2020 Extreme Football League XFL

[Dob Hooligan]

I notice how the news stories emphasize the ratings drop, yet never mention what the projections from XFL and the TV providers were.

I am convinced the XFL, ESPN/ABC and Fox all expected a big ratings drop and marginal attendance. The never said they were making a major league or attempting to become a spring/summer competitor to the NFL. They have always said there is a group of football junkies (like me) who would watch the games on TV. It is doing okay for a start up, IMO, and I wonder why nobody wants to know how it compares with CFL viewership and attendance, since that would be a better yardstick. Even though the CFL is almost 100 years old.

[OKCRT]

I notice how the news stories emphasize the ratings drop, yet never mention what the projections from XFL and the TV providers were.

I am convinced the XFL, ESPN/ABC and Fox all expected a big ratings drop and marginal attendance. The never said they were making a major league or attempting to become a spring/summer competitor to the NFL. They have always said there is a group of football junkies (like me) who would watch the games on TV. It is doing okay for a start up, IMO, and I wonder why nobody wants to know how it compares with CFL viewership and attendance, since that would be a better yardstick. Even though the CFL is almost 100 years old.

The XFL only leased the lower bowl in St. Louis and they are talking about opening up more seats since demand was heavier than what they thought. Seattle the same. It's a good thing that XFL has a great TV contract. I'm sure they didn't expect numbers to stay where they were from week one but they are still getting respectable numbers for a start up. We shall see as the season goes on but the numbers for the OTA networks will always be higher than cable networks. The FS1 has brought the numbers down since many people don't get that channel. But the networks must be happy with the numbers because there isn't anything else they could put on this time of the year that would be better.

[OKC Guy]

By comparison, week three games in last year’s Alliance of American Football averaged a 0.31 and 515,000 (San Antonio-San Diego) and a 0.29 and 491,000 (Memphis-Orlando). Those games aired on NFL Network.

—-

Saturday’s Dallas-Seattle XFL game averaged a 1.3 rating and 2.05 million viewers on FOX, down 13% in ratings and 11% in viewership from the same window the previous week (Tampa Bay-Seattle: 1.5, 2.32M) and down 32% and 38% respectively from week one (Los Angeles-Houston: 1.9, 3.29M).

Earlier in the day, ABC averaged a 1.2 (-8%) and 1.91 million (-11%) for Houston-Tampa Bay. It was the first XFL window on broadcast television with fewer than two million viewers (eight telecasts).

On Sunday, ESPN averaged a 0.9 and 1.47 million for New York-St. Louis — down 40% in ratings and 39% in viewership from last week on ABC (Dallas-LA: 1.5, 2.40M) and down 57% and 56% respectively from week one on FOX (Tampa Bay-New York: 2.1, 3.39M).

FS1 brought up the rear with a 0.6 and 1.00 million for DC-LA, down 25% in ratings and 26% in viewership from the previous week on the same network (St. Louis-Houston: 0.8. 1.36M) and down 57% and 60% respectively from week one on ESPN (St. Louis-Dallas: 1.4, 2.50M).

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/202...-espn-fox-fs1/

[Laramie]

The St. Louis BattleHawks beat the New York Guardians 29-9 in the sold-out home opener at the Dome at America's Center. FOX 2 Sports Director Martin Kilcoyne says that there 29,554 fans in attendance, filling the lower half of the stadium to see the team's first game in St. Louis.

Full stadium XFL capacity; 67,277 available for games if the upper deck is needed.

[Jersey Boss]

The XFL only leased the lower bowl in St. Louis and they are talking about opening up more seats since demand was heavier than what they thought. Seattle the same. It's a good thing that XFL has a great TV contract. I'm sure they didn't expect numbers to stay where they were from week one but they are still getting respectable numbers for a start up. We shall see as the season goes on but the numbers for the OTA networks will always be higher than cable networks. The FS1 has brought the numbers down since many people don't get that channel. But the networks must be happy with the numbers because there isn't anything else they could put on this time of the year that would be better.

The networks have a great deal because they aren't paying anything for broadcast rights. I don't believe they pay production costs either.

[BoulderSooner]

The networks have a great deal because they aren't paying anything for broadcast rights. I don't believe they pay production costs either.

the networks are paying 100% of the xfl production costs

[Jersey Boss]

the networks are paying 100% of the xfl production costs

Thanks for the clarification.
TV broadcast rights are the major revenue source for the NFL and probably all major leagues.
Last year the NFL made 7.2 B for broadcast rights. The NBA 2.7 B. MLB 1.5B. NHL 200M. MLS 90M.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_...tes_and_Canada)
With the ratings declining for the XFL and basketball(NBA &NCAA) and hockey playoffs on the horizon I see a continued decline in ratings. The league is not sustainable without infusions of cash from broadcast rights.
Ticket sales and merch are inconsequential.

[Bill Robertson]

One thing I noticed locally. At the couple of bar/grills I frequent week 1 XFL was on, week 2 you had to ask for XFL games to be put on, week three they would put them on one TV if you complained enough.
I had hopes for this non-NFL league but they are fading fast.

