Week 2 TV Ratings

[4th&long]

Build it like MLS? Maybe you just mean "hold on for dear life and wait for other billionaires to jump on board", but beyond that, I don't think you could come up with a worse comparison.

MLS is an attendance driven league still struggling to establish itself as a television property nearly three decades after it was founded. The USFL is using an almost completely inverted business plan.

MLS gets less than 300k avg per game on TV and is looking for a $300mm TV contract growing from $90mm and waht was it before that $10mm? perhaps that is not coming and its $150-200mm but that's growth. If USFL does what I'm saying #'s wise it's worth that. And it will grow from there.

[4th&long]

If the USFL panics they lose. Stay the course and build it like MLS - it will be alot quicker.

Even MLS drew 78,000 for their first All-Star Game, the USFL might not even surpass that their whole time in Birmingham--fortunately with the HOF game weeks away by the time they get there and the setting involved Canton should be much better for the playoffs.

Here's another potential problem: Planning for year two should officially start on July 4, after all need to get thru S1 first, but how much of a priority will the USFL be for FOX with it being at best a distant third behind the NFL and college? And if plans are underway to sell the teams off how much of a hard sell is being made right now? And I can't imagine it was too successful when the USFL was maybe the third biggest thing going on in Alabama this weekend.

Its a priority in the spring. It will always trail CFB and NFL.

[4th&long]

Fox Saturday noon - Philly/Pitt - 1056k, 242k in 18-49
FS1 Saturday night Houston/Birm - 402k, 112k
NBC Sunday TB/NOLA blow out - 812k, 210k
and
USA Friday night Mich/NJ - 363k, 94k

We'll see how wise it is for FOX to put the Birm again on at night again - Its a smalllll TV market and NOLA is second smallest in League. I'd rather see NJ/Philly but there is MLB NYM v Philly on Saturday night, might be the reason. But it will be on Fox not FS1.
The Sixers game came on at 2pm also vs Philly Pitt also. The TB blow out was going to be an issue but was hoping for 1mm flat.

This week (3) will depend on NBA games again as well as weather across country, I'm not expecting much better until NBA thins out - plus the two biggest markets are on Peacock - I don't understand that.

https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/sked ... -2022.html

The USFL Broadcast games did beat NHL on ABC 774k Saturday at 3pm with mega market NY vs Boston.

Also beat head-to-head the Premier league on NBC 12:30pm Saturday 631k. And MLS on ESPN at 1pm Saturday - Miami vs Atlanta - 2 top ten markets with 318k.

FS1 also had MLB on at Sat 4pm: C-WS v Minn - 201k, 67k demo, FS1 is no ESPN, maybe an ESPN2

https://twitter.com/mulvihill79/status/ ... 0049721344

Michael Mulvihill
@mulvihill79
USFL Week 2 viewership and comparable live events:

Sun Night MLB - 1.11m
USFL Sat Fox - 1.06m
Formula 1 - 1.03m
USFL Sun NBC - 812k
NHL ABC - 774k
EPL NBC (Tottenham) - 631k
EPL USA (Liverpool) - 624k
NHL TNT - 433k
USFL FS1 - 402k
10:42 AM · Apr 26, 2022·Tw

[laxtreme56]

That's a more sizable drop than anticipated. If they can stop the bleeding by week 4 and maintain from there, with perhaps a little growth weeks 8-10 and playoffs we could probably call that a win. If that 2.6 million number promised to advertisers is correct, then I'd be a bit concerned if I were Fox right now.

[4th&long]

That's a more sizable drop than anticipated. If they can stop the bleeding by week 4 and maintain from there, with perhaps a little growth weeks 8-10 and playoffs we could probably call that a win. If that 2.6 million number promised to advertisers is correct, then I'd be a bit concerned if I were Fox right now.

When they were in Birm they were talking avg 1.4mm broadcast and 700k and I thought that was high by 200-300k each. I don't buy 2.6mm what so ever - still say that was BS or opening w/e.

The bottomline is focusing on Birm games to get the crowd at night vs playing big market teams may not be the wise. And NOLA vs Birm has combined HH market share of 1.15% vs NJ/Philly of 8.75%. I get the Phils and Mets are on ESPN and FS1 sat-sun this week but I think that's a miss.
Having said that NOLA - BIRM should be an exciting game, with a decent crowd and that's the offset.

