USFL audience drops. Loses to XFL. Johnston miffed

[laxtreme56]

USFL regular season audience finishes 3% below XFL
The USFL’s regular-season TV viewership finished 3% lower than what the XFL drew earlier this spring, and 16% lower than what the Fox-owned league drew for its debut effort in 2022, reports my colleague Austin Karp.

USFL games across Fox, FS1, NBC and USA averaged 601,000 viewers for 40 telecast this season, which began in mid-April. The same number of games for the XFL relaunch from February through late April on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and FX averaged 622,000 viewers. While a 3% gap may not be material on its face, XFL brass considers this a clear head-to-head win considering the USFL had more favorable distribution (i.e. More games on broadcast TV networks).

The USFL was well below its figure of 715,000 viewers in 2022, which had the benefit of intrigue with the league’s debut.

NBC and Fox will air the USFL semifinals on Saturday and Sunday in prime time, respectively. NBC airs the championship game on July 1 in prime time.
https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/S ... 06/22.aspx

[laxtreme56]

Some more info.

USFL President of Football Operations Daryl Johnston is surprised his league’s second-season TV viewership was slightly behind the new-look XFL’s (https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/S ... 06/22.aspx), pledging an offseason effort to figure out why the Fox Sports-owned league is not doing better. "That was one of the more surprising things for me,” said Johnston. “You put our game on television up against our competition, there is no competition. We are far superior in production value, far superior in on-air talent. Recognizable names, recognizable voices. We’re pushing the envelope with all the technology we have.” He continued, “To me, to be on par with our competition from a ratings standpoint in Year 2, I’m still trying to figure out: How did that happen? Because our product, in my opinion, when I watch it, they’re not even close.” USFL viewership across all games in 2023 was down 16% from its debut season to 601,000, or 3% lower than the XFL’s first season despite having more favorable distribution. An XFL spokesperson declined to comment. NBC is airing t
he Birmingham Stallions-Pittsburgh Maulers USFL Championship game at 8pm on Saturday.

[MGB01]

Heh, once a Cowboy always a Cowboy. You have to ask? You just answered it.

Highly po'ing fans of both leagues and splitting them right down the middle (when there was maybe one week of actual head to head and two were overlap), not a good way to expand the brand. On the flip side the overall audience is larger for when the eventual merger happens.

Only thing I'll agree with here is production. NFL/ND announcers across the board vs the SEC/G5 backup crew (though they might be out looking right now if they were any higher on the totem pole).

Other than that, get what you pay for. So Eric Bischoff>Moose?

[laxtreme56]

Looks like no expansion on the horizon. Hubs in play next year

[4th&long]

The 3mm simulcast in the 2022 opener skewed the USFL numbers up in 2022

In weeks 2-10:

USFL 2022: 606k avg
USFL 2023: 584k avg

XFL 2023: 542k avg

So after the opener, in which XFL got 390k extra on a simulcast on ESPN/FX (smart move but still 2 channels) in week 1 they dropped alot like USFL in 2022. in 2023 the USFL held their avg better than the XFL after opening week.

What is confusing to me is that DJ doesn't understand that Feb-April with a trapped winter audience did better than audience competing with summer. Ins Late spring/summer viewership drops esp in the day time, thats why networks show alot of reruns and no major sport sans MLB is on.
Also the two leagues are VERY VERY similar from play level to structure and even having ratings and a 4-6 team in championship, salray structure and TV presence. They are interchangeable from an entertainment value to TV viewers.

Back on USFL Also they need to get their biggest TV markets engaged, Memphis, Birm and NOLA are the Neilsen TV size of Mich (1.54%). Philly is much bigger (2.51%) and NJ/NY is by far the biggest (6.26%). Houston at 2.1 is large too.

Note to All: Fans in stands <> TV ratings. That's a myth. Engaging fans, press and media in local markets does help greatly though.

As I stated in the predictions thread USFL needs around 1.3mm viewers to match XFL full season. But a few more or less either way its basically a dead heat.

Also I said for almost 2 years my biggest fear is that the return of the XFL takes down both leagues... I still have that fear.

Love to see a great game tomorrow - both leagues are fun & entertaining... but right now its USFL championship time!

[laxtreme56]

With all the extra promotion and addition of network games, especially primetime, ratings should have been up bigly. This wasn't the case

[4th&long]

With all the extra promotion and addition of network games, especially primetime, ratings should have been up bigly. This wasn't the case

Not by my predictions, both made preseason - was for XFL 845k and USFL 820k (high 900k low740k). These failed primarily due by not having the super big opening weekends which i baked in (both). And USFL my cable predictions of 400k avg were another big cause. But post week one my detailed predictions were much closer. So I'm not surprised.

Again read my post above... Spring summer games competes with outdoor activities. There is a cap. This isn't the NBA where its appointment viewing. Both leagues have a sold base... is it enough though... we shall see.


viewtopic.php?p=36090#p36090

[laxtreme56]

With all the extra promotion and addition of network games, especially primetime, ratings should have been up bigly. This wasn't the case

Not by my predictions, both made preseason - was for XFL 845k and USFL 820k (high 900k low740k). These failed primarily due by not having the super big opening weekends which i baked in (both). And USFL my cable predictions of 400k avg were another big cause. But post week one my detailed predictions were much closer. So I'm not surprised.