[jedicurt]

One thing I noticed locally. At the couple of bar/grills I frequent week 1 XFL was on, week 2 you had to ask for XFL games to be put on, week three they would put them on one TV if you complained enough.
I had hopes for this non-NFL league but they are fading fast.

i have noticed this as well... luckily, at the bar i usually frequent on the weekends, they now plan to have them on going forward. when the manager was asking me how things are going and i asked him why they weren't showing them, he was surprised to find out they weren't (he usually works in the kitchen on the weekends) and told me that he would let to bartenders know that they needed to make sure they were shown.

[Dob Hooligan]

I think the XFL is doing fine. They spent years putting it together and did not panic when the AAF tried to jump in front of them without proper financial backing. Seems to me that putting teams in known pro football cities with stadium options; top notch companies designing uniforms, naming and logos; realizing that the most well known players are "4A" talents like Landry Jones will make hiring famous coaches the biggest attention getters (regardless if they are retired, washed up or disgraced, at least they have name recognition); paying for (and owning) their TV deals; and having full control of costs and cost management means they are prepared to execute a multi year launch effort.

[Dob Hooligan]

I think the coaches are getting hip to themselves being on camera while they call plays. LA Wildcats offensive coordinator Norm Chow sounded like he was giving a halftime speech in a Disney movie when he was calling plays in the third quarter today. "This is why we are here"..."this is what we are about"..."our moment is now".

Makes me think he envisions himself living in perpetuity on the XFL Films documentary "2020, Birth of a League". Something that begins with slow motion video; dramatic, full symphony music, and the voice of Dennis Haysbert saying "The breaking wind is a symptom...of how Wildcats play football in LA."

[Laramie]

XFL Attendance Declines for First Time This Season: https://fanbuzz.com/xfl/xfl-attendance/

Total Attendance Leaders (As of XFL Week 4)

1. STL: 57,081 (2 games)
2. SEA: 51,232 (2 games)

3. DAL: 35,528 (2 games)
4. HOU: 34,918 (2 games)
5. DC: 32,194 (2 games)
6. TB: 30,366 (2 games)

7. NY: 29,750 (2 games)
8. LA: 27,190 (2 games)

Oklahoma City or Tulsa metros may be better equipped for XFL expansion or relocation:

Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

65,000 lower bowl

University of Tulsa - Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium
30,000

[OKC Guy]

Week 4 was still higher than week 1:

Week, Total, Average

1, 69,818, 17,455
2, 76,285, 19,071
3, 81,942, 20,486
4, 70,214, 17,554

[Laramie]

Week 4 was still higher than week 1:

Week, Total, Average

1, 69,818, 17,455
2, 76,285, 19,071
3, 81,942, 20,486
4, 70,214, 17,554

Week 4: St. Louis (27,527) among the largest crowds in the XFL this season. Disappointed in the two largest markets (New York & Los Angeles) with 29,750 & 27,190 respectively for their 1st two games.

It's still early; it may take time for the TV brand to catch on. Looks better for the XFL than the AAF or the Freedom Football League (FFL) of which the Oklahoma City Power is a member:
https://www.behance.net/gallery/7359...l-League-Logos

Proposed Oklahoma City Power logo.

After the AAF League failure and the XFL rollout ; it takes deep pocket investors to spearhead a summer league football franchise--risky investment even for a fool with money.

[OKC Guy]

^^^

Never heard of FFL is this new?

[Laramie]

^^^

Never heard of FFL is this new?

Don't know if it will ever get off the ground; here's a link to their website: https://www.freedomfootball.co/

[Dob Hooligan]

Week 4: St. Louis (27,527) among the largest crowds in the XFL this season. Disappointed in the two largest markets (New York & Los Angeles) with 29,750 & 27,190 respectively for their 1st two games.

It's still early; it may take time for the TV brand to catch on. Looks better for the XFL than the AAF or the Freedom Football League (FFL) of which the Oklahoma City Power is a member:
https://www.behance.net/gallery/7359...l-League-Logos

Proposed Oklahoma City Power logo.

After the AAF League failure and the XFL rollout ; it takes deep pocket investors to spearhead a summer league football franchise--risky investment even for a fool with money.

dang.....I'm old enough to think it looks like the USFL Oakland Invaders logo. 35 years ago.

[Laramie]

dang.....I'm old enough to think it looks like the USFL Oakland Invaders logo. 35 years ago.

Oakland Invaders

Wow, what a similarity.

[OKCRT]

Week 4 was still higher than week 1:

Week, Total, Average

1, 69,818, 17,455
2, 76,285, 19,071
3, 81,942, 20,486
4, 70,214, 17,554

I have heard that Vince M. has already funded the XFL for 3 years so it appears that it will either make it or die. We should know by then and hopefully it makes it. It seems like it might not be a bad idea to move that La team to another market out west but not sure where that would be, maybe Oakland or SD area? I assume that they would want to keep a presence on the west coast.