XFL 2023

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Viewership declines again for all four XFL games - ProFootballTalk

The bad news: viewership declined for a second straight week.

The good news: You can argue it was because this is the first weekend that 2 of the games were on cable instead of just 1. The ABC and Fox games only slightly dropped.

This week the overall ratings will probably drop even more because one of the games is on ESPN2, not ESPN. Also in the coming weeks there's going to be March Madness and I'm sure ratings will take a hit. But overall the ratings are still pretty good IMO. They will just need to survive March Madness.
 
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VolsSportsFan said:
Viewership declines again for all four XFL games - ProFootballTalk

The bad news: viewership declined for a second straight week.

The good news: You can argue it was because this is the first weekend that 2 of the games were on cable instead of just 1. The ABC and Fox games only slightly dropped.

This week the overall ratings will probably drop even more because one of the games is on ESPN2, not ESPN. Also in the coming weeks there's going to be March Madness and I'm sure ratings will take a hit. But overall the ratings are still pretty good IMO. They will just need to survive March Madness.
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They simply need to ratings to be high enough to keep ESPN and Fox happy during otherwise down months of the sports calendar. If they can continue to justify their TV contracts, the league will be fine.
 
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I’m doing my part. I’ve watched every single game so far. For the sake of football, please support this league. Competition will force the NFL to make much needed changes. The continued viability of the XFL will bring about needed change in all of the football world. The fans of football have suffered due to the complete absence of competition. The NFL is a public relations firm that plays football sometimes. Madden football has ignored legions of dedicated fans begging for a better game in favor of a $60 retread each year. Plus the XFL means football almost year round.
 
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VolsSportsFan said:
Viewership declines again for all four XFL games - ProFootballTalk

The bad news: viewership declined for a second straight week.

The good news: You can argue it was because this is the first weekend that 2 of the games were on cable instead of just 1. The ABC and Fox games only slightly dropped.

This week the overall ratings will probably drop even more because one of the games is on ESPN2, not ESPN. Also in the coming weeks there's going to be March Madness and I'm sure ratings will take a hit. But overall the ratings are still pretty good IMO. They will just need to survive March Madness.
Click to expand...

Those ratings are actually relatively solid, ProFootballTalk is taking every chance they get to attack the XFL

Comparably the AAF in week 3 had ratings of 515,000 and 491,000.
 
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Tampa Bay Vipers Head Coach Marc Trestman says Quentin Flowers was not at practice today for “personal reasons” but he hopes and is welcomed to return. Would not elaborate on reason or reasons for his absence.
 
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OleRockyTop said:
Those ratings are actually relatively solid, ProFootballTalk is taking every chance they get to attack the XFL

Comparably the AAF in week 3 had ratings of 515,000 and 491,000.
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I agree that certain media outlets are in the NFL’s pocket and trying to bash the XFL or at least temper the narrative. I imagine there is quite a war being waged by the NFL via back channels to squash this potentially legitimate threat to their monopoly on football. I foresee the NFL’s relationship with Fox and ESPN getting ugly because of both networks’ successful promotion of an opposing league. I realize the XFL’s endgame is likely to be a feeder league, but the NFL doesn’t want to share ANY profits and is perfectly content being the ONLY game in town. I wonder if the NFL will flat out attempt to buyout the XFL at some point to avoid sharing the market. Probably not publicly of course. It’s actually a perfect storm with the NFL CBA in negotiations while a startup league is finding its footing in the market. It may in some way give the players union more leverage as they have an alternative league to jump over to perhaps. I just love that the NFL is squirming a little. The moat around the NFL’s castle is drying up. I do not wish for the NFL to fall completely. But I do want them to be forced to respond to fan sentiment like they once did. It seems that for several years the NFL has given fans what it wanted to give us (based strictly on league/owner profit) while ignoring the fan experience. Just my two cents.
 
