UFL co-owner Mike Repole joined Game On with Bianchi & Kravitz to discuss the Orlando Storm's first season, the league's spring football model, and a possible role in bringing Major League Baseball to Orlando. Repole lives in Orlando and has owned the UFL for about a year.
Repole Responds to Orlando Storm Attendance Talk
Host Mike Bianchi opened by noting the Storm average about 9,600 fans per game, below the league average. Repole pushed back on the framing.
He said the Storm draw 8,000 to 10,000 fans per game and called that a result he is happy with for a first-year team. He pointed to the team's short build-up: the franchise was announced in October 2025, head coach Anthony Becht was hired in December 2025, the roster was set in February, and the season started in March.
Repole said Storm fans fill Inter&Co Stadium with orange and stay through the end of games. He then set attendance targets for the seasons ahead.
"Now, next year I want 15,000. In the year after, I might want 20,000," Repole said.
He also reminded listeners he is new to the role. "I've only been doing this for 9 months. I'm learning how to be an owner of a league," Repole said.
Why the Storm Play at Inter&Co Stadium
Repole explained the decision to host Storm games at Inter&Co Stadium, the home of Orlando City SC, rather than Camping World Stadium.
He said a smaller venue creates a better game-day atmosphere for crowds in the 9,000 to 10,000 range.
"If you have 9,600 in camping, it looks like it's dead empty and you don't even hear the crowd," Repole said. "But when you put 9,600 where it fits 23,000, you hear the crowd, both sides have a lot of fans to it, it looks good on TV, and the players get motivated by a bigger crowd."
The same logic guides Repole's stadium approach across the league. He has steered UFL teams toward soccer-sized venues.
Repole on Building a Spring Football League
Bianchi noted that Repole built Vitaminwater and BodyArmor and ran both at a loss before they turned a profit. Repole said spring football requires the same patience.
"It's been around for 40 years, but it's never made it," Repole said. "So when something's around for 40 years and never made it, it means that there's something there and people keep trying."
He called the project a marathon, not a sprint, and repeated a line he has used before about his commitment to the league.
"I'd rather go bankrupt than fail at this league," Repole said. "So now I got two choices, either make the league work or go bankrupt and maybe ask you for a job."
Repole said the UFL model depends on local attendance. Ticket revenue and game-day crowds carry more weight for the UFL than for the NFL, which earns billions from national television deals.
UFL TV Ratings
Repole said the UFL draws 600,000 to 1 million viewers per game. He cited two games from the prior Saturday as an example.
"The first game on Saturday afternoon was 850,000 and the second game was 950,000," Repole said.
He called those numbers a result for a league with low public awareness. The UFL airs national games on Fox, ESPN, and ABC.
Repole and the Orlando Dreamers MLB Push
Bianchi asked whether Orlando supporting a winning UFL team could send a message to leagues such as MLB. The conversation turned to the Orlando Dreamers, a group working to bring a Major League Baseball team to the city.
Repole said he will not buy a baseball team outright but would take a minority stake to help land one.
"I'm not going to buy the baseball team," Repole said. "Whether I own 1%, 10% or 15%, I definitely would be interested in bringing them down."
He said he is investing in Orlando real estate and wants to support the city's growth. Repole said an Orlando MLB team would outdraw the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays, and he pointed to the city's tourism base as a reason visiting fans would fill the stadium.
"I chose Orlando. Orlando didn't choose me," Repole said.
Storm Update
Since the interview, the Storm played the final home game Repole promoted. Orlando defeated the DC Defenders 27-19 at Inter&Co Stadium on May 22. The win moved the Storm to 7-2 and gave them the best record in the UFL and the No. 1 seed.
The Storm close the regular season on Sunday, May 31, at the DC Defenders.
Source: Game On with Bianchi & Kravitz