The television ratings will be the most important metric for the XFL’s inaugural weekend. However, attendance matters too, and if the early numbers are any indication, the attendance numbers and revenues are very good.
According Action Network Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell, the XFL surpassed the now defunct Alliance of American Football (AAF) in revenues from ticket sales before they ever even kicked off.
The D.C. Defenders nearly sold out the 20,000-seat Audi Stadium in the league’s first game.
While TDECU Stadium in Houston is significantly larger, 40,000-seat capacity, the Houston Roughneck drew a similar sized crowd for their game against the Los Angeles Wildcats.
While these numbers are encouraging, again, the television numbers will really tell the tale. The NFL has had woeful attendance (by NFL standards) for years, yet still managed to reap huge financial profits by delivering huge television ratings.
The ratings for this weekends XFL games should be made public on Tuesday. Though, with so much attention on the performance of the new league, it’s highly likely that those numbers will be leaked before Tuesday.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn