It seems as if the UFL, the upstart spring football league that just completed its third season, is finding somewhat of a baseline when it comes to viewership.
The league averaged 674,000 viewers in its third season across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, FS1, and NFL Network, up 1% versus average viewership in its second season (665,000 viewers), per data from Sports Media Watch. The increase is well within the margin that could be solely explained by Nielsen’s shift to Big Data + Panel measurements, which have generally lifted viewership figures for live sports versus prior seasons.
UFL viewership is still well below what the league earned in its inaugural season in 2024, when an average of 850,000 viewers per game tuned in.
The United Bowl between Louisville and D.C. last weekend averaged 988,000 viewers across ABC and ESPN Deportes, which was also up 1% versus the 2025 United Bowl (983,000 viewers). It was the first time the UFL aired its championship game in the afternoon after holding the game in primetime each of its first two seasons.
Several UFL telecasts outdrew the United Bowl audience, which competed directly with World Cup action on Fox. Per Sports Media Watch, six UFL telecasts averaged over one million viewers this season, with 1.59 million viewers for an Indy 500 lead-out game on Fox setting the pace.
While a 1% increase isn’t exactly what leagues should be striving for in their first year following the implementation of Nielsen’s Big Data standard, there’s some bright spots in the numbers for UFL.
Viewership for games aired on ABC increased by 10% year-over-year, averaging 951,000 viewers (up from 866,000). Fox saw a 5% bump versus Year 2, averaging 693,000 viewers. It seems the games on FS1, ESPN2, and NFL Network dragged down the overall increase to just 1%. In other words, UFL’s baseline audience on broadcast television, which are the most important windows for the league, saw a modest increase.
Overall, the consistency from Year 2 to Year 3 should bode well for the UFL’s future. The league has made several moves to shore up operations and keep costs low, like relocating certain teams and centralizing the league’s practice facilities to cut down on travel costs. If the UFL can maintain or grow this level of audience, we could have the first viable spring football league in quite some time.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.