UFL Divisional Playoffs-Ratings on ABC and FOX Plus Attendance

The UFL divisional playoffs began Saturday afternoon amidst a spring weekend crowded with horse racing, the NBA and NHL finals, and plenty of WNBA drama. The four best teams in the league, the Birmingham Stallions, the Michigan Panthers, the St. Louis Battlehawks, and the San Antonio Brahmas played their divisional rivals, and only two teams are left to battle for the championship title.

Did fans tune in to catch the action or did they miss out?

The UFL weekly ratings are in and according to Mike Mitchell, @byMikeMitchell on X, once again, it’s great news for the fans and the UFL.

Saturday 6/9

Birmingham Stallions v. Michigan Panthers: Averaged 1,100,000 viewers on ABC

The Panthers’ defense fought hard to contain Adrian Martinez and the league’s best offense, forcing multiple turnovers and costly penalties. Martinez and the Stallions struggled early in the game and were down 18-3. But once the Stallions’ offense shook off their first-half jitters, Martinez launched a stunning 50-yard touchdown strike to Jordan Thomas. A subsequent Chris Blewitt field goal at the end of the first half whittled the Panthers lead to 18-12. 

An insane third quarter featuring a combined six turnovers between the teams led to a Stallions’ change at quarterback. Matt Corral stepped in to replace the struggling Martinez. Despite throwing an interception on his very first pass, Corral went on to put together an impressive Stallions rally to defeat the Panthers by a score of 31-18.  

Attendance: 10,287

St. Louis Battlehawks v. San Antonio Brahmas: Averaged 1,274,000 viewers on FOX. 

On Sunday night, the Battlehawks hosted the Brahmas in a game they were expected to win. In addition to the advantage of a hometown stadium filled with cheering fans, they had their ace quarterback A. J. McCarron back under center. The Battlehawks had the added advantage of the UFL’s number one wide receiver, Hakeem Butler, and Jacob Saylors, the league’s best running back on offense. 

But the game turned into a bruising defensive struggle, as the Brahmas, the best defensive team in the league, overcame the Battlehawks by a score of 25-15 to advance to the UFL League Championship next week.  

The Brahmas punishing defense held the Battlehawks to a single Andre Szymt 46-yard field goal for the first half of the game. In addition to sacking McCarron four times, the Brahmas defense forced a fumble, broke up two passes, and had nine tackles that resulted in a loss of yards. 

Brahmas quarterback Chase Garbers returned from injured reserve just in time for the playoffs. The Brahmas offense scored 13 unanswered points early in the game when Garbers had his longest touchdown of the season, a 63-yard beauty to wide receiver Justin Smith.  

Attendance: 30, 237

Not only did millions of fans tune in, but there was a significant increase over one year ago during the divisional playoffs. In June of 2023, the USFL divisional game between the Michigan Panthers and the Pittsburgh Maulers drew an audience of 957, 000. That same weekend, the XFL Sunday night game between the Birmingham Stallions and the New Orleans Breakers on FOX drew a crowd of 852,000.

Get Ready For The Championship Game!

Sunday 6/16

Birmingham Stallions v. San Antonio Brahmas: FOX will broadcast the game at 5:00 pm EDT

Check your local listings to catch all the action.

Sue Levine

Sue Levine spent the past five years creating and producing a successful weekly health and wellness podcast starring a wonderful iconic woman as the program host. As part of Sue's responsibilities, she scripted every episode and discovered a genuine love of writing. When the podcast ended late last year, she shifted the focus of her writing to covering pro sports. A passionate fan of NFL and UFL football as well as fantasy, she is delighted to be able to share her articles with other football fans.

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