The TV Ratings from USFL action on NBC/FOX are in for Week 6. The league saw an encouraging jump in viewership. The USFL’s four games over the weekend on NBC (2), FOX, and FS1 averaged 731,7500 viewers. This comes a week after Week 5’s USFL games on FOX/NBC and the USA network averaged 642,750 viewers.  The league’s lowest weekly average of the season. For added context, the Week 4 USFL games on FOX/NBC and one telecast on FS1 averaged 805,666 viewers.  

USFL Week 6 TV Ratings (Via Nielsen)

• Saturday afternoon’s 5/21 NBC game between the Tampa Bay Bandits and Philadelphia Stars averaged 785,000 viewers.
• Saturday evening’s 5/21 night NBC game at 7:30 pm ET, featuring the Birmingham Stallions and Michigan averaged 1.196 million viewers. Up from the league’s last primetime showing of the Stallions that aired on FOX, which drew 1.051 million viewers. Saturday’s game got a little bit of give and take from NBC. The Preakness provided a great ratings lead-in (5.2 million viewers) but NBC pulled the plug on the USFL game at 11 pm. The network cut off the telecast late in the fourth quarter to go to local news, and to ensure that the Saturday Night Live season finale could air on time at 11:30 pm ET. The conclusion of the Panthers-Stallions game was broadcast on CNBC instead.

• Sunday’s 5/22 afternoon contest on FS1 between the Pittsburgh Maulers and New Orleans Breakers averaged 281,000 viewers. The telecast scored 0.05 in the 18-49 demo and was ranked 85th out of 150 cable shows.
• Sunday’s late afternoon game on FOX featuring the New Jersey Generals and Houston Gamblers averaged 665,000 viewers. Down slightly from Week 5’s FOX Sunday afternoon showing, which averaged 692,000 viewers.

Here are the USFL TV ratings from the first five weeks of the season as a reference point. Figures courtesy of Nielsen Media Research.

USFL Week 1 TV Ratings

• Saturday, Apr. 16: NJ Generals vs. Birmingham Stallions (FOX): 1.757 million viewers, 0.56 rating/(NBC): 1.310 million viewers, 0.42 rating
• Sunday, Apr. 17: Houston Gamblers vs. Michigan Panthers (NBC): 2.153 million viewers, 0.69 rating
• Sunday, Apr. 17: Philadelphia Stars vs. New Orleans Breakers (USA): 771,000 viewers, 0.25 overall rating, 0.11 in the 18-49 adult demo.
• Monday, Apr. 18: Tampa Bay vs. Pittsburgh (FS1): 268,000 viewers, 0.09 overall rating,  00.6 in the 18-49 demo.

USFL Week 2 Ratings

• Friday, Apr. 22: NJ vs. Michigan (USA): 363,000 viewers, 0.12 rating, 0.07 18-49 demo, ranked 72nd out of top 150 cable telecasts.
• Saturday, Apr. 23: Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh (FOX): 1.056 million viewers, 0.34 rating
• Saturday, Apr. 23: Birmingham vs. Houston (FS1): 402,000 viewers, 0.13 rating (172-minute duration), 
• Saturday, Apr. 23: Birmingham vs. Houston (FS2): 88,000 viewers, 0.03 rating (36-minute duration)
• Sunday, Apr. 24: New Orleans vs. Tampa Bay (NBC): 757,000 viewers, 0.24 rating

USFL Week 3 TV Ratings

• Saturday, April 30: Tampa Bay Bandits vs. Houston Gamblers (FOX) averaged 825,000 viewers.
• Saturday, April 30: Birmingham Stallions vs. New Orleans Breakers (FOX) averaged 1.144 million viewers.
• Sunday, May 1st: Michigan Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Maulers (USA) averaged 292,000 viewers.

USFL Week 4 TV Ratings

• Friday, May 6: Philadelphia Stars vs. Michigan Panthers (FS1): averaged 207,000 viewers, 0.07 rating
• Saturday, May 7: Tampa Bay Bandits vs. Birmingham Stallions (FOX): averaged 1.051 million viewers, 0.34 rating
• Sunday, May 8: Houston Gamblers vs. New Orleans Breakers (NBC): averaged 1.159 million viewers, 0.37 rating

USFL Week 5 TV Ratings

• Friday, May 13: Michigan Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Bandits (USA): averaged 250,000 viewers.
• Saturday, May 14: New Jersey Generals vs. New Orleans Breakers (FOX): averaged 724,000 viewers.
• Sunday, May 15: Birmingham Stallions vs. Philadelphia Stars (NBC): averaged 905,000 viewers
• Sunday, May 15: Pittsburgh Maulers vs. Houston Gamblers (FOX): averaged 692,000 viewers

USFL Week 7 TV Schedule

The USFL will only have one game this coming weekend on broadcast television. A Sunday afternoon tilt between the 6-0 Birmingham Stallions and 1-5 Pittsburgh Maulers, 2 pm ET on FOX.

The rest of the league’s games in Week 7 will be on cable television and the Peacock streaming service.

Starting with a Saturday Noon game on the USA Network between the 5-1 New Jersey Generals and the 3-3 Tampa Bay Bandits. The nightcap on FS1 at 9 pm ET will feature the 4-2 New Orleans Breakers against the 1-5 Michigan Panthers.

The final game of the weekend on Peacock will pit the 3-3 Philadelphia Stars against the 1-5 Houston Gamblers.