Bellator 17 Ratings Brings Vast Increase In Viewership

The numbers are in for Bellator 17, and the amount of viewers is on the rise in a big way.

Bellator’s 24-event deal with Fox Sports Net began with the second season of Bellator Fighting Championships and has seen a large spike in the numbers since that event. According to the promotion, Bellator 17 ratings reached a number 186% greater than that of the promotion’s debut on FSN, Bellator 13. The event also beat out previous MMA shows on the network in the 25-54 age demographic by a staggering 46%.

“We are really excited to see the buzz building around our brand” stated Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney. “We are proud of the viewership numbers we’ve been drawing to are weekly shows and are confident that our ratings will continue to grow during the remaining seven weeks of Bellator Season 2.”

Bellator 17 featured a non-title “Super-Fight” between Josh Neer and Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. But those two were not the only draws on the card, as former-UFC lightweight contender Roger Huerta also made an appearance, dropping a unanimous decision to Pat Curran. Huerta was certainly one of the biggest names participating in the second season of Bellator Fighting Championships, but is now out of the lightweight tournament.