Again read my post above... Spring summer games competes with outdoor activities. There is a cap. This isn't the NBA where its appointment viewing. Both leagues have a sold base... is it enough though... we shall see.


viewtopic.php?p=36090#p36090

I understand your predictions, but these aren't Fox or NBC predictions. They aired a 30 second commercial viewed by 120 million people and didn't crack 1 million opening weekend. Which means 99.3% of that viewing audience promptly ignored the promotion. How long will NBC give up primetime spots on Saturday nights when Weakest Link reruns could draw double for a fraction of the cost. We've yet to hear anything from NBC brass yet, if they were pleased they'd be telling the world

[4th&long]

With all the extra promotion and addition of network games, especially primetime, ratings should have been up bigly. This wasn't the case

Not by my predictions, both made preseason - was for XFL 845k and USFL 820k (high 900k low740k). These failed primarily due by not having the super big opening weekends which i baked in (both). And USFL my cable predictions of 400k avg were another big cause. But post week one my detailed predictions were much closer. So I'm not surprised.

Again read my post above... Spring summer games competes with outdoor activities. There is a cap. This isn't the NBA where its appointment viewing. Both leagues have a sold base... is it enough though... we shall see.


viewtopic.php?p=36090#p36090

I understand your predictions, but these aren't Fox or NBC predictions. They aired a 30 second commercial viewed by 120 million people and didn't crack 1 million opening weekend. Which means 99.3% of that viewing audience promptly ignored the promotion. How long will NBC give up primetime spots on Saturday nights when Weakest Link reruns could draw double for a fraction of the cost. We've yet to hear anything from NBC brass yet, if they were pleased they'd be telling the world

A commercial in Feb for April league? Sure it helps... and it likely helped XFL too as a likely majority of casual fans don't even know the leagues are different. Do you remember any commericals from the superbowl? I don't, its 30 seconds 4 months ago. Did NBC promote though? NBC's PFT did almost no articles this year on USFL and did alot more on XFL actual. That would have been cheap promotion but they didn't do it.

XFL 2.0 understood its a numbers game and went into TV markets representing 22% of the USA. XFL 3.0 = 12.4% and USFL 2022 =16.3% and USFL 2023 =15.1%. Granted cable lost likely 8-10 million subscribers from 2020 to 2023. The USFL also scheduled games that resulted in 3 hour rain delays and last minute time changes causing ratings drops. Is it a surprise USFL ratings sans week 1 are down leaving TB and the delays? USFL needs to engage its largest markets NY/NJ-Philly-Houston. Of course being in Memphis is a cost saver so there are trade offs.

Plus DJ is a football guy not a biz guy, that's my only knock on him.

Time of year is a big part of the equation. Games in late spring / summer serve a purpose but the viewing audience is smaller and there's NBA/NHL playoff contention.

The idea that fans in stands helps TV ratings is a fools errand compared to targeting large TV markets and engaging local fans, press and media. I'm surprised the NBC and Fox are blind to that! "Its a bad look"? Really? Whats better TV viewers or fans in stands. Its all in the numbers.

NBC and Fox may decide to bail on USFL just as Disney on XFL, that's a certain potential out come. And its concerning to all of us I'm sure.

B Woods wanted a slow growth keep it cheap for longer strategy. Fox decided to move up faster. Live TV and sports is needed by nets. Keep in mind live TV is the last holy grail in network TV so they can't run reruns for ever.

The issues with the USFL are the same with the XFL. Having 86 games on national TV mid-Feb--July 1st is alot. Is there room for 2 leagues? Will one or both shutdown? Very possible. Is a merged league focusing on the largest TV markets a better option with RBC's $ and Fox's network and commitment? Both bring different knowledge and talent. So yes, Absolutely.

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

USFL President of Football Operations Daryl Johnston is surprised his league’s second-season TV viewership was slightly behind the new-look XFL’s, pledging an offseason effort to figure out why the Fox Sports-owned league is not doing better. "That was one of the more surprising things for me,” said Johnston. “You put our game on television up against our competition, there is no competition. We are far superior in production value, far superior in on-air talent. Recognizable names, recognizable voices. We’re pushing the envelope with all the technology we have.” He continued, “To me, to be on par with our competition from a ratings standpoint in Year 2, I’m still trying to figure out: How did that happen? Because our product, in my opinion, when I watch it, they’re not even close.”

Maybe because we all know Moose and Fox are blowing smoke and playing dirty with their tactics.

Very little of the technology is new or unique. Fox is claiming innovations in things that have been around since the 1990s, and even if it were, do fans really care enough about that tech to say "hey, I'd rather watch that"? No. People watch football to watch football. If TV innovations were the reason people watched, FCF would be in the USFL's slot on NBC right now.

Oh, and then there's the "real football returns in 8 weeks" Super Bowl ad. The leveraging of other Murdoch properties like The Sun, Outkick and the New York Post to spread malicious false reports (like the XFL rights fee). Your target audience is hardcore football fans, and they pay attention.

So is it any wonder why, when push comes to shove, afternoon weekend games on USA and FS1 are drawing LESS than games that FX buried on a Thursday overnight? The only reason this is even competitive is because NBC gave some nice Sunday afternoon time slots that they had open.