In its inaugural season, the UFL had a successful run on TV but struggled at the box office. The league, consisting of eight teams, averaged 12,828 fans per game over 40 regular-season games played during 10 weekends. However, without St. Louis’ impressive attendance numbers of 34,365 fans per game, the league would have only averaged 8,532 fans per game.
Moving forward, the UFL should focus on expanding into markets that have shown strong support and enthusiasm for the games. Following the success of the XFL team in Seattle, targeting spurned NFL markets like San Diego and Oakland might prove successful. Having three teams in Texas could be excessive and having at least one team in the Ohio/Pennsylvania/New York area would be beneficial to attract more fans.
The true test for the UFL will be to not only survive but to thrive in the competitive sports market. To achieve this, the league needs to strategically place teams in promising locations and build on its initial success. By expanding into markets similar to St. Louis and focusing on building fan bases in key regions, the UFL can work towards becoming a sustainable and successful league in the long term.
