The biggest combat sports fight of 2017 took place this past weekend inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and was headlined by Floyd Mayweather improving to 50-0 as he defeated current UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor by TKO in the 10th round in a boxing match.
Prior to the main card on pay-per-view, the televised preliminary card (7-9 p.m. ET) aired on FOX, FOX Deportes, and FOX Sports GO. According to a FOX Sports press release on Tuesday via Nielsen Media Research, the two-hour preliminary card averaged 2,568,000 viewers on those platforms and peaked at 3,110,000 viewers in the 8:45-9 p.m. ET quarter-hour.
Below is more details on the ratings released by FOX on Tuesday:
- Prelims on FOX scored 2,438,000 viewers from 7-9 p.m. ET, up +71% compared to the 2017 average to date of boxing events on the network (1,427,000) and FOX’s most-watched boxing event since January of 2016. Among Adults 18-49, it was up +155% (1,156,000 vs. 453,000) vs. the average to date for FOX and was the most-watched telecast of the day on any network.
- FOX’s first preliminary bout featuring Juan Heraldez scoring a decision victory over Jose Miguel from 7:45-8 p.m. ET delivering 2,360,000 viewers.
- The Mayweather vs. McGregor Pre-Fight Show on FOX delivered 1,463,000 viewers.
- The Mayweather vs. McGregor Post Fight Show on FS1 tallied 368,000 viewers, up +15% over the UFC Post Fight Show for McGregor-Diaz 2 on the network last August (320,000).
- The Mayweather vs. McGregor Weigh-In Show on FS1 Friday garnered 287,000 viewers, up +288% over the weigh-ins for UFC 202: McGregor vs. Diaz 2 on the same Friday in 2016 (74,000). Compared to live UFC Weigh-Ins on FS1, this telecast would rank as the third-most watched in FS1 history.
- On FS1 Friday, the live Premier Boxing Champions show posted 269,000 viewers, a +35% gain over the lone card on the network last August (199,000). Among A18-49, it was up +174% (93,000 vs. 34,000).
Combat sports will return to FOX Sports next Saturday, September 9 for coverage of UFC 215 as the television preliminary card will air on FS1 and will feature a women’s bantamweight bout between Sara McMann and Ketlen Vieira.