The UFC’s first full card effort on Fuel TV set a ratings record for the network. The show, which saw a very good main event between Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger, outperformed the previous live airings of UFC undercard fights on Fuel.
The UFC’s debut event on FUEL TV, UFC on FUEL, averaged 217,000 viewers over the length of the three-hour broadcast, setting a new live-event ratings record for the fledgling network.
Wednesday’s numbers mark a 46-percent increase from FUEL TV’s previous ratings record of 148,000 viewers, earned by January’s UFC on FX 1 preliminary card. UFC on Fox 2’s live preliminary card averaged 144,000 viewers.
The “free preview week” for Fuel on many carriers would provide an obvious boost to the numbers, but how big of a boost is up for debate. Many major markets still did not have access to the free preview as it appeared your carrier had to already offer Fuel as part of a higher tier package. Markets such as Chicago’s Comcast households did not get the preview as their carrier does not offer Fuel on any package currently offered.