The first numbers in for UFC 209 look solid, as the prelims on FS 1 did 1,033,000 viewers.
The number was up 18 percent from the 874,000 viewers for the prelims before UFC 208.
The figure was even more impressive since the show went head-to-head with the Keith Thurman vs. Danny Garcia welterweight title unification boxing match on CBS that did 3,060,000 viewers, as well as a Duke vs. North Carolina basketball game on ESPN that did 4,061,000.
The peak viewing number was for the Darren Elkins come-from-behind win over Mirsad Bektic, which did 1,183,000 viewers.