http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ufc-fox-4-prelims-drive-182808487--mma.html
UFC on Fox 4 Prelims Drive Fuel TV Ratings Success to New Heights
Fuel TV’s success as the flagship for UFC programming continued in August, as the network reported on Tuesday that it hit its highest peak audience ever, as well as had its most watched UFC Prelims broadcast ever, during the month.
The UFC on Fox 4 preliminary bouts, which aired on Fuel TV on Aug. 4, marked a high point of 328,000 total viewers during the 7:45 p.m. ET to 8:00 p.m. ET quarter hour, according to Nielsen Media Research. That is the largest peak audience the network has ever recorded.
The UFC on Fox 4 Aug. 4 preliminary broadcast also accounted for an average of 194,000 total viewers over the course of its three-hour timespan. That represents the most watched UFC prelims ever on Fuel TV, since its inception in January of this year with the prelims for UFC on Fox 2.
Those two high points in August put an exclamation point on another solid month for Fuel TV. The growth of the action sports network was a key aspect in the UFC’s television deal with the Fox family of networks that began in January. The intent was to make Fuel TV the flagship for UFC programming in an effort to build its audience, which had often been measured in the tens of thousands at the best of times prior to adding the UFC into the mix.
Thus far, the strategy has paid off well.
In 2012, Fuel TV’s ratings have outperformed the corresponding week in 2011 for 35 weeks and eight months straight since the beginning of the year.
“It’s been exciting to see eight consecutive months of incredible ratings growth at Fuel TV,” said George Greenberg, the network’s Executive Vice President and General Manager. “We’re thrilled with our partnership with the UFC and the power its programming has to attract huge and loyal audiences on a daily basis. With more live fights coming up in September and through the end of the year, we’re confident our viewership growth will continue.”
August accounted for 408 hours of UFC programming, the second-most of the year, compared to July’s 480 hours.
Some other Fuel TV August highlights:
– August 2012 was up +50% in Total Viewers and +150% in M18-49 vs. August 2011
– Prime time finished up +157% in Total Viewers and +189% in M18-49 vs. August 2011
– Live UFC Prelims on FUEL TV on Saturday, August 4 was the network’s most-watched prelims ever with 194,000 Total Viewers
– On August 4, the UFC Prelims on FUEL TV viewership peaked from 7:45 PM ET – 8:00 PM ET with 328,000 Total Viewers, the network’s largest peak ever
– It was the network’s second most-watched show among M18-49 and fifth most-watched program of all time
– On August 4, the UFC Prelims on FUEL TV contributed to the network’s most-watched Saturday prime on both Total Viewers and M18-49
– August 4 was the network’s second most-watched Saturday among M18-49 and third most-watched Saturday on Total Viewers
– For the first eight months of 2012, prime time viewership is +164% vs. 2011
– Since January 1, the network’s total day viewership is up +91% compared to 2011
Good shit
good news, they just need to get Fuel into more homes, like mine.
Having Fuel be the UFC channel is great if its in 80 million homes or more.
I have FUEL, and I like it.
With Prelim ratings on Fuel pulling similar ratings to main card fight night ratings on fuel and now prelims holding the record for peak viewrshiop how does it make sense for anyone involved to be placing fights like wiedman/munoz, zombie/porier, ellenberger/sanchez, etc... on fuel instead of FX or fox? T
this doesnt make sense for zuffa, fox or the fans.
Thunderbolt89 - Kimbo brought 6,000,000 viewers to CBS.... just sayin'
Comparing prelims to an over-hyped main event?
Thunderbolt89 - Kimbo brought 6,000,000 viewers to CBS.... just sayin'
These were the prelims on Fuel. Bad comparison.
Still, didn't the prelims on Spike always bring in at least a million viewers?
This is good for Fox, but not the UFC. Fuel is still a third/fourth tier cable channel, and it will be for a long time to come. Much of the UFC's programming is unavailable to fans who can't get this channel. Petitioning your local cable company for a channel that they don't want to carry isn't going to force them to do anything. I live on Long Island where people were asking for HDNet for years, and Cablevision refused to carry it. It's currently refusing to pick up Axs TV. Luckily, we get Fuel but not in HD.
MMALOGIC - With Prelim ratings on Fuel pulling similar ratings to main card fight night ratings on fuel and now prelims holding the record for peak viewrshiop how does it make sense for anyone involved to be placing fights like wiedman/munoz, zombie/porier, ellenberger/sanchez, etc... on fuel instead of FX or fox? T
this doesnt make sense for zuffa, fox or the fans.
