The UFL (United Football League) debuted this past weekend while dealing with a lot of competition, including the Elite 8, the NCAA Women’s Sweet 16, and MLB Opening Weekend, as well as many people traveling for Easter weekend. Despite these other options, the league seemed to do pretty well with viewership, suggesting that the league could be the first long-term successful spring league for any level of professional football.
The UFL combines teams that played in the XFL and USFL last season. While both leagues did alright with viewership, the two competing against each other eventually led to both of their demise. Instead (and a rare relief in the world of sports), the two leagues did the right thing, swallowed up their own pride, and decided to merge into the UFL.
Here is an analysis of the first weekend of games.
B+ Grade TV Ratings Strong For the UFL
There were many questions about whether the UFL would be able to pull in good TV ratings with so much competition and focus primarily on the men’s and women’s college basketball Sweet 16 and Elite 8. To everyone’s pleasant surprise, the games came in really well. Below are the ratings of each game:
Week One TV Ratings UFL
Arlington Renegades vs. Birmingham Stallions: 1.18M (FOX)
Michigan Panthers vs. St. Louis Battlehawks: 1.349M (FOX)
San Antonio Brahmas vs. DC Defenders: 960k (ESPN)
Houston Roughnecks vs. Memphis Showboats: 703k (ESPN)
On average, that came out to 1.04 million viewers per game. Those numbers compare with an average P5 college football game (think Purdue vs. Minnesota or Arizona vs. UCLA). There are two factors to look at here, however. The first is that for FOX and ESPN, these aren’t the strongest numbers for a football game. However, at the same time, college football isn’t competing with Caitlin Clark or UConn in the Elite Eight.
Overall, the ratings get a B+. They didn’t blow expectations or hopes out of the water but didn’t bomb. Owners and fans will feel optimistic but still nervous going into the second week, as the novelty of a new season may wear off, but at the same time, there will also be less competition with less basketball and less interest in the MLB season (sorry White Sox, A’s and Marlins fans).
#UFL Week One TV Ratings, via @ByMikeMitchell:
Arlington vs. Birmingham: 1.18M (FOX)
Michigan vs. St. Louis: 1.349M (FOX)
San Antonio vs. DC: 960k (ESPN)
Houston vs. Memphis: 703k (ESPN)Across the board, solid outing for the UFL who had some competition (i.e. March Madness). https://t.co/5vwaioYtLG
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) April 2, 2024
UFL is Bringing More Household Names to the Game
Last year with the USLF and XFL splitting talent, there weren’t a ton of stars in each league. Granted, there won’t be players like Patrick Mahomes or Cooper Kupp anywhere, but with the best talent from both leagues now in one, there are many more players that common fans of college football will know. Some of these players include:
- Matt Corral – Former Ole Miss QB
- AJ McCarron – Former Alabama QB
- Amari Cooper – Former Clemson WR
- Vic Beasley – Former Atlanta Falcons All Pro LB
- Cody Latimer – Former Denver Broncos WR
Throw those names alongside players who have made a name for themselves in the USFL and XFL already like Luis Perez and C.J. Marable, and the league is starting to become a leage full of players that common fans are familiar with, something that couldn’t be said just a year ago.
UFL Brings Aspects to the Game Fans Appreciate
Whether it is over protecting a quarterback, the transfer portal, or a lack of access to the lockerroom, fans of both College Football and the NFL have gotten frustrated with how things are being run in both leagues. The UFL isn’t going to take away NFL or College Football fans, but it could be an escape from the issues in both of those leagues and make fans interesting in watching.
The UFL brings a lot of fun access and different aspects to the game such as drone footage, in-game interviews, drawn out plays, and clock rules that allow for more plays than in the NFL.
Finally, with the NFL adopting the kickoff rules of the XFL, 13 former players from the USFL now on NFL rosters, and legendary coaches including Bob Stoops and Skip Holtz, the connection between the NFL and UFL feel more like a minor league/major league relationship than two seperate leagues.
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