UFC 142 'Prelims' ratings on FX attract just 880,000 viewers, less than any event on Spike TV
by Geno Mrosko on Jan 18, 2012 2:48 PM EST in UFC Ratings Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) kicked off its deal with FX by broadcasting a live two-hour "Prelims" special for the UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" event this past Sat., Jan. 14, 2012, from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Well the ratings are in ... and they're not pretty. The first episode on the new network reeled in just 880,000 viewers, which is lower than any "Prelims" special broadcast that aired on Spike TV, according to MMAWeekly.com. This in comparison to the final preliminary card broadcast on Spike at UFC 141 that drew 1.8 million viewers back on Dec. 30. There will, of course, be a transition period as fans get used to the switch from Spike TV to FX. Both cable channels are in roughly 100 million homes but the former spent years cultivating an audience with 14 season of The Ultimate Fighter as well as countless specials and other assorted programming. Baby steps, Mania...