During the debut season of the spring football league, low attendance was observed, and executive vice president of football operations Daryl Johnston suggested a surprising reason for this: Indiana Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark. Johnston expressed his disappointment with the attendance numbers, despite the strong television viewership. He pointed out that the merger of the leagues happened late, which may have led to the league being more reliant on TV broadcasts.
Johnston noted the competitive nature of the spring sports environment, highlighting the growth of soccer in the country and the impact of Caitlin Clark, whose phenomenal performance captured the attention of the sports scene in the spring. These factors, among others, contributed to the challenges in attracting live audiences.
From late March to mid-June, the UFL hosted 43 games with an average attendance of 13,512 and a total attendance of 581,016. These figures were lower than those recorded by the XFL in the previous year, which had an average attendance of 14,703 and a total attendance of 632,247, prior to its merger with the USFL.
Johnston is optimistic about improving attendance figures for 2025. He pointed to several strategies, including securing better time slots, adding Friday games, and improving preparation and planning to avoid scheduling conflicts in local markets. These measures are expected to boost attendance and enhance the league’s overall appeal to live audiences.
