TUF 16 Debuts to Lowest TV Ratings for an Ultimate Fighter Premier Episode

The Ultimate Fighter 16: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson season premier TV ratings are in, notching this season’s first episode at 947,000 viewers on FX.

MMAWeekly.com confirmed the ratings with industry sources.

Friday night’s episode marked the lowest premiere in TUF history.

TUF 16’s first episode saw the series return to its pre-recorded format following last season’s jive-live experiment. TUF Live premiered to an initial audience of 1.3 million on FX, but averaged out to slightly more than 1 million viewers per episode over the course of the season.

Friday’s two-hour episode featured 32 welterweight fighters trying to make their way into the fighter house. Sixteen fighters moved on, with coaches Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson each selecting eight of the victors.

Stay tuned to MMAWeekly.com for more Ultimate Fighter 16 news and updates throughout the season.