Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman (Josh Hedges/UFC)
UFC on Fuel TV 1 a record-shattering event
Wednesday night’s UFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger broadcast drew an average of 217,000 viewers, breaking the record for a live event on Fuel TV.
But the average number of viewers for the event was not the only figure to crush a previous record. The peak audience of 315,000 viewers also set a new mark, and the executives at Fuel TV are not surprised.
“We fully expected the UFC was going to deliver Fuel TV extraordinary ratings, and now we’re seeing it,” George Greenberg, executive vice president and general manager of Fuel TV said in a statement. “We are beyond ecstatic about the audience and the impact the UFC is having on our network’s growth thus far. The sky’s the limit on where this network can go from here.”
To go along with the two record-breaking figures, Wednesday night’s broadcast also capped off the most-watched day in the history of the channel. Fuel TV also saw drastic jumps in percentages for the male demographic consisting of ages 18 to 49, seeing a 2,067 percent increase when compared to its February average. Furthermore, during the 8-11 p.m. Eastern time slot, the network ranked in the Top 10 among all ad-driven cable networks.
The event featured a welterweight showdown between contenders Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger. Ellenberger won a unanimous decision and took another step toward the 170-pound belt.
In the co-main event, heavyweight Stefan Struve defeated Dave Herman by technical knockout. And former “Ultimate Fighter” winner Jonathan Brookins earned the Knockout of the Night for his effort against Vagner Rocha on the evening’s preliminary card.