The value of network vs. cable, and of an NFL lead-in, proved to be enormous as UFC's second annual Christmas Eve special did nothing compared to the first one.
The Sunday night show at 10 p.m. on FOX Sports 1, which aired three fights from UFC 218, which took place three weeks earlier, did 357,000 viewers. The previous year, a similar special airing UFC 206 did 4,720,000 viewers and was the third most-watched UFC television show in history.
The difference in shows wasn't so big. Both shows were high on action but hadn't done big numbers when originally aired weeks earlier on pay-per-view.