Prior to its broadcast, animal rights activists were distributing angry letters and call for action against NBC\’s reality-based gross out show, \”Fear Factor.\” Its most recent episode dared contestants to eat sheep\’s eyes.

The ratings are in, and NBC\’s strategy seemed to pull in the ratings with 14.12 million people tuning in to watch the sheep eye episode based on preliminary ratings figures (the show is easily the highest rated summer TV series).

Source:

NBC\’s \”Fear\” scares ratings high again. Rick Kissell, Variety, July 25, 2001.