The 4 PM game of TB (no NBA team) and Houston makes up 3.8% HH share (good) so I'm hoping the NBA/TNT moves NO to Phx to mid day and Dallas/Utah at night if they they play.

[MGB01]

If the USFL panics they lose. Stay the course and build it like MLS - it will be alot quicker.

Even MLS drew 78,000 for their first All-Star Game, the USFL might not even surpass that their whole time in Birmingham--fortunately with the HOF game weeks away by the time they get there and the setting involved Canton should be much better for the playoffs.

Here's another potential problem: Planning for year two should officially start on July 4, after all need to get thru S1 first, but how much of a priority will the USFL be for FOX with it being at best a distant third behind the NFL and college? And if plans are underway to sell the teams off how much of a hard sell is being made right now? And I can't imagine it was too successful when the USFL was maybe the third biggest thing going on in Alabama this weekend.

Its a priority in the spring. It will always trail CFB and NFL.

Not the point. The building for season two is going to have to take place at that time or you get what we're getting, which was my fear all along, something that looks like it was thrown together in three months.

One game over a million, and just over. But I'm sure it was Pat McAfee's fault right?

[MGB01]

the setting involved Canton should be much better for the playoffs.

I'm actually pretty worried about Canton. They're having a hard enough time in the home market; how is a neutral site going to fare? It's really too bad they couldn't play the playoffs in the named markets. That would have added so much legitimacy to these brands.

Cause by end of June/early July you'll have people more in football mode in a more football setting, even if said game a few weeks out is Raiders/Jaguars (which I said back in Feb should have been Raiders/Saints).

Of course the question is, will the USFL even make it to then (not at the point of needing to be asked just yet but it's getting there). FOX is clearly treating this like another TV show versus an actual league, not different than the already twice-delayed Monarch (which will fail anyway seeing that it's just the country version of Empire), and you're seeing it.

[4th&long]

Even MLS drew 78,000 for their first All-Star Game, the USFL might not even surpass that their whole time in Birmingham--fortunately with the HOF game weeks away by the time they get there and the setting involved Canton should be much better for the playoffs.

Here's another potential problem: Planning for year two should officially start on July 4, after all need to get thru S1 first, but how much of a priority will the USFL be for FOX with it being at best a distant third behind the NFL and college? And if plans are underway to sell the teams off how much of a hard sell is being made right now? And I can't imagine it was too successful when the USFL was maybe the third biggest thing going on in Alabama this weekend.

Its a priority in the spring. It will always trail CFB and NFL.

Not the point. The building for season two is going to have to take place at that time or you get what we're getting, which was my fear all along, something that looks like it was thrown together in three months.

One game over a million, and just over. But I'm sure it was Pat McAfee's fault right?

My point is pointing to CFB or NFL is not what Fox/NBC are looking to do. Who's McAfee?

My expectations for the USFL in spring/hub with a flex schedule is much less than what many are expecting based on Winter XFL 2.0 with a HH market share of 22+%. I'm sure Fox's is too. I said it in Dec and that was before the flex sch. The FB has been solid and improved from wk 1, the ratings will be up down based on competition and weather.
And what ever the USFL gets in TV ratings will directly impact the XFL's ability to get a TV contract.

[Tank55]

Of course the question is, will the USFL even make it to then (not at the point of needing to be asked just yet but it's getting there). FOX is clearly treating this like another TV show versus an actual league, not different than the already twice-delayed Monarch (which will fail anyway seeing that it's just the country version of Empire), and you're seeing it.

I doubt it, but I could see the USFL pulling the plug on the playoffs. I don't think there's any chance they don't finish the regular season. Most of the money is already spent in Birmingham. And it's not like FOX can declare bankruptcy to save a few bucks.

[MGB01]

Its a priority in the spring. It will always trail CFB and NFL.

Not the point. The building for season two is going to have to take place at that time or you get what we're getting, which was my fear all along, something that looks like it was thrown together in three months.

One game over a million, and just over. But I'm sure it was Pat McAfee's fault right?

My point is pointing to CFB or NFL is not what Fox/NBC are looking to do. Who's McAfee?

Not much of one, and where I'm saying priority is not over either, but it isn't something you just put in the can in July and pick back up again after Super Bowl LVII.

And who's Smith?