organization because no others are on the radar. Bellator has clearly made a mark to get such open venom on TUF.
How many former UFC champs have gone on to get beat by nobodies in other organizations? There have been many, but nobody claims that means UFC fighters in general suck.
@BS
Well, how about at least TRYING another night? You can’t make these broad/apologetic assumptions without at least TRYING for the first time in a long time.