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It's actually smaller than it was in the last decade. MMA completely died in Japan where once upon a time they could draw 40 million viewers and fill 70k seat stadiums. MMA was brought onto Channel 5 in the UK but got cancelled due to horrible ratings. The UFC went from averaging 200-400k viewers on Bravo, then to 100k viewers on ESPN UK, and now they average 30k viewers on BT sports 2. Gates have declined. PPV numbers are shrinking. The UFC was averaging 1.5 million viewers with TUF and their prelims, now they're lucky to hit 500k.
Their so-called triumphant move to FOX exposed how small they really are. They went out their saying that from now on they will be pulling NFL size ratings and TUF would be averaging 3 million viewers on FX. Didn't happen. Instead their grandios events on FOX wound up getting beaten by re-runs of COPS, the Simpsons and Frosty the Snowman. Kimbo's fight on NBC averaged over 6 million viewers over 5 years ago, yet the UFC's big debut couldn't even match that. Their ratings in 2013 have been no better than those of Elite XC's when they made the network jump.
Fedor pulled almost 4 million viewers fighting a no name on CBS back in 2009. Yet the UFC, MMA's apparent major league, could only pull over 2 million viewers last time on FOX.
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/200...-on-cbs/32941/
But the fight was more interesting than the ratings which were not through the roof (though on par with previous MMA bouts that CBS has aired, like the one with Kimbo-Slice), keeping in mind that the post 11pm portion I haven't seen yet will be higher, from 9p-11pm it averaged 3.79 million and a 1.7/6 rating share with adults 18-49. It did win the 10pm-11pm hour with adults 18-49 and had better results with men 18-34 where it won every half hour
So if MMA was doing better ratings on CBS in 2009 then how exactly are the UFC's suffering ratings on FOX a sign of growth? Do note those Fedor ratings in 2009 weren't even considered impressive ... yet the UFC is doing worse today.
Their so-called triumphant move to FOX exposed how small they really are. They went out their saying that from now on they will be pulling NFL size ratings and TUF would be averaging 3 million viewers on FX. Didn't happen. Instead their grandios events on FOX wound up getting beaten by re-runs of COPS, the Simpsons and Frosty the Snowman. Kimbo's fight on NBC averaged over 6 million viewers over 5 years ago, yet the UFC's big debut couldn't even match that. Their ratings in 2013 have been no better than those of Elite XC's when they made the network jump.
Fedor pulled almost 4 million viewers fighting a no name on CBS back in 2009. Yet the UFC, MMA's apparent major league, could only pull over 2 million viewers last time on FOX.
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/200...-on-cbs/32941/
But the fight was more interesting than the ratings which were not through the roof (though on par with previous MMA bouts that CBS has aired, like the one with Kimbo-Slice), keeping in mind that the post 11pm portion I haven't seen yet will be higher, from 9p-11pm it averaged 3.79 million and a 1.7/6 rating share with adults 18-49. It did win the 10pm-11pm hour with adults 18-49 and had better results with men 18-34 where it won every half hour
So if MMA was doing better ratings on CBS in 2009 then how exactly are the UFC's suffering ratings on FOX a sign of growth? Do note those Fedor ratings in 2009 weren't even considered impressive ... yet the UFC is doing worse today.
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