The Premier Boxing Champions series hit a primetime network TV low over the weekend.
The fifth primetime edition of the PBC on NBC drew a 1.1 final rating and 1.8 million viewers on NBC last Saturday night, down 21% in ratings and 17% in viewership from the fourth such telecast in September (1.4, 2.2M) and down 27% and 22%, respectively, from the third telecast in June (1.5, 2.3M).
Ratings and viewership rank as the lowest for primetime fighting on broadcast television since before 2008 (26 telecasts), falling below the four previous PBC on NBC telecasts, all 16 editions of the UFC on FOX, and every Elite XC and Strikeforce card on CBS.
Coverage was trounced head-to-head by the Heisman Trophy Presentation on ESPN (1.9, 3.1M), but edged the premiere of ESPN’s 30 For 30 documentary Four Falls of Buffalo (1.0, 1.5M).
Saturday’s telecast had a 0.4 rating among among adults 18-49, down a third from September (0.6) and down 43% from June (0.7). Since debuting in March with a 2.1 rating, 3.4 million viewers and a 1.1 in the demo, each successive primetime edition of the PBC on NBC has declined.
(Sat. numbers via TV Media Insights)
