UFL Week 4 Attendance: Birmingham Draws 18,340 in Home Opener, Houston Sets Season Low at 4,880

UFL Week 4 Attendance: Birmingham Draws 18,340 in Home Opener, Houston Sets Season Low at 4,880

Week 4 of the 2026 UFL season featured four home debuts or rematches across a Thursday-Friday-Saturday schedule. Total attendance came in at 39,889 — an average of 9,972 per game.

That is below the season average of 12,563 entering the week and a step back from Week 3's 48,591 total. The schedule worked against the numbers. One game aired exclusively on the ESPN app with no television broadcast. Another was a Friday night road game for a 3-0 team. And the league's two Saturday games split the audience between ABC and FOX.

Birmingham Draws 18,340 for Home Opener

The Orlando Storm visited the Birmingham Stallions on Saturday at Protective Stadium. Orlando won 16-0, recording the first shutout in UFL regular-season history.

Birmingham drew 18,340 for its first home game of the 2026 season. Protective Stadium has a capacity of 47,100, but the UFL covered the upper bowl to create a smaller configuration, in line with Mike Repole's league-wide approach to venue downsizing.

Despite the loss, the number is a positive sign for Birmingham. The Stallions have been one of the league's most scrutinized markets. Repole challenged Birmingham's fan base to buy 5,000 season ticket deposits last offseason and set a target of 15,000 to 20,000 fans per home game. The 18,340 figure clears that mark.

Former Stallions head coach Skip Holtz, who won three spring football titles in Birmingham, attended the game. Gucci Mane performed at halftime. The Stallions dropped to 1-3 and traded starting quarterback Matt Corral to Orlando after the game.

Columbus Draws 8,729 in Second Home Game

The Dallas Renegades visited the Columbus Aviators on Friday night at Historic Crew Stadium. Columbus won 28-14 — the Aviators' first win of the 2026 season.

The announced attendance was 8,729. That is a drop from 14,810 in the Week 2 home opener against D.C. Crew Stadium holds about 20,000.

The decline is notable. Columbus entered Friday's game at 0-3, which likely contributed to the smaller crowd. The win over Dallas may help stabilize that number going forward. Running back Toa Taua and the Aviators rushed for over 200 yards as Columbus handed the previously unbeaten Renegades their first loss.

D.C. Draws 7,940 for Battlehawks Visit

The St. Louis Battlehawks visited the D.C. Defenders on Saturday at Audi Field. D.C. won 28-22 to improve to 3-1.

The announced attendance was 7,940. That is a steep drop from D.C.'s 12,167 home opener in Week 3 — a decline of more than 4,200 fans. Audi Field has a capacity of 20,000.

The game aired on ABC at 12:30 p.m. ET, giving it one of the better broadcast windows of the week. Hakeem Butler had a 75-yard catch-and-run touchdown for St. Louis, but the Battlehawks could not complete another comeback. Quarterback Harrison Frost completed just 6 of 21 passes.

D.C. averaged 13,000 per home game in 2025. Through two home games in 2026, the Defenders are averaging 10,054. The reigning UFL champions may be winning on the field, but the attendance trend is heading the wrong direction.

Houston Sets Season Low at 4,880

The Louisville Kings visited the Houston Gamblers on Thursday night at Shell Energy Stadium. Louisville won 24-22 in overtime for the Kings' first victory in franchise history.

The announced attendance was 4,880 — the lowest figure of the 2026 UFL season. Shell Energy Stadium has a capacity of about 20,600. The building was less than one-quarter full.

The game aired on NFL Network on a Thursday night. That combination — a weeknight game on a channel that not all fans have access to — is a tough ask for in-person attendance. Houston has been the UFL's most difficult market since the league launched. The Gamblers drew 7,744 on Easter Sunday in Week 2, their only other home game this season.

Louisville earned its win behind six field goals from kicker Tanner Brown, including a 59-yarder. Linebacker Cam Gill had eight tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. The Kings won the overtime shootout after converting their first attempt while Houston did not.

Week 4 Attendance at a Glance

Four-Week Attendance Trend

What the Numbers Show Through Four Weeks

The season-wide average has dipped from 12,563 after Week 3 to 11,915 after Week 4. That still falls inside Repole's target range of 10,000 to 15,000, but the gap between top and bottom markets continues to widen.

Birmingham posted the second-highest single-game attendance of the season at 18,340, behind only St. Louis's Week 1 opener (31,191). The two cities with the most history in spring football — St. Louis dating to the XFL in 2020, Birmingham dating to the USFL in 2022 — are also drawing the two biggest crowds.

Houston's 4,880 is now the season low. The Gamblers have drawn 4,880 and 7,744 in two home games for an average of 6,312. That is the worst home average in the league through four weeks. The Thursday night slot on NFL Network did not help, but Houston's attendance problems predate the schedule.

Dallas had posted the lowest attendance in the first three weeks. The Renegades did not have a home game in Week 4, but their three home figures — 8,870, 5,799, and 5,133 — give them a home average of 6,601. Houston's two-game home average of 6,312 is close behind. The two Texas markets sit at the bottom of every attendance measure in the league.

Columbus dropped from 14,810 to 8,729 between its two home games. D.C. dropped from 12,167 to 7,940. Both declines suggest that home openers in 2026 may be carrying inflated numbers compared to what the markets will sustain week-to-week.

Through 16 games, St. Louis's two home games (51,400 total) account for 27 percent of the league's entire attendance.

Week 5 begins Friday, April 24, with D.C. at Birmingham.

Attendance figures confirmed by UFL News Hub. Game results via Fox Sports.