I don't get putting those fights on Fuel either. Fuel is great for reruns and prelims but not for fight nights at this point.
MMALOGIC - With Prelim ratings on Fuel pulling similar ratings to main card fight night ratings on fuel and now prelims holding the record for peak viewrshiop how does it make sense for anyone involved to be placing fights like wiedman/munoz, zombie/porier, ellenberger/sanchez, etc... on fuel instead of FX or fox? T
this doesnt make sense for zuffa, fox or the fans.
None of the Fuel cards have aired on Sat night in primetime.
Fuel 1 Wed Feb 15
Fuel 2 Sat afternoon April 14th
Fuel 3 May 15th tues
Fuel 4 Wed July 11
Fuel 5 Sat Sept 29 afternoon.
The ones on Sat are afternoon overseas cards.
that imo is a major factor. Sat is a better fight night so prelims on a Sat night are gonna do better than a main card on a Tues night.
I dont think they want to do Sat primetime Fuel cards, they want them for PPV, Fox cards and possibly Fight Nights.
I see TUF finale is set for a Sat. Could this be a sign of things to come?
bram -MMALOGIC - With Prelim ratings on Fuel pulling similar ratings to main card fight night ratings on fuel and now prelims holding the record for peak viewrshiop how does it make sense for anyone involved to be placing fights like wiedman/munoz, zombie/porier, ellenberger/sanchez, etc... on fuel instead of FX or fox? T
this doesnt make sense for zuffa, fox or the fans.
I don't get putting those fights on Fuel either. Fuel is great for reruns and prelims but not for fight nights at this point.
They are trying to make you order the channel if you don't have it.
Those top fighters are taking one for team here and getting screwed out of sponsorchip money in order to make you say: Damn it!! I missed the korean zombie, I must switch provider/order Fuel right now!
Prelim fighters don't make you do that. I bet the number of FUEL affiliates has increased since I'm sure some mma fans heard about the awesomeness of the Korean Zombie and the Weidman fights and didn't want to miss out.
Also, for these prelims they used main card material in Phil Davis, and Nam Phan which for some reason always get a piece of the main card, got placed in the prelimns
Chris27 -MMALOGIC - With Prelim ratings on Fuel pulling similar ratings to main card fight night ratings on fuel and now prelims holding the record for peak viewrshiop how does it make sense for anyone involved to be placing fights like wiedman/munoz, zombie/porier, ellenberger/sanchez, etc... on fuel instead of FX or fox? T
this doesnt make sense for zuffa, fox or the fans.
None of the Fuel cards have aired on Sat night in primetime.
Fuel 1 Wed Feb 15
Fuel 2 Sat afternoon April 14th
Fuel 3 May 15th tues
Fuel 4 Wed July 11
Fuel 5 Sat Sept 29 afternoon.
The ones on Sat are afternoon overseas cards.
that imo is a major factor. Sat is a better fight night so prelims on a Sat night are gonna do better than a main card on a Tues night.
I dont think they want to do Sat primetime Fuel cards, they want them for PPV, Fox cards and possibly Fight Nights.
I see TUF finale is set for a Sat. Could this be a sign of things to come?
Hopefully it is a sign of things to come... moving to a different platform is one thing and challenging enough in itself... but to then switch nights to fridays and go to a platform like fuel which only a 1/3rd of the country has access to is becoming more and more disasterous by the day.
Saturday night fight nights on FX would be great with tuf moving to a better night during the week... FX can certainly give tuf a better night in the spring season - which sounds like they are gonna do - because they dont have a heavy line up... if they can do that in the fall as well the UFC will stop the bleeding somewhat.
Fuel should get all the overseas cards which air at different times and different days. FX should get all the domestic cards and they should nail down the same ideal timeslot for each fx fight night (saturday nights) to habitually condition people to watch.
Zuffa is gonna regret it if they dont end their relationship with showtime when the deal is up (this march) and absorb SF into the UFC, That's 8 domestic shows a year right there they can use to bolster their programming on FX.
Thunderbolt89 - Kimbo brought 6,000,000 viewers to CBS.... just sayin'
An internet sensation with a marketable look fighting on network TV is going to draw more viewers than prelims on a cable station a lot of fans don't have.
ttt