The Cable TV Ratings are in for Week 7 of the XFL season. After bouncing back in Week 6 with favorable viewership numbers in a return to ABC. The XFL’s viewership numbers took a hit back exclusively on cable. The XFL’s four games on Cable averaged 350,000 viewers.
The figures started out extremely poorly on FX Friday against top competition but bounced back Saturday and Sunday to more respectable levels.
XFL Week 7 Cable TV Ratings On ESPN/FX
Friday night’s XFL game on FX between the Arlington Renegades and Seattle Sea Dragons averaged 177,000 viewers. The lowest ratings average for a game during the 2023 season. The telecast also scored its lowest ranking in the 18-49 demographic, rating 101st out of 150 Cable TV shows.
The competition clobbered Friday’s XFL game. The NCAA Women’s Final Four on ESPN peaked at an average of over 5 million viewers. WWE Smackdown on FOX drew nearly 2.5 million viewers head to head-with the XFL.
The 177k average for the XFL is the lowest in recent spring football. Averaging 4,000 fewer viewers than the USFL had on a Sunday night FS1 game last Summer.
The 350k weekly average on Cable for the XFL is almost as low as The USFL’s final four regular-season games on FOX, FS1, and the USA Network in Week 10 last year, which averaged 337,750 viewers
Saturday afternoon’s Week 7 XFL game on ESPN 2 featuring the San Antonio Brahmas and Vegas Vipers averaged 356,000 viewers. The telecast was rated 50th of the top 150 Cable TV shows in the 18-49 demo.
Saturday evening’s XFL game, which saw the previously winless Orlando Guardians upset the 6-0 D.C. Defenders 37-36, averaged 365,000 viewers on ESPN. The telecast was rated 19th out of the top 150 Cable TV shows in the 18-49 demo. Which is a strong showing in that demographic.
To state that the XFL’s cable viewership numbers on Cable have been modest would be an understatement. However, for what it’s worth. The XFL has held up favorably on the second-tier cable stations of ESPN2 and FX.
It was that kind of week ob obstruction for the XFL. Saturday’s ESPN XFL game competing directly with the NCAA Final Four – Sunday’s ESPN game head to head with NCAA Women’s National Championship (9.5M viewers).
Perhaps now, with March Madness out of the way and the league entering its postseason push. The XFL will bounce back this coming weekend with a Sunday afternoon telecast airing on ABC. And an extremely important first-place clash Sunday night between the 6-1 Defenders and the 5-2 Sea Dragons, who have recently added pro bowl NFL RB Phillip Lindsay. The location of the game, ESPN2, could limit the overall viewership of that pivotal contest. But that’s an expected trend.
It will also mark the last weekend that the XFL has the spring pro football world to itself. As the USFL returns for its second season on April 15th and 16th.
Week 8 TV Schedule
 Vegas Vipers | @ |  St. Louis Battlehawks | Saturday, April 8 1:00PM ET | ESPN / ESPN+ / ESPN Deportes ESPN Xtra on Sirius/XM | Find Tickets XFL Game Center |
 Arlington Renegades | @ |  Orlando Guardians | Saturday, April 8 4:00 PM ET | ESPN / ESPN+ ESPN Xtra on Sirius/XM | Find Tickets XFL Game Center |
 Houston Roughnecks | @ |  San Antonio Brahmas | Sunday, April 9 3:00 PM ET | ABC / ESPN+ ESPN Xtra on Sirius/XM | Find Tickets XFL Game Center |
 D.C. Defenders | @ |  Seattle Sea Dragons | Sunday, April 9 7:00 PM ET | ESPN2 / ESPN+ ESPN Xtra on Sirius/XM | Find Tickets XFL Game Center |
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