The TV ratings for Week 5 of the UFL 2025 season are in. The UFL encountered some stiff competition in the sports TV landscape, with the NBA and NHL playoffs continuing but it was the 2025 NFL Draft that took away the most attention.
It was also the first weekend of the 2025 UFL season, that had only big network game (FOX), with three telecasts on cable TV (ESPN).
UFL 2025 Season Week 5 TV Ratings On ESPN & Fox
Friday 4/25 UFL showing at 8 pm ET on FOX featuring the Birmingham Stallions and Memphis Showboats averaged 467,000 viewers. The telecast peaked at 681,000 viewers during its first fifteen minutes. The game went directly against night 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, which accumulated a combined 7.3 million viewers on ESPN, ABC, the NFL Network and streaming outlets.
The 467,000 average is the lowest rated Spring Pro Football game on FOX since a USFL game between the Michigan Panthers and New Jersey Generals on April 30, 2023, averaged 563,000 viewers.
On Saturday night, 4/26, the St. Louis Battlehawks-Michigan Panthers game on ESPN averaged 615,000 viewers.
Sunday afternoon’s 4/27 doubleheader on ESPN saw DC-Arlington game average 545,000 viewers, while the follow-up between San Antonio and Houston averaged 391,000 viewers.
Overall, it was a challenging weekend for the UFL in Week 5, despite having arguably its most exciting slate of games. The Week 5 average viewership was 504,500. It’s lowest viewership weekly total since the USFL and XFL merged.
In Week 6, the UFL will have three big network telecasts, starting with Friday night on FOX when the Arlington Renegades and St. Battlehawks square off. ABC will air a Saturday noon clash between Memphis and Houston. On Sunday, DC and Michigan face off on ESPN2 at Noon ET. The Week 6 finale sees the San Antonio Brahmas at the Birmingham Stallions, 4pm ET on FOX.
3 Comments
by 4th&long
Stumble is kind. Fox can’t be happy with Friday nights in general. ABC itself is doing OK. But ESPN is also down. Having the two smallest TV markets play Friday likely didn’t help.
UFL YTD is like 613k avg, in 2024 YTD thru wk 5 was 849k with full yr 850k (includes playoffs). Down 28%. On plus side that’s the weakest week of TV broadcasting with 3 cable and NFL draft.
The league needs to do a deep dive on TV ratings. Some potential reasons:
-) No eye catcher at beginning of season, like Spring is Back (2022), XFL is back (2023), Rock at kickoff / USFL v XFL (2024)… nothing Positive to spark the media
-) Strike talk and player discontent over nickles – this Negative news got alot of attention prior to the season starting, BIG mistake by player “union” major turn off for sales and TV
-) Lots of small mkt teams on Friday night
-) Two small market teams (Memphis and Birm), these are really small TV markets – maybe keep 1 but 2? And go into bigger markets.
-) The league likely needs to hit the ground running a bit faster and stronger on the field – a 5 week of practice post camp cuts with only the active roster likely helps
-) Dany Garcia is Cringe, she’s talks alot and says little, no men’s league is run by a woman – she’s not helping the league and lacks credibility – she’s not a strong voice like a Sankey (SEC) or Oliver Luck
-) Russ Brandon is a back office type and a total wet blanket. Again they need a spokesman that has charisma and comes across as knowledgeable
-) Player 54 and dev league talk – keep telling the fans its a dev league and they will treat it that way. USFL never said that. Drop it. You can talk of those going to NFL in a way that illustrates that the league has top players. But fans don’t want to hear that its a dev league which is how it comes across.
-) Go back to XFL 2020 or USFL 2022 slogan –
“For the Love of Football” or “United by Football” – That’s why people watch they love Fb and are united in fandom.
-) Outrageous Ticket prices and no season tix discount. $100 for Houston center field seats? The other side is $74? WTF and its not just there. if the goal is fans in seats for TV appearances then price accordingly.
-) Coaching turmoil esp losing two name Coaches in season. Losing Wade and Whisenhunt HURT. They give UFL credibilty. Both should have been gone before week 1. Next year get this right.
-) Focus on awareness and TV viewership. Raise awareness of the UFL, use guerilla marketing etc…
-) The Website isn’t very good – Instead of BUY TICKETS on main page – it should highlight what games are being played that week, date, time and channel. How stupid is that? Make it OBVIOUS, it was easier last year esp on Facebook etc…
In General the league needs to WORK HARDER – all efforts should be started with “This will help raise TV viewership by…” Get a new CEO if necessary Brandon looks on autopilot.
Will UFL play into 2026 – I hope so. The weeks coming up are stacked with more Broadcast channel games.
by WNY football fan
Great comments!
I can tell that you love this game, and you want this league to be successful. Many of your suggestions are spot on! There are a couple of ideas I do not agree with, but I love your enthusiasm! This league should listen to fans like you and get busy and get to work towards making the UFL successful. “For the love of football” is a great point. We are fans that love and know this game just like the players who put out great effort to perform on the field every week. Give them and us the credit we deserve. Stop debasing this league by calling it a developmental league for the NFL!
by Ken Granito
And please….check to see when the biggest time were. I could imagine any number of NFL fans seeing the consistent holding on Bradley Anae. clothes lines, arms wrapped around his neck. Literally jersey being pulled from every corner. That left tackle should have left at least a 20 in Anae’s waistband and no calls. That would get ANY NFL fan to turn off the set. Completely ridiculous. It doesn’t even make sense. I feel like I am the only one who has said that and I am a Panthers and Generals fan. I am hopeful we can smack Fox around a little more and get even lower. Boycott Friday night. Let them know this type of refereeing is no fun. They think Birmingham doesn’t follow them. Boycott the stadium. There is NO way the Stallions get fair officiating from the UFL. No way. It’s like they can’t even tell what is real because the UnFootball League hasn’t allowed for any real football to be shown at a Stallions game. If I were a Stallions fan I would never support your league and you would deserve it.