By Mike Mitchell @MMXFLWriter
Week 4 XFL TV Ratings on ABC/ESPN 2
Los Angeles Wildcats vs New York Guardians on ABC Saturday 2/29
Wildcats @ Guardians 1.558 million viewers. The broadcast started out on ESPN News (due to a Coronavirus news break in coverage on ABC)
Saturday’s Los Angeles Wildcats vs New York Guardians XFL game on ABC averaged 1,558,000 viewers. The telecast peaked between 4:30 – 4:45 p.m. ET with 1,780,000 viewers. The top 5 local markets were: Cleveland (2.4 rating), Houston (2.4), Nashville (2.4), New Orleans (2.4), and Buffalo (2.3).
D.C. Defenders vs Tampa Bay Vipers on ESPN2 Sunday 3/1
ESPN 2: Defenders @ Vipers 1.030 million viewers. The primetime telecast was ranked 9th out of 150 Cable TV programs.
Sunday’s DC Defenders vs Tampa Bay Vipers XFL game on ESPN2 averaged 1,030,000 viewers. The telecast peakedbetween 7:45 – 8 p.m. with 1,335,000 viewers. The top 5 local markets were: Tampa-St. Pete (2.4 rating), Cincinnati (1.8), Buffalo (1.4), St. Louis (1.4), and Ft. Myers-Naples (1.3).
Through week 4 (8 games), XFL games on ABC and ESPN networks are averaging 2,084,000 viewers.
Week 3 XFL TV Ratings Comparison (ABC/ESPN)
Houston Roughnecks vs. Tampa Bay Vipers Saturday game 2/22 on ABC averaged 1,914,000 viewers (telecast peaked at 2,571,000 viewers)
New York Guardians vs St. Louis BattleHawks Sunday game 2/23 on ESPN averaged 1,473,000 viewers. (telecast peaked at 1,640,000 viewers)
Week 4 XFL TV Ratings on Fox/FS1
Saturday 2/29 Fox: Seattle Dragons @ St. Louis BattleHawks 1.802 million viewers
Saturday (Seattle-St. Louis) – FOX
- Total Viewership: 1,802,000
- Top Markets: St. Louis (8.1/20), Seattle (3.7/11), Memphis (2.6/5), Dallas (2.0/6), Atlanta (2.0/6) and Cleveland (2.0/5)
*Home Markets: Seattle (3.7/11) St. Louis 8.1/20
Sunday 3/1 FS1: Houston Roughnecks @ Dallas Renegades 1.113 million viewers (Ranked 7th out of 150 cable tv shows on Sunday)
Sunday (Houston-Dallas) – FS1
- Total Viewership: 1,113,000
- Top Markets: Houston (3.27), St. Louis (1.63), Austin (1.59), Dallas (1.56), Jacksonville (1.23)
*Home Markets: Houston (3.27) Dallas (1.56)
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Up 11% from last week’s DC-LA game on FS1 (1,004,000)
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XFL pushed FS1 to #1 in viewership among cable sports networks between 4-7pm
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On FOX sports streaming services the telecast had an average minute audience of 14,498
Week 3 XFL TV Ratings Comparison Fox/FS1
Saturday 2/22 Fox: Dallas Renegades @ Seattle Dragons: 2.051 million viewers
Sunday 2/23 FS1: DC Defenders @ Los Angeles Wildcats: 1.0 million viewers
XFL Ratings Analysis
The XFL ratings have dipped slightly in the last couple of weeks. The competition will stiffen for the league in the next few weeks. The XFL ratings could trend downward slightly with March Madness on the horizon and a lack of big network telecasts. In week six, the XFL will have only one big network game on ABC. (3/14 Roughnecks-Guardians).
As the XFL crosses its midseason. The ratings could see a uptick just based on where the games will be airing. Instead of FS2 and ESPN 2. In weeks 7 and 8, the XFL will have three big network games airing each week. Twice on ABC and Fox in both respective weeks.
The final two weeks of the season sees the XFL enter primetime with two Thursday Night games on Fox. (4/2 and 4/9).
