After 40 regular-season games, the UFL’s average TV ratings for the 2025 season were 651,000 viewers per game, surpassing the USFL’s and XFL’s averages individually in 2023, but still down 20% from the merged UFL’s debut season in 2024. (812,000 in the regular season).
As most sports leagues have experienced, a year ago, the UFL saw a spike in viewership during the postseason, averaging 1.32 million viewers for the league’s two conference championship games and the UFL title game.
The 2024 USFL Conference Championship Game, broadcast on ABC, averaged 1.1 million viewers. On FOX, the XFL Conference Championship a year ago averaged 1.274 million viewers. The numbers represented a 57% increase from the USFL and XFL’s playoff game viewing average of 748,000 in 2023.
The UFL average viewership on FOX during the 2025 regular season was 661,000. On ABC, the viewing average was 857,000 per game.
Did this year’s conference championship games provide a similar ratings spike on the UFL’s two big networks?
UFL 2025 Conference Championship Game TV Ratings On ABC/FOX
Sunday June 8th
The 2025 USFL Conference Championship, broadcast on ABC at 3 pm ET, which saw the Michigan Panthers knock off the three-time league champion Stallions in Birmingham, averaged 1.1 million viewers.
The game’s viewership peaked at 1.6 million viewers from 5:45 ET to 6 pm. ABC had an identical viewership number a year ago with the same two teams.
The 2025 XFL Conference Championship, which was initially slated to kick off at 6 pm ET on FOX, was pushed back to after 6:20 pm. An average of 873,000 viewers watched the DC Defenders’ triumph over the Battlehawks in St. Louis.
The decisive 38-16 DC victory drew a peak audience of 1,046,000 viewers from 7:30 to 7:45 p.m.
The Saturday evening UFL showing overlapped with game 2 of the NBA Finals on ABC, which was watched by an average of 8.7 million viewers.
The 2025 United Football League Championship Game will air this coming Saturday, June 14th, at 8 pm Eastern on ABC in primetime. The game being held at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis will pit two teams with leading MVP candidates at quarterback, as Bryce Perkins squares off with spring league veteran Jordan Ta’amu.
The Michigan Panthers, led by head coach Mike Nolan, will make their first league championship game appearance in 42 years, since the 1983 USFL season. The DC Defenders, led by rookie head coach Shannon Harris, will be playing their second league championship game in three years after falling short in the 2023 XFL title game to Bob Stoops’s Arlington Renegades. A game that saw an average of 1.43 million viewers on May 13th, 2023.
Last June’s UFL Championship Game on FOX averaged 1.57 million viewers. ABC, which has produced the UFL’s best overall viewership this season with the great Joe Tessitore calling games, has an uphill battle, based on the 2025 trend to match or surpass last year’s title game viewership mark. But on paper, the game itself has a chance to be the season’s best. One thing the game will not have to contend with this coming Saturday evening is head-to-head competition with the NBA Finals. It will, however, square off against the NHL Finals and MLB on FOX.
1 Comment
by 4th&long
ABC #’s good if not great once again.
The drop off at Fox is consistent through out the season from 2024. The UFL website and social media did a far better and “in-your-face” promotion of weekly games with dates/times/network. People stumble on ABC more so than Fox and that may explain the ABC better hold from 2024.
The 3pm ABC USFL game was also more fun and competitive. The BH really sh#t the bed and came out lame against DC. The delay start hurt and forced more of the game to overlap the NBA finals on ABC.
Having said the the above, the AVG for the two games exceed all other spring FB playoff averages USFL/XFL 2022/2023. Only 2024 did better.
Heading into Championship game… here are some potential positives:
1) two big TV markets playing in Detroit and DC. Last yr Birm and SA combine for 1.48% of Households, this year will be 3.68% of Households. Hopefully that translates into a bigger audience
2) Two High powered offenses
3) Its on ABC in primetime and is being promoted for weeks on the UFL website.
4) Its not going up against the NBA finals (just NHL hopefully in a dull game 5) & MLB
5) If the game gets 2.2 million viewers the UFL 2025 season will get to 700k avg for the full season. A long shot but possible.
And I’m looking forward to this one.