Week eight in the USFL has come and gone, bringing fans plenty of excitement. The TV Ratings have arrived after a weekend full of fast-paced football, so let’s take a look at how the league fared this time around.
#USFL Week 8 TV Ratings:
Pittsburgh/Houston (USA): 228,000
Birmingham/Philadelphia (NBC): 747,000
New Jersey/Memphis (FOX): 720,000
New Orleans/Michigan (FOX): 774,000Streaming numbers not included. Three games on OTA this weekend, one on cable.
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) June 6, 2023
USFL TV Ratings From Week Eight
Pittsburgh Maulers vs. Houston Gamblers (USA): 228,000
Birmingham Stallions vs. Philadelphia Stars (NBC): 747,000
New Jersey Generals vs. Memphis Showboats (FOX): 720,000
New Orleans Breakers vs. Michigan Panthers (FOX): 774,000
USFL TV Ratings Analysis
As always, it’s a mixed bag. This week, three of the four games were on OTA networks, which certainly helped the numbers look quite a bit better than week seven.
Starting with Saturday afternoon’s outing on USA, the numbers are pretty consistent there. USA Network is almost always in the 200-250k range for the USFL, seeing very little growth. One has to wonder how the channel will be utilized in season three, considering the ratings we’ve seen across two years.
NBC’s numbers are slightly lower than what we’ve come to expect in 2023, but 747k is solid. It seems like Philadelphia doesn’t have much pull at all from a ratings perspective, which makes sense since the team isn’t playing in their home market.
FOX performed quite well, at least by this season’s standards, on Sunday. Their doubleheader kicked off at 1pm with New Jersey vs. Memphis garnering 720,000. Then, at 4pm New Orleans and Michigan dueled in what turned out to be the highest rated game of the weekend, with 774,000.
Throughout the last two years, FOX has always consistently been in the 600-800k range, at least for the most part. It seems like there is a general cap for what FOX, and NBC, can bring in for the USFL on OTA. Clearly, the hub cities (Birmingham, Memphis, Michigan) tend to carry the TV ratings, which isn’t a surprise.
USFL TV Ratings From Week Eight, 2022:
New Jersey Generals vs. Pittsburgh Maulers (USA): 208,000
Birmingham Stallions vs. New Orleans Breakers (FOX): 625,000
Philadelphia Stars vs. Michigan Panthers (FOX): 773,000
Houston Gamblers vs. Tampa Bay Bandits: Peacock, N/A
Once again, the comparisons are quite strong. USA and FOX have both been in the same ballpark in 2023.
Final Thoughts
Across the board, there is plenty of consistency from the USFL’s TV Ratings. Whether that regularity is what FOX & NBC want to see long-term, remains to be seen. The numbers are respectable, but there is certainly a lot of room for growth, especially as more markets are introduced to the league.
When it comes to the football itself, the product on the field has been highly entertaining. Ten straight games have been decided by one score. In addition, all eight teams are still eligible for playoff contention, so the competition will be as fierce as ever down the stretch.
Touchdowns‼️ Touchdowns‼️ Touchdowns‼️
Re-watch every touchdown from Week 🎱 pic.twitter.com/4bYF0Sj695
— USFL (@USFL) June 5, 2023
What are your thoughts on the USFL TV Ratings from week eight? Which games did you watch this weekend? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
