In an article titled “XFL title game TV viewership sluggish, but ESPN says season met expectations” for The Athletic, author Bill Shea discusses the viewership numbers for the second full season of the XFL. Despite the championship game’s viewership being somewhat lackluster, ESPN’s vice president of programming and acquisitions, Tim Reed, expressed satisfaction with the results.
Reed stated, “It performed within our expectations,” and further noted, “We ended on a high note.” This statement came after the championship game averaged 1.43 million viewers, the league’s best TV audience total since the opening weekend. The 2023 XFL season started the week after the Super Bowl in February and continued as the USFL began its second season on Fox and NBC channels in April.
Reed also elaborated on the network’s plans for the XFL’s future, stating, “With a full season under our belts, I think it’s going to be a benefit to us,” and “There are ways to optimize and improve that going forward.” This suggests that ESPN sees the potential for growth and improvement in future seasons of the XFL.
Kevin Krim, EDO’s CEO and president, offered his take on the viability of alternative football leagues, saying, “As a football fan, it’s always been a quandary if these alternative football leagues can work it out,” and further noted, “The United States is a football country. I think there is enough room for both these leagues to succeed.”
This article offers a detailed exploration of the XFL’s performance in its second full season. Despite its sluggish viewership for the championship game, ESPN officials are satisfied, stating that the season met their expectations. Key insights from the article include ESPN’s optimism for future seasons, and the potential for both XFL and USFL to coexist successfully in the football landscape. It’s well worth reading for those interested in the current state and future of alternative football leagues, especially as the XFL is set to return for another season in 2024.
