USFL scores big with viewers in inaugural season
The USFL's first season will end on Sunday with the championship game between the Stallions and the Stars
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The FOX-backed United States Football League is nearing the end of its season.
On Sunday, spring football fans will be treated to the championship matchup between the Philadelphia Stars and Birmingham Stallions from Benson Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}J'Mar Smith #6 of the Birmingham Stallions reacts to a pass in the second quarter of the game against the New Orleans Breakers at Legion Field on June 04, 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Elsa/USFL/Getty Images)
FOX Sports EVP and Head of Strategy Michael Mulvihill spoke with The New York Post and spoke on his biggest draws from the inaugural season.
Mulvihill lauded the "quality of play and TV viewership," a major criterion in the pre-season with building up a competitor to follow the ratings juggernaut that is the NFL.
Coming in with a 9-1 record, the Stallions give the southern division a strong shot at winning the championship over the North’s Philadelphia Stars (6-4).
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mulvihill said, "In terms of quality of play and watchability, the league has exceeded expectations, in my opinion. Points per game, length of game and margin of victory are all in line with what fans expect from professional football. Most of our games are one-possession games.
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Bryan Scott #18 of Philadelphia Stars looks to pass the ball in the first quarter of the game against the Pittsburgh Maulers at Protective Stadium on April 23, 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Jamie Squire/USFL/Getty Images)
"That’s helped us deliver the viewership we need to be successful."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mulvihill shared the League’s intent on displaying a demand for televised spring football, which he now attests can now be proven by the USFL’s ratings. He shared that the "USFL averaged just over a million viewers on FOX and NBC, which is better than the NHL regular season, better than the Premier League, better than MLS."
Mulvihill added, "So that’s not a knock on those properties at all. It’s an acknowledgment of their success and of the fact that we aim to belong in their company. The USFL showed that it more than belongs on the spring and summer sports calendar."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Scooby Wright III #33 of Birmingham Stallions warms up before the game against the New Jersey Generals at Protective Stadium on April 16, 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Rob Carr/USFL/Getty Images)
With its first season soon to be etched in the history books, the trajectory looks up for the USFL and is expected to continue to climb as the product evolves with more spring competition entering the field.