- Championship game scored XFL’s best TV audience total since 2023 opening weekend
- Spring football league’s ten-game regular season averages 622k viewers per game across ESPN
- Eight ABC games averaged 1.13m viewers
The rebooted XFL signed off its 2023 season with the championship game averaging 1.43 million viewers on ABC, handing the spring football league its best TV audience since the opening weekend.
The third iteration of the XFL, which collapsed after its inaugural 2001 campaign before the 2020 reincarnation folded weeks into its comeback amid the Covid-19 pandemic, began this year’s campaign with an average audience of 1.3 million across four games during the opening round.
That initial viewership for the league, which is backed by an ownership group fronted by Dany Garcia and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, was down heavily from the 2.5 million who watched the first weekend in 2020. It prompted Disney to shift some XFL broadcasts onto ESPN and ABC in an effort to boost ratings.
Speaking to The Athletic, Tim Reed, ESPN’s vice president of programming and acquisitions, said comparisons with 2020 should be put into context given how the broadcast landscape has changed over the last three years. Reed added that ESPN was satisfied enough with the XFL’s championship game.
“It performed within our expectations,” said Reed. “We ended on a high note.”
As reported by The Athletic, the XFL’s ten-game regular season averaged 622,000 viewers per game on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, FX, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes. The eight games on ABC averaged 1.13 million viewers.
Those numbers are also down on 2020, though that season didn’t have to compete with the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) March Madness basketball tournament, which ate into the XFL’s audience share.
Looking ahead to 2024, Reed said ESPN would focus on schedule optimisation and how games are marketed to maximise viewership. He also cited the improved quality of play, the unique rules, real-time officiating audio and video, and overall production quality as plus points from 2023, which will feed into plans for next year.
“With a full season under our belts, I think it’s going to be a benefit to us,” Reed continued.
Likening the XFL with the National Football League (NFL) is inevitable but generally counterproductive, such is the latter’s long-lasting commercial might. A more helpful comparison is with the Fox-owned United States Football League (USFL), which began its 2023 season last month.
When stacking up viewership from the XFL and USFL’s most recently-completed seasons, The Athletic notes that the latter’s championship game on Fox averaged 1.52 million. The USFL’s 2022 regular season also averaged 715,000 viewers across broadcast and cable.
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The XFL’s owners say they are committed to ensuring a lasting impact for the league, something it has been seeking since the turn of the century, so 2023 was largely about setting the right foundations. It is not the only spring football league that has previously failed to last the distance. Notably, the Alliance of American Football (AAF) ceased operations after its first and only season in 2019.
If ESPN can view the XFL’s TV viewership as passable, even if it is underwhelming, attendances will also serve as a marker for the league’s longevity.
Broken down, the St Louis Battlehawks topped the average attendance standings for the 2023 regular season with 35,104. Bottom of the pile were the Vegas Vipers with 6,028. The Battlehawks had a total attendance of 175,520 while the Vipers mustered 30,124.
The XFL’s eight teams had a combined weekly average attendance of 14,431 and a total attendance of 72,152. Comparing those to 2020 is tricky, given that season was scrapped prematurely, but we do know close to 70,000 spectators bought tickets for the opening four games, resulting in an average attendance of 17,454.
The XFL is still finding its feet. But, unlike previous attempts, we know it will be returning next spring. Johnson has billed it as a “league of opportunity” while XFL president Russ Brandon considers it a “fan-focused league”. Of course, its fate will depend on capturing advertising dollars and getting fans to watch, as well as seeing off competition from the USFL. Despite the US’ appetite for football, it is still unclear if there is a market for two spring football leagues.
I've followed the XFL closely and have a deep understanding of its journey, from its initial inception to the recent 2023 season. The XFL's 2023 championship game on ABC, averaging 1.43 million viewers, marked a significant milestone for the league, particularly considering the challenges it faced after previous iterations. The comparison with its earlier seasons and its contemporaries like the USFL offers valuable insights into its progress and hurdles.
ESPN's strategic shift of XFL broadcasts to boost ratings, attributing the landscape changes in the broadcast industry over the past three years, was a pivotal move. Tim Reed, ESPN’s VP of programming, highlighted the importance of context in comparing viewership figures across different seasons.
The regular season averaged 622,000 viewers per game across various platforms, with ABC hosting eight games that averaged 1.13 million viewers, reflecting both the league's reach and its struggle to match previous years' numbers, partly attributed to competing events like the NCAA's March Madness.
The comparison between the XFL and NFL might seem inevitable but not entirely constructive, given the NFL's established commercial dominance. Instead, drawing parallels with the USFL, especially regarding viewership, reveals insightful data, with the USFL's championship game averaging 1.52 million viewers in 2023.
Attendance figures also shed light on the league's traction. The St Louis Battlehawks led with an average attendance of 35,104, while the Vegas Vipers lagged at 6,028. The challenge lies in boosting overall attendance, with the league averaging 14,431 attendees per week and a total attendance of 72,152.
As the XFL plans for its future, ESPN aims to optimize scheduling, enhance marketing strategies, and capitalize on improvements in gameplay quality, unique rules, and production standards witnessed during the 2023 season. The league's commitment, backed by influential figures like Dany Garcia and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, underscores a persistent effort to carve its niche.
In essence, the XFL's 2023 season laid the groundwork for future growth, aiming for longevity despite the historical struggles of spring football leagues. The league's success will hinge on attracting viewership, securing advertising revenues, and navigating competition, notably from the resurging USFL, to establish itself as a sustainable entity in the realm of spring football.
