Week 2 TV Ratings

[4th&long]

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?

Not at all, but if anything they have a full year to work on Yr 2, like you said. In fact I'm sure they are putting together their "Improvements" list now.

[4th&long]

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.

They could save on salaries etc but they get money from NBC and need to fill the time slots. I don't see any of that nor canceling the season for 3 games in Canton. BTW Ohio is the #1 out of market market for XFL and I'm sure its doing well for USFL. In fact I could see this as a test for Columbus which will never get an NFL team but spring FB - yes and its bigger than Birm and growing.

https://twitter.com/KaplanSportsBiz/sta ... vavpQqAAAA

>>Daniel Kaplan
@KaplanSportsBiz
USFL ratings solid through two weeks
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Michael Mulvihill
@mulvihill79
· 55m
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
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11:34 AM · Apr 26, 2022·<<

[laxtreme56]

I don't believe Fox will pull the plug this year, regardless of how low ratings drop. I'm honestly not sure what they were expecting year 1 to be. Little training camp, no app or large social media presence like the XFL had, and all games in one market makes it hard for the "cities" involved to really get behind their team. I do hope Fox commits to at least the full 3 seasons. Spring football is not going to be an overnight success. If they can make it to year 2 skeptical folks may start coming around to it, and hopefully even more by year 3. I just hope Fox and Co. have the patience to weather the storm and play the long game here.

[Tank55]

BTW Ohio is the #1 out of market market for XFL and I'm sure its doing well for USFL. In fact I could see this as a test for Columbus which will never get an NFL team but spring FB - yes and its bigger than Birm and growing.

I'm sure that was driven by Cardale Jones being prominently featured. I wouldn't assume that it necessarily translates for the USFL.

If they wanted to test out Columbus, they should have played the playoffs in Columbus.

[4th&long]

BTW Ohio is the #1 out of market market for XFL and I'm sure its doing well for USFL. In fact I could see this as a test for Columbus which will never get an NFL team but spring FB - yes and its bigger than Birm and growing.

I'm sure that was driven by Cardale Jones being prominently featured. I wouldn't assume that it necessarily translates for the USFL.

If they wanted to test out Columbus, they should have played the playoffs in Columbus.

It was across all games and even DC benched him right? OH is FB mania. We'll see.

[Tank55]

Cardale started all five games. He was benched in Week 5. My guess is he would probably would have started Week 6, but that would have been his last chance.

[4th&long]

Cardale started all five games. He was benched in Week 5. My guess is he would probably would have started Week 6, but that would have been his last chance.

I think you are right, he likely had one start left. I was routing for him but he did disappoint, alot of Ohio St QBs do.
Having said that, XFL did well in OH across games.

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

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.

Well, the Murdochs have the same shell-corp setup that Vince used for the XFL. So even if Fox doesn't declare bankrupty, they can still put "National Spring Football League" into bankruptcy.

Though, as the UFL and FXFL showed, it's not always necessary to go bankrupt to end a league's operations.

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

I don't believe Fox will pull the plug this year, regardless of how low ratings drop. I'm honestly not sure what they were expecting year 1 to be. Little training camp, no app or large social media presence like the XFL had, and all games in one market makes it hard for the "cities" involved to really get behind their team. I do hope Fox commits to at least the full 3 seasons. Spring football is not going to be an overnight success. If they can make it to year 2 skeptical folks may start coming around to it, and hopefully even more by year 3. I just hope Fox and Co. have the patience to weather the storm and play the long game here.

Here's the other problem: this is not overnight. This is the third year out of four that there's been a winter or spring football league. (Fourth straight if you count FCF, which doesn't have as good of a TV deal but does seem to have the ability to generate buzz that the USFL is losing rapidly.)

Furthermore, it's not as if Fox has its only options as "commit to a sinking ship USFL" or "bust." The XFL comes back next year and if they make the decision to recommit to it the way I suspect ESPN has, then they can look at this like it was a stopgap and go back to the way it was in pre-pandemic 2020. That might even be better for continuity.

[Tank55]

Well, the Murdochs have the same shell-corp setup that Vince used for the XFL. So even if Fox doesn't declare bankrupty, they can still put "National Spring Football League" into bankruptcy.

Oh, I should have assumed that. Yeah, you're totally right.