MMA Payout has learned that last night’s episode of TUF received an average viewership of 672,000 viewers. It reflects a drop of more than 50,000 viewers from the previous week.
TUF 18 Episodes
Episode 1: 762,000 viewers
Episode 2: 870,000 viewers
Episode 3: 639,000 viewers
Episode 4: 778,000 viewers
Episode 5: 640,000 viewers
Episode 6: 725,000 viewers
Episode 7: 672,000 viewers
Payout Perspective:
It appears that this season of TUF is receiving much more of a ratings bump in the DVR +3 ratings based on the strong West Coast viewership according to The Wrestling Observer (subscription recommended). As pointed out by the Observer, episode 5 which had an overnight rating of 640,000 viewers picked up 308,000 additional viewers which is a 48% gain. As many have discovered, there is a correlation between the bump in ratings based on whether there is a male fight versus a female fight with the females getting more viewers.
I actually prefer the female fights because they are more meaningful. I quit trying to guess which of the 1 if any fighter on the show is worth a damn to pay attention to. So I just stopped caring. But there is a need for depth in the female division so most of these will cross over to the UFC and mean something. That said I hope the UFC doesn’t try to do a all female TUF. As much as I refer the female fights this season. I would not tune it for a Estrogen fest. I don’t think they would do something so stupid. Maybe down the road when the female division is established they can tell a female TUF to Lifetime or We networks. Not now and not on Fox Sports.
According to TV By Numbers, TUF did a 0.4 rating.
I agree with brainsmasher.