The TV Ratings from USFL action on FOX/NBC Sports are in for Week 7. The USFL’s three games over Memorial Day weekend on measured Nielsen stations FOX, FS1, and USA Network averaged 441,666 viewers. The league’s lowest average viewership total since Week 5 (642,750). Unlike Week 5, the USFL did not have three major network games. Week 7’s broadcasts only had one telecast on FOX, with two on Cable and the final game on NBC’s Peacock streaming network.

USFL Week 7 TV Ratings (Via Nielsen)

• The 5/28 Saturday Noon ET game on the USA Network between the New Jersey Generals and the Tampa Bay Bandits averaged 228,000 viewers. The telecast scored a 0.05 in the 18-49 demo and was ranked 88th out of 150 cable shows.
• The 5/29 FS1 9 pm ET broadcast, which saw the league’s first overtime game of the season between New Orleans and Michigan, averaged 267,000 viewers. The telecast scored 0.05 in the 18-49 demo and was ranked 83rd out of 150 cable shows.
• The 5/29 Sunday afternoon FOX tilt between the still unbeaten Birmingham Stallions and the Pittsburgh Maulers averaged 830,000 viewers. The previous two FOX Sunday afternoon USFL games in Week 6 and 5 averaged 665,000 and 692,000 viewers.
• As for viewership numbers for Peacock USFL games like this past Sunday’s broadcast of the Houston Gamblers and Philadelphia Stars. According to their communications department. Nielsen has the ability to measure program-specific content on any streaming service. But they do not have live/linear measurement numbers for the USFL games on Peacock because the network has opted not to be included in Nielsen’s syndication National TV Ratings service. Perhaps that can change in the future.

Through the first seven weeks of the USFL season, 25 of the league’s 28 games have aired on measured broadcast channels. The other three aired on Peacock. Here is the up to season average viewership for each network.

• FOX- (9 games): 971k
• NBC-(7 games): 1.18 million
• FS1- (5 games): 285k
• USA- (4 games): 413k

For the entire season, all networks included, the USFL is averaging 850,720 viewers per telecast. Just over a million viewer average on NBC and FOX. (1,075,500), and 349,000 avg. on their cable telecasts (FS1/USA).

Week 1’s strong showing, has helped bring the overall average up somewhat. The USFL’s first NBC only showing averaged 2.1 million viewers. Its first USA network broadcast averaged 771,000.

For bookkeeping and context on the USFL viewership numbers throughout this entire season. Here are the USFL TV ratings from the first six weeks 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 6 TV Ratings

• May 21: Tampa Bay vs. Philadelphia (NBC): 785,000 viewers, 0.25 rating
  May 21: Michigan vs. Birmingham (NBC): 1.196 million viewers, 0.38 rating (NBC’s final number for the Michigan-Birmingham USFL game — was down considerably from a Bruins-Capitals NHL playoff game in the same window in 2021 (2.28M*).

• May 22: Pittsburgh vs. New Orleans (FS1): 281,000 viewers, 0.09 rating
  May 22: Houston vs. New Jersey (FOX): 665,000 viewers, 0.21 rating

USFL Week 8 TV Schedule

Week 8 in the USFL kicks off Friday Night at 8 pm ET on the USA Network. As the 6-1, New Jersey Generals square off with the 1-6 Pittsburgh Maulers.

On Saturday afternoon at 3 pm ET on FOX, the unbeaten 7-0 Birmingham Stallions take on the 5-2 New Orleans Breakers.

Week 8 action continues on FOX Sunday at noon when the 1-6 Michigan Panthers meet up with the 4-3 Philadelphia Stars.

The weekend’s final game will see the 3-4 Tampa Bay Bandits against the 1-6 Houston Gamblers. The game will air on the Peacock streaming network.

All four USFL games will take place at Legion Field in Birmingham. The first seven weeks of the 2022 season have seen all 28 USFL games transpire at Protective Stadium. The venue change will provide a different look to the league’s games on television. Whether or not it produces better attendance for non-Stallions games remains to be seen. But change can be a good thing.