THE Rock has guaranteed the XFL will return next year despite disappointing TV ratings midway through its comeback season.
The former WWE star, 50, is desperate to ensure that the revived spring season football league will not go down in history as a “one-and-done” project.
4XFL co-owner Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson remains confident in the league’s futureCredit: Getty
4The league has suffered from low ratings in it’s comeback yearCredit: Getty
After five weeks, The Rock’s league is down both in terms of TV ratings and matchday attendances compared to the 2020 version of the XFL, which collapsed amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The average domestic TV audience on Disney networks has been 656,900, which is down 63 per cent from the 1.78 million average for the league’s first five weeks in 2020.
Meanwhile, attendances are currently down 21 per cent from the approximate 18,000 crowds three years ago, hovering at around the 14,000 mark.
But The Rock, whose real name is Dwayne Johnson, and his ex-wife and business partner Dany Garcia remain bullish about the XFL’s future in both the short and long term.
“This isn’t one-and-done. This isn’t ‘let’s expand the portfolio, let’s make a little money and let’s get out of the game’,” Johnson said in an interview with USA Today.
“This truly is a passion project that has dated back to when we were kids coming out of the University of Miami.”
On the unfavorable comparisons with the 2020 iteration of the XFL, Johnson added: “I think it’s really not apples-to-apples here. However, we do keep a close eye on these things. And you have to.”
An explanation for the poor TV ratings is that many of the league’s games in the first half of the season were aired on the low-profile FX network.
By contrast, 13 of 20 games in the second half of the season will be on either ABC or ESPN.
“We have been very much in the pocket of understanding of where our ratings would be,” Garcia said.
“We understood the challenges that would happen, all the way through Week 5.
“And as we get into Week 6 and the latter half of the schedule, we knew where it would open up.
“So we’re really pleased – really, really pleased with the execution.”
The XFL has also had to compete with both the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments for fans’ attention, which was not the case in 2020.
Garcia added that planning has already begun for the league’s second season in 2024, nailing down dates for showcases and the talent combine.
Among the highlights so far have been the home crowd of 38,000 for the St. Louis Battlehawks in Week 4 and raucous atmospheres at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.
“That D.C. fandom is strong and passionate, and it’s creative,” Garcia said. “And that beer snake is impressive.”
4The Rock says the revived XFL will not be known as a ‘one and done’ leagueCredit: Getty
4Jequez Ezzard of the DC Defenders celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Vegas Vipers in March
Source: the-sun.com
