UFC on FOX 30 was loaded with name value and delivered on action packed main and co-main events but the card still returned the lowest overnight ratings in the history of the series.
Fast overnight ratings revealed on Sunday that the UFC on FOX 30 card drew just 1.46 million viewers, which drops the show below the previous lowest event back in January when Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza faced off with Derek Brunson with that card delivering just 1.59 million viewers overnight.
Now the final number will tick up for the card headlined by Dustin Poirier finishing former champion Eddie Alvarez by second round TKO because the main event didn’t start until just past the 10 p.m. cutoff time for the show.
Nielsen ratings only measures from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., which is the scheduled timeslot for the show, when returning the fast nationals overnight. Add to that, the fast overnight national ratings also only account for Eastern, Center and Mountain time zones, leaving out Pacific to add to the final number.
Still even with those numbers added to the card, UFC on FOX 30 won’t see the final ratings jump all that much, especially considering how quickly the main event ended in the second round rather than drawing in viewers over time with a longer contest.
UFC on FOX 30 did manage to win the overall share for the night in 18-49 viewers amongst network broadcasts, although CBS, ABC and NBC were almost all airing repeat programs during that same time slot.
It’s a disappointing return on what was expected to be one of the biggest UFC on FOX cards in recent memory with three former champions decorating the main card including Eddie Alvarez, Jose Aldo and Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Of course summer time cards are almost always lower in the ratings without shoulder programming such as NFL football to help piggyback the UFC into additional commercial time during those broadcasts.
Still considering the star studded lineup that was put on display at UFC on FOX 30 — not to mention the exciting finishes that highlighted the main event with Poirier finishing Alvarez and the co-main even where Aldo demolished Jeremy Stephens — the promotion had to expect more return than what they got in the fast national overnight ratings.
The final ratings numbers should be released on Monday or Tuesday.
This will also serve as one of the final UFC cards airing on FOX with only one more card currently scheduled for the network before the promotion shifts all of their programming to ESPN in 2019.
