The United Football League (UFL) concluded its 2025 regular season, with FOX Sports airing 20 games and one postseason matchup, including “FOX UFL Friday.” Despite a 19% viewership drop across FOX, ABC, ESPN, and FS1 (from 651,000 viewers per game in 2024 to 816,000), FOX’s coverage, averaging 661,000 viewers per game, highlighted robust regional engagement.
The highest-viewed game, the Week 9 DC Defenders vs. Houston Roughnecks matchup on May 25, 2025, drew 1.348 million viewers, boosted by the Indy 500’s 7 million viewer lead-in. Notably, neither DC nor Houston ranked among the top TV markets, suggesting national appeal driven by the lead-in. A 2024 analysis at Sports Illustrated of top markets across FOX, ABC, and ESPN revealed Birmingham’s dominance (1.65 rating), a trend that continued in 2025.
The numbers below, courtesy of FOX Sports, do not reflect the XFL Championship Game on FOX, which averaged 873,000 viewers. Additional data, including that game, will be included in the future, which involved DC and St. Louis.
Top-Rated TV Markets for UFL Games on FOX, 2025: (Per FOX Sports)
Birmingham: 1.6 rating, 5 share – Despite continuous struggles with attendance, the Birmingham Stallions have strong viewership.
New Orleans: 1.4 rating, 5 share – Sustained enthusiasm post-USFL’s New Orleans Breakers.
St. Louis: 1.3 rating, 4 share – Robust support for the St. Louis Battlehawks.
Louisville: 0.8 rating, 3 share – Notable non-UFL market interest.
Tulsa: 0.8 rating, 3 share – Loyal spring football viewership without a UFL team.
Dallas: 0.7 rating, 3 share – Engaged market for the Arlington Renegades.
Detroit: 0.7 rating, 3 share – Strong support for the Michigan Panthers.
San Antonio: 0.7 rating, 3 share – Loyal market for the San Antonio Brahmas.
Nashville: 0.7 rating, 3 share – Emerging non-UFL market interest.
Kansas City: 0.7 rating, 3 share – Solid non-UFL market viewership.
Cincinnati: 0.7 rating, 3 share – Consistent spring football fandom.
Milwaukee: 0.7 rating, 3 share – Growing non-UFL market interest.
Oklahoma City: 0.7 rating, 2 share – Signals Oklahoma expansion potential.
Memphis: 0.7 rating, 2 share – Support for the Memphis Showboats.
Analysis: Birmingham, St. Louis, Dallas, Detroit, San Antonio, and Memphis, all UFL markets, drove viewership. Meanwhile, New Orleans, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City highlight growth opportunities, particularly in Oklahoma, for potential expansion. ABC’s 2025 market ratings, forthcoming, will further clarify regional trends.
Of all the non-markets watching the UFL, the Oklahoma region is of interest because of its continued trend of watching spring pro football since 2020. Uniquely, Tulsa continues to remain loyal to the product. As chronicled at USFLNewshub, Tulsa was a top-three rated league market for the USFL on FOX.
For what it's worth, the UFL recently updated its existing trademark of the USFL legacy brand, the Oklahoma Outlaws.
The UFL has been undertaking significant intellectual property housekeeping in recent weeks. Abandoning some of the USFL and XFL legacy brands, while extending the life of others. As a result, much speculation has been tied to the league's trademark and copyright transactions. With many speculating on what, if anything, it could mean for expansion or even relocation.
Despite the league's intention to expand from eight to ten teams in 2026, and UFL VP of Football Operations David Dykeman publicly stating in an interview with CT Insider in April that an announcement of the two new league teams was forthcoming in 2025. In recent days, League president Russ Brandon has hinted that the UFL doesn't have an imminent timetable set for expanding, with the messaging from Brandon suggesting that the league is taking a methodical approach.
One thing is for sure: the league's leadership, which is having end-of-season meetings to reassess the 2025 season, and determine the direction for 2026 and beyond, will undoubtedly be looking at their internal ratings data from league owners FOX and Disney, to set a chart for where the league should go and remain moving forward.
We will be announcing later this year a ninth and 10th team for expansion in the 2026 season. *UFL VP of Football Ops David Dykeman to CT Insider In April*