UFC Stockholm prelims average 257,000 viewers

MMAfighting.com

UFC’s prelims on Saturday, a three-hour simulcast that started at 10 a.m. ET and 7 a.m. PT drew 257,000 viewers on ESPN2.

The six fights aired both on ESPN2 for television, as well as on ESPN+ for paid streaming. ESPN+ also aired the top six matches.

The number is in the same ballpark as the prior two early Saturday broadcasts of prelims on ESPN2. On Feb. 23, an 11 a.m. ET start show did 271,000 viewers. On April 20, a 10 a.m. ET start on ESPN 2 did 232,000 viewers.

The show didn’t feature any major stars that should have moved numbers more than usual. The last match on the prelims, a welterweight battle with Rostem Akman vs. Sergey Khandozhko, matched up two fighters who had never fought previously in UFC.

The show also featured two ranked women’s bantamweights, No. 13 ranked Lina Lansberg beating No. 12 ranked Tonya Evinger. Both fighters are best known for showcase fights where they lost to Cris Cyborg. Evinger lost to Cyborg in the July 29, 2017 fight that created the first featherweight champion.

The most recent PFL show, which aired in prime time on May 23 on ESPN2, did 120,000 viewers. It was down slightly from the 137,000 viewers for PFL’s debut on the station on May 9.