UFC on FOX started the new year on a lower note. In other news, the Pegasus World Cup put up relatively good numbers on NBC, and the Winter X Games had a big jump on ESPN Friday night.
UFC on FOX Nears Low
- UFC on FOX 23 scored a 1.5 overnight rating on FOX Saturday night, down 12% from last year’s January card (1.7) and down 25% from January 2015 (2.0). Compared to the previous live UFC telecast on FOX, which took place last month, overnights fell 21% from a 1.9. Overall, the 1.5 is the third-lowest ever for a UFC telecast on the network.
Pegasus World Cup Solid For NBC
- The inaugural Pegasus World Cup horse race had a 1.2 overnight rating on NBC Saturday afternoon, the network’s top horse racing overnight outside of the Triple Crown or Breeders Cup since the 2015 Travers Stakes, which featured Triple Crown winner American Pharoah going down to defeat (1.3). Saturday’s race featured one-time Triple Crown hopeful California Chrome and last year’s Breeders Cup winner Arrogate.
Big Jump For X Games on Friday, With Bigger Caveat
- Night two of the Winter X Games delivered 828,000 viewers on ESPN Friday night, up 52% from last year (544K) but down 8% from 2015 (900K). Keep in mind last year’s telecast was abnormally low due to a twice-as-long run time and the lack of an NBA lead-in. In other X Games action, Sunday’s telecast on ABC had a 0.8 overnight, the same as last year but down a tick from 2015.
(Wknd. numbers via Sports Business Daily 1.30)
