The 2026 United Bowl between the D.C. Defenders and Louisville Kings drew a sellout crowd of 19,023 at Audi Field on Saturday, June 13. The UFL opened the upper deck at Audi Field for the first time this season to meet ticket demand. Louisville won 27-20 to claim the championship in the franchise's first year of existence.
The 19,023 figure is more than double D.C.'s regular-season home average of 9,000. It is also the largest crowd at Audi Field for a UFL game since the Defenders' 12,167 home opener in Week 3.
The UFL announced the game was officially sold out before kickoff. Tickets originally went on sale before the playoff round began. Demand led to the upper deck sections being opened. The halftime show featured a performance by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, with DJ Mix Master Mike also performing.
Championship Game Year-Over-Year
Season | Venue | Capacity | Attendance | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | The Dome at America's Center (St. Louis) | ~65,000 | 27,396 | Birmingham |
2025 | The Dome at America's Center (St. Louis) | ~65,000 | 14,559 | D.C. |
2026 | Audi Field (Washington, D.C.) | 20,000 | 19,023 | Louisville |
The 2026 United Bowl drew 19,023 — a 31 percent increase over the 2025 championship (14,559) but still 31 percent below the 2024 figure (27,396). Both previous championship games were held at The Dome in St. Louis, which has a capacity of about 65,000. Audi Field holds 20,000.
The 2026 game is the first UFL championship to sell out. The 2024 and 2025 title games at The Dome filled less than half of the building's capacity. Moving the championship to a smaller venue produced a full stadium and a better atmosphere, even with a lower raw number.
Final 2026 Playoff Attendance
Game | Venue | Attendance | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
No. 4 D.C. at No. 1 Orlando | Daytona Stadium, Daytona Beach, FL | 6,317* | DC 28, ORL 22 |
No. 3 Louisville at No. 2 St. Louis | The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis | 18,111 | LOU 29, STL 20 |
United Bowl: D.C. vs. Louisville | Audi Field, Washington, D.C. | 19,023 | LOU 27, DC 20 |
Total / Average | 43,451 / 14,484 |
*Last-minute venue change from Orlando. Daytona announced six days before kickoff.
Three-Year Playoff Attendance Comparison
Season | Semifinal 1 | Semifinal 2 | Championship | Total | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 10,287 (BIR) | 30,237 (STL) | 27,396 (STL) | 67,920 | 22,640 |
2025 | 10,928 (BIR) | 27,589 (STL) | 14,559 (STL) | 53,076 | 17,692 |
2026 | 6,317 (Daytona)* | 18,111 (STL) | 19,023 (DC) | 43,451 | 14,484 |
The three-year trend shows a decline in total playoff attendance: 67,920 to 53,076 to 43,451. The 2026 total is 18 percent below 2025 and 36 percent below 2024.
However, the championship game reversed the trend. The 2025 title game (14,559) was a 47 percent drop from 2024 (27,396). The 2026 title game (19,023) bounced back — a 31 percent increase from 2025. The smaller venue and a sellout atmosphere contributed to that rebound.
The semifinal totals tell a different story. The 2026 semifinals drew 24,428 combined. The 2025 semifinals drew 38,517. The 2024 semifinals drew 40,524. Orlando's venue change to Daytona accounts for part of that gap. Had the Storm played at Inter&Co Stadium and drawn near their regular-season average of 9,830, the semifinal total would have been closer to 28,000 — still below prior years but a narrower margin.
St. Louis's playoff attendance has declined each year: 30,237 (2024 semi), 27,589 (2025 semi), and 18,111 (2026 semi). The Dome hosted all three. That drop — from 30,000 to 18,000 over three years — is the most consistent downward trend in the league's playoff history.
Final 2026 Season Attendance — Complete
Period | Games | Total | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
Regular season | 40 | 418,708 | 10,468 |
Playoffs | 3 | 43,451 | 14,484 |
Full season | 43 | 462,159 | 10,748 |
Note: Excluding the Fort Hood free admission game (4,001), the 42-game average is 10,909.
Final Home Averages — All Teams (Regular Season Only)
Rank | Team | Home Games | Total | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | St. Louis | 5 | 116,193 | 23,239 |
2 | Louisville | 5 | 55,975 | 11,195 |
3 | Columbus | 5 | 51,808 | 10,362 |
4 | Orlando | 5 | 49,148 | 9,830 |
5 | D.C. | 5 | 45,000 | 9,000 |
6 | Birmingham | 5 | 41,242 | 8,248 |
7 | Dallas | 5 | 30,926 | 6,185* |
8 | Houston | 5 | 28,416 | 5,683 |
*Includes Fort Hood free admission game (4,001).
The 2026 Attendance Story — By the Numbers
The UFL finished its third season with a full-season average of 10,748 per game across 43 games. That is inside Mike Repole's stated target of 10,000 to 15,000.
The regular-season average of 10,468 was lower than the 2025 full-season average of approximately 12,500. The decline was driven by several factors: Houston and Dallas continued to struggle at the bottom of the league, Birmingham's attendance collapsed after the home opener, and D.C. dropped 31 percent from its 2025 home average.
St. Louis remained the league's anchor. The Battlehawks' five regular-season home games drew 116,193 fans — 28 percent of the league's total regular-season attendance. Without St. Louis, the other 35 regular-season games averaged 8,643.
Louisville was the expansion success story. The Kings averaged 11,195 at home, held above 10,000 in all five games, and then won the championship. For a first-year franchise, that is the benchmark for future expansion markets.
The United Bowl sellout at Audi Field was the high point of the postseason. The 19,023 figure proved that a championship game at a smaller venue can produce a full building and a better product than a half-empty 65,000-seat dome.
The league now turns to the offseason with questions about Houston and Dallas, two markets that have underperformed in every season. Repole has said he wants 16 teams by 2035. The 2026 attendance data suggests the UFL has work to do in its current eight markets before expanding to new ones.