The UFL kicked off this weekend, and gave spring football fans a slate of entertaining games from start to finish. Across the board, the TV Ratings would agree with that analysis, as the numbers are looking more promising than last year already.
#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
With FOX and ESPN working together once again in the spring scene, we’re seeing the benefits of their camaraderie early on.
UFL Week One TV Ratings:
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)
UFL TV Ratings Analysis
Right off the bat, the 1pm ET opener on FOX between the two champions averaged 1.18M on FOX. Considering that none of the USFL’s games on FOX last year cracked 1M viewers, this is an excellent sign. 1pm ET is by no means close to a primetime slot, and despite the competition, FOX managed to break 1M for the first time since 2022.
Things got even stronger for FOX in the next slot. Michigan and St. Louis averaged 1.349M viewers, the most of the entire weekend.
Breaking: The Michigan Panthers vs. St. Louis Battlehawks #UFL matchup on FOX averaged 1.349M viewers, per @SportsTVRatings.
Still waiting on the other numbers to come in, but this was the most viewed game of the weekend. Great sign that FOX saw well over 1M in an opener.
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) April 2, 2024
This one is impressive – and certainly had some assistance. The St. Louis Battlehawks were consistently one of the most viewed teams on cable last year, boosting numbers on FX and ESPN. Not…