This weekend, the XFL kicked off their season in spectacular fashion. The league played four exciting games, with three of them being decided by only one score. Official XFL ratings for every game were delayed due to President’s Day, but we finally know how many tuned into each week one matchup.
BREAKING: #XFL Opening Week Ratings, per Skedball
Arlington/Vegas (ABC): 1.53M
Orlando/Houston (ESPN): 751k
SA/St. Louis (ABC): 1.57M
DC/Seattle (ESPN): 918kThe XFL didn't crack 1 million viewers on both of their ESPN games. Major drop from week one in 2020.
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) February 22, 2023
Ratings for 2023 XFL Week One:
Arlington Renegades vs. Vegas Vipers (ABC): 1.53M
Houston Roughnecks vs. Orlando Guardians (ESPN/FX): 751k/390k
San Antonio Brahmas vs. St. Louis Battlehawks (ABC): 1.57M
DC Defenders vs. Seattle Sea Dragons (ESPN): 918k
Something to take into consideration is ESPN+. The streaming service will be hosting every XFL game this season. Without a doubt, there are definitely viewers watching these games through that service. How many, we don’t know.
These ratings are certainly a drop from XFL 2.0. In 2020, the league saw much higher ratings across the board.
Ratings for Week One in 2020:
DC Defenders vs. Seattle Dragons (ABC): 3.3M
Houston Roughnecks vs. Los Angeles Wildcats (FOX): 3.2M
New York Guardians vs. Tampa Bay Vipers (FOX): 3.4M
Dallas Renegades vs. St. Louis Battlehawks (ESPN): 2.49M
We’ll see how the rest of the season plays out. The XFL will have a handful of games on only FX over the coming weeks, so that could lead to a drop in ratings. With all of this in mind, the league did perform relatively well, especially considering the competition they faced during opening weekend.
The XFL continues their season on Thursday night. You can watch the Seattle Sea Dragons host the St. Louis Battlehawks on FX, at 9pm ET.
What do you think of the XFL ratings this weekend? Is this a good, or bad sign, for the league? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
