Despite facing the NFL on an atypically competitive Saturday before Christmas, the UFC on FOX eked out a slight increase in viewership.
UFC on FOX 17 drew a 1.6 final rating and 2.8 million viewers Saturday night, flat in ratings and up less than one percent in viewership from last year (2.78M to 2.77M), but down a tick (1.7 to 1.6) and 2% (2.84M to 2.77M), respectively, from 2013. Compared to the previous UFC telecast on FOX in July, ratings dropped a tick but viewership increased by 1% (2.78M to 2.76M).
The past three UFC on FOX telecasts have now posted a year-over-year increase in viewership, after eight of the previous ten declined.
Though basically on par with previous telecasts, UFC on FOX 17 was an impressive draw considering the competition — a Jets/Cowboys NFL game on NFL Network (4.3, 7.4M). Last year’s December card faced only the Heisman Trophy Presentation on ESPN (2.0, 3.2M).
In addition to the NFL, Saturday’s telecast also aired opposite a Democratic presidential primary debate on ABC (4.9, 8.0M) and the New Orleans Bowl on ESPN (0.9, 1.4M). Those events likely had far less impact on the numbers.
Compared to a primetime Premier Boxing Champions card on NBC the previous week, UFC on FOX came out ahead by 46% in ratings (1.6 to 1.1), 53% in viewership (2.8M to 1.8M) and a whopping 175% among adults 18-49 (1.1 to 0.4).
(Sat. numbers via TV Media Insights)
