UFC 300 Prelims Break Viewership Records
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
UFC 300 delivered on all fronts.
The historic event was stacked unlike arguably any other before it this past weekend (April 13, 2024). Consisting of 12 current or former UFC titleholders, it was a must-see mixed martial arts (MMA) event.
UFC 300 broke UFC pay-per-view (PPV) event records for most viewed prelims ever across ESPN platforms (ESPN+, Hulu SVOD, ESPN & ESPN Deportes combined), prelims ever on ESPN, and early prelims ever on ESPN, according to a press release.
“UFC 300 outperformed in every way and delivered an iconic night that fans will always remember,” said Matt Kenny, ESPN vice president, programming & acquisitions. “No one covers big events like ESPN and UFC 300 is the latest example of what we can accomplish together with UFC. 2024 is shaping up to be a huge year for UFC on our platforms and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s to come.”
#UFC300 Prelims
8:02PM: 1.864M (0.86) ESPNEarly Prelims:
6:00PM: 1.214M (0.54) ESPN2024 #UFC PPV Prelims
UFC 299 Prelims
8:51PM: 1.484M (0.57) ESPNUFC 298 Prelims
8:39PM: 1.146M (0.46) ESPNUFC 297: 8:00PM: 1.026M (0.41) ESPN
(prelims also aired on ESPN+)
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) April 16, 2024
The final UFC 300 prelim bout saw a pivotal Light Heavyweight contender clash unfold as the former champion, Jiri Prochazka, welcomed Aleksandar Rakic back to the Octagon after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear suffered in early 2022. Prochazka weathered the storm of the chaotic war early on before he successfully rebounded to get back in the win column with a second round technical knockout (watch highlights).
UFC 300’s stacked line up also featured the promotional and Bantamweight debut of former two-time Professional Fighters League (PFL) Lightweight champion, Kayla Harrison. Tasked with former champion, Holly Holm, Harrison was met with little resistance en route to a dominant second round rear-naked choke victory (watch highlights).
As for the PPV main card portion of UFC 300, there hasn’t been any report on what the buyrate might look like. However, UFC CEO, Dana White, told Sports Business Journal before the event that it was trending towards one million buys.
For complete UFC 300 results and LIVE play-by-play click HERE.