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coach12 said:
I agree that certain media outlets are in the NFL’s pocket and trying to bash the XFL. I imagine there is quite a war being waged by the NFL via back channels to squash this legitimate threat to their monopoly on football. I foresee the NFL’s relationship with Fox and ESPN getting ugly because of both networks’ successful promotion of an opposing league. I realize the XFL’s endgame is likely to be a feeder league, but the NFL doesn’t want to share ANY profits and is perfectly content being the ONLY game in town. I wonder if the NFL will flat out attempt to buyout the XFL at some point to avoid sharing the market. Probably not publicly of course. It’s actually a perfect storm with the NFL CBA in negotiations while a startup league is finding its footing in the market. It may in some way give the players union more leverage as they have an alternative league to jump over to perhaps. I just love that the NFL is squirming a little. The moat around the NFL’s castle is drying up. I do not wish for the NFL to fall completely. But I do want them to be forced to respond to fan sentiment like they once did. It seems that for several years the NFL has given fans what it wanted to give us (based strictly on league/owner profit) while ignoring the fan experience. Just my two cents.
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I think you're way overvaluing the XFL. I doubt they are even a blip on their radar. If the NFL cared that much, the XFL wouldn't be on ESPN and Fox because we both know the NFL would have made that happen. I see nothing to inidicate the NFL is even remotely "squirming". The XFL isn't a viable option for players to jump over to because no player is going to take a massive paycut to play in the XFL. The average salary for an XFL player is $55K; that's 7 weeks for an NFL practice squad member, not even a full roster guy.

This is the same kind of talk that happened with the first XFL and it ended up looking pretty foolish. We probably should wait until the XFL is solidly into season 2 before we start the conspiracy talk. The XFL isn't even remotely in "legitimate threat" territory.
 
#1,543
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VolsSportsFan said:
I think you're way overvaluing the XFL. I doubt they are even a blip on their radar. If the NFL cared that much, the XFL wouldn't be on ESPN and Fox because we both know the NFL would have made that happen. I see nothing to inidicate the NFL is even remotely "squirming". The XFL isn't a viable option for players to jump over to because no player is going to take a massive paycut to play in the XFL. The average salary for an XFL player is $55K; that's 7 weeks for an NFL practice squad member, not even a full roster guy.

This is the same kind of talk that happened with the first XFL and it ended up looking pretty foolish. We probably should wait until the XFL is solidly into season 2 before we start the conspiracy talk. The XFL isn't even remotely in "legitimate threat" territory.
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All fair points. Honestly, my post is more wishful thinking than the true state of things currently. I do think that the XFL would pony up to pay decently competitive money for some higher value NFL stars due to the added publicity. I agree the XFL is not in a position to threaten the NFL immediately, but the threat that the XFL poses with continued growth, would pi$$ the NFL off and hopefully check the NFL’s uncontested place atop the football mountain. Personally, neither league is nearly as appealing as college football. But in the professional realm there should be competition in the market to balance all leagues’ power. You could say the same is true of the all powerful NCAA, but that is an even more complex discussion.
 
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coach12 said:
All fair points. Honestly, my post is more wishful thinking than the true state of things currently. I do think that the XFL would pony up to pay decently competitive money for some higher value NFL stars due to the added publicity. I agree the XFL is not in a position to threaten the NFL immediately, but the threat that the XFL poses with continued growth, would pi$$ the NFL off and hopefully check the NFL’s uncontested place atop the football mountain. Personally, neither league is nearly as appealing as college football. But in the professional realm there should be competition in the market to balance all leagues’ power. You could say the same is true of the all powerful NCAA, but that is an even more complex discussion.
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Honestly I think the NFL wants the XFL to succeed but just enough to be viable; because in that scenario it's like having another minor league they don't have to pay for (the first being college football).

Think of it like this, right now guys like PJ Walker and Cardale Jones are showing out in front of a national audience. They keep this up, they'll be on an NFL roster this fall. So NFL teams will benefit from the exposure and experience without have to spend any money on said development. Of course on the other hand that in turn does help the XFL because they can say "Look, this is a legit league, we're putting guys in the NFL." That's why I think ultimately the XFL is going to come to some kind of agreement with the NFL for an official relationship so the XFL can leverage some costs. The key will be the XFL needs to be popular enough that the XFL can push back on the NFL being too involved, pointing out they're doing well enough on their own as far as the football.

Mine might be just as much of a pipe dream but I can see a beneficial relationship being formed between the 2 that will make it that both the NFL and XFL, and the fans all "win". But we're talking the NFL and Vince McMahon, both famously stubborn.
 
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