Breaking Down USFL TV Ratings From Week Two

USFL week two is in the books, which means that TV ratings have arrived on time. The USFL played four more games this weekend, and saw some ups and downs from a numbers perspective.

#USFL Week 2 TV Ratings:

Houston/NOLA (USA): 133k
Birmingham/Memphis (FOX): 798k
NJ/Pittsburgh (NBC): 725k
Philly/Michigan (FS1): 211k

Two games on OTA, two on cable this weekend. Competing with #XFL and NBA Playoffs.

— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) April 25, 2023

USFL TV Ratings From Week Two:

New Orleans Breakers vs. Houston Gamblers (USA): 133,000
Birmingham Stallions vs. Memphis Showboats (FOX): 798,000
Pittsburgh Maulers vs. New Jersey Generals (NBC): 725,000
Philadelphia Stars vs. Michigan Panthers (FS1): 211,000

Similar to the XFL, it’s a mixed bag for the USFL. Before getting into TV ratings analysis, there are a couple of factors to take into consideration:

– The USFL competing head-to-head with the XFL isn’t ideal. With the XFL establishing itself earlier in the year, and the spring football community only fitting so many people, ratings are split between the two.
– Streaming numbers are not included. This would include Peacock (USA/NBC).

USFL TV Ratings Analysis

Let’s be honest: these aren’t the most encouraging numbers, mainly from a cable perspective. But again, there’s plenty of factors that play into what transpired this weekend. First and foremost – the two games on OTA networks (FOX, NBC) performed up to par with 2023 standards. Those ratings, in particular, are very similar to what we saw for most of the 2022 season on those channels.

However, the cable TV ratings dropped drastically. USA Network saw its debut in week two, and posted a measly 133,000 viewers – the lowest number we’ve seen in the modern spring football era.

One has to wonder if the hub model is impacting cable viewership. Neither Houston or New Orleans are playing in their home cities. On top of that, this means that hardly any fans were in the stands –…