The USFL debuted on Saturday night with a total audience of 3 million on NBC and Fox combined.
The broadcast of the Birmingham Stallions’ 28-24 win over the New Jersey Generals hit a peak of nearly 3.5 million viewers, despite competing with the NBA playoffs, MLB, and the NHL.
The USFL’s inaugural game, which was also available on NBC’s streaming platform Peacock, was the first sporting event to air on two competing TV networks since Super Bowl I in 1967.
The broadcast was also a promising moment for the USFL when compared to the debuts of the Alliance of American Football and the XFL in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
The AAF drew an average audience of 2.9 million during its debut, while the XFL reached an average of 3.3 million.
In addition to NBC, Fox, and Peacock, USFL games will be available on USA Network and FS1.
