RNC Chair's UFC Viewership Claim Sparks Skepticism Over Accuracy

In a recent article on Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio of NBC Sports pointed out a significant discrepancy in a claim made by Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters regarding the viewership of President Donald Trump’s UFC Freedom 250 event. Gruters stated that the event attracted more viewers than the Super Bowl, but Florio noted, “Joe Gruters was only off by 117.4 million.”

According to figures released by Paramount on Thursday, the UFC Freedom 250, which celebrated both the 250th anniversary of the United States and Trump’s 80th birthday, garnered 8.2 million viewers on Paramount+. This marked the platform's largest live exclusive event to date. Among the viewers, 7 million were from the United States, while 1.2 million came from Latin America. Additional statistics from regions outside these areas are expected next week.

Variety reported that the total unique audience for the event reached 17 million, indicating the number of individuals who tuned in for at least a minute during the broadcast. Matthew Belloni from Puck commented on social media, stating that while the viewership was decent for a Paramount+ exclusive, it paled in comparison to major sporting events and fell short of the viewership numbers for CBS's MARSHALS or TRACKER.

Gruters, who is also a state senator in Florida, made his bold assertion during an appearance on Fox News. In contrast, Super Bowl LX attracted a remarkable 125.6 million viewers. Earlier this month, UFC President Dana White expressed high expectations for the event, suggesting it could achieve “Super Bowl-type numbers.”

Florio emphasized the importance of truth in his commentary, arguing that “the truth is an annoyance. An impediment. A pesky little thing that gets in the way of preferred narratives.”