Is Dwayne Johnson’s $15M XFL bet failing? Sharp ratings drop tell concerning tale

The XFL was promoted as the spring league to end all spring leagues. After numerous attempts by various leagues to carve out a viewerbase on the heels of the Super Bowl, the XFL made plans to be around for years. The most telling moment, however, would be its opening weeks.

The league boasted strong ratings in its opening week, but the true tale of how other leagues failed before it was an inability to keep fans around. Specifically, the drop off from Week 1 to Week 2 has historically been astounding.

the 2023 XFL was to remain relevant, a big indication would be how many people it could get to tune back in the following week.

Unfortunately, for the league, just 50% of the viewers return for another helping of football, according to Sports Media Watch. Some may believe that even if viewership declined at a smaller rate than in 2020, it would be a step in the right direction. Instead, the league lost about 16% more than the 2020 XFL did.

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The drop in viewership is startling and the increased loss of interest compared to previous iterations is doubly tough to swallow. The league has locked in a five-year deal with networks to play games, but if things continue at the current rate, the deal could be in jeopardy.

XFL viewership drop demands answers

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The viewership is dropping, but why? Speculation has run rampant and there could be a number of issues. Of course, a drop in viewership after the debut of any series is normal. Even if one looks up a YouTube series, they can see the drop off. Some people tuning in fail to get hooked or lose interest and so they leave to live their busy lives.

Others could be exhausted after six months of watching the NFL and so they view the offseason as an opportunity to get away and do other things. After watching the debut week of the spring league, they realized that and stepped away. Some fans may have never intended to sit through an entire season, but simply tuned in early out of curiosity.

Another explanation could be that fans of a certain team planning only to watch that team are unhappy with their record and thus have tuned out. A mix of these and other reasons have likely led to the league's struggles.

However, there might be a way out. Multiple spring leagues have failed to reach a championship game in recent years. The AAF and the 2020 XFL both wrapped up mid-season and never finished the year. As such, some are skeptical about investing time into a spring league that may not reach a resolution.

If the league can stick around through its inaugural season, they could see a boost in viewership for the playoffs and convince people that, yes, they will be around for a while. This way, they can rebuild their viewership. Of course, it is going to take patience from the league's financial supporters to weather what could be a tough storm.

If they can endure through 2023, they may be able to convince people to return. The Super Bowl served as an entry point for many long-time fans. Why not the spring league championship game?