XFL ratings continue to erode, but the league scored its first week-over-week increase on Sunday.
Saturday’s Seattle-St. Louis XFL game averaged a 1.1 rating and 1.80 million viewers on FOX, down 15% in ratings and 12% in viewership from the previous week (Dallas-Seattle: 1.3, 2.05M) and down 27% and 22% respectively from week two (Tampa Bay-Seattle: 1.5, 2.32M).
The game was the top XFL telecast of week four, marking the first week this season that none of the games have cracked the two million viewer mark. It ranked third among Saturday sporting events (second in adults 18-49).
Earlier in the day, ABC averaged a 1.0 (-16%) and 1.56 million (-19%) for Los Angeles-New York — marking the lowest rated and least-watched XFL window on broadcast TV thus far (ten telecasts).
On Sunday, FS1 drew a 0.6 and 1.11 million for Houston-Dallas — down a third in ratings and 24% in viewership from last week on ESPN (New York-St. Louis: 0.9, 1.47M) and 60% and 54% respectively from week two on ABC (Dallas-Los Angeles: 1.5, 2.40M).
Rounding out the weekend, ESPN2 averaged a 0.6 and 1.03 million for DC-Tampa Bay — flat in ratings but up 3% in viewership from last week on FS1 (DC-LA: 0.6, 1.00M), but down 25% and 24% respectively from week two, also on FS1 (New York-Washington: 0.8, 1.36M).
The ESPN2 game was the first XFL window to increase over the previous week.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 3.3]
