As expected, last Saturday’s UFC on Fox event’s final ratings ended up higher than the original overnight estimates. The event ended up having 4.7 million viewers on average, and as reported earlier it dominated the younger demographic. In fact, the UFC’s rating for adults 18-49 almost beat that of the other three major networks (NBC, ABC, CBS) combined on Saturday night. Another positive note is the event’s rather lackluster fights didn’t dissuade fans, as the number of viewers continued to increase as the broadcast progressed, peaking at 6 million for the Rashad Evans-Phil Davis main event.
In fact, the UFC did so well its ratings are virtually identical to Sunday’s big NBA matchup on ABC which pitted the Chicago Bulls vs the Miami Heat. For ages 18-34, the NBA beat the UFC by 4%; for 18-49 it was a tie; and for 25-54 the UFC won by 4%. Very good news for the UFC in their bid to go “mainstream”.
And for interest sake, the five markets that drew the most viewers were the following, in order: Las Vegas, Louisville, Indianapolis, Greenville, with Tulsa and Knoxville tied for fifth.
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