Sports Business Journals Ben Fischer has a report detailing the United Football Leagues expanded marketing staff and outlook for the 2025 season. He talks to UFL President and CEO Russ Brandon about the state of the league in 2025 and provides some incite on the leagues marketing push.
Expanded Marketing
The UFL has spent money in the offseason and it is on their marketing arm. Which is key for the league if they want to sell franchises.
To that end, the league has expanded marketing and sales staffs at the team and league level in its first full offseason, negotiated better television windows and made more inroads in its local communities. After years of turmoil in spring football, it also is counting on stability to help drive sales and fan engagement.
UFL season two is the first full year of stability in Spring Football. We knew all along , at some point. The USFL and XFL would merge. We didn’t think it would be that quickly but it was a good thing for the long term viability of Spring Football.
United Football League Is Here To Stay
UFL President and CEO Russ Brandon doesn’t have to answer the question if the league will be back anymore.
“We continue to see incremental growth in everything we’re doing, and that’s really what our focus is, to continue to grow this league, and continue to put in the rearview mirror [the question]: ‘Is this league coming back next year?’” said UFL President and CEO Russ Brandon. “I don’t hear that anymore. I heard it a lot in the beginning.”
One thing to note, you wonder if it would have been better for the brand to just keep either the XFL or USFL name. Did creating a third brand put the league back years in its marketing effort.
UFL 2024 Season A Success
Not doubt the viewership for the 2024 UFL season was a success. The United Football League as a TV property for FOX and ESPN is really what they wanted all a long.
Executives believe the year was a success, at least considering the short run-up period. The games averaged 850,000 TV viewers in the regular season and topped 1 million for each of the three postseason games. That alone puts the UFL into a competitive category for spring weekend sports options, beating regular-season NHL games, and industry observers already talk about the UFL as a viable replacement for “Sunday Night Baseball” on ESPN in some weeks if the network and MLB don’t get back together.
The 2025 season will be interesting to see if these numbers hold or improve. The problem is cord cutting, more people moving to steaming platforms. ESPN and FOX don’t release their streaming numbers. So a dip in the TV ratings could be balanced by an increase in streaming numbers but we would never know. Pundits and trolls would conclude league interest is down, when in fact it would be up. Both sides need to release streaming numbers.
In our household we canceled cable last month and will be watching all the UFL games on streaming for the first time.
UFL Marketing Staff Numbers
We get a clearer picture of how many new staff members the UFL brough on board for the 2025 season.
“Since last season, the league has hired more than 30 new business staff, which includes marketing directors at all eight clubs, along with another 12 ticket salespeople across the local clubs, and four new social content producers and four new videographers”
The league did lay off a bunch of people after the season, so these numbers might be a bit squid. But in the article, they talk about the new people they got from major sports leagues like the NBA.
UFL Is Still A Start Up
Interested they use the word cost containment for the 2025 season. The league is spending money, but it is on people who can make them more money.
In the big picture, the UFL is still a startup. It’s not profitable, and cost containment is still a high priority, putting it in conflict with its players union that wants raises for its members beyond last year’s $55,000 salary.
The UFL players labor situation is one to keep an eye on as we head to the UFL kickoff on March 28th. The league seems to be a solid footing but a players strike could throw everything into a tailspin.
3 Comments
by Andy Gonzalez
Really I’m in San Antonio and haven’t seen it yet.
by Shimmy
I will believe it when it happens, that is selling franchises as private, or community owned franchises. If, If the league really takes off I could see the current owners keeping things the way they are and reaping all the benefits only to have 5 times a year, a team play a game and fly back to the hub. I hope I am wrong on that thought. Thank You go UFL
by Stephen Johnson
I believe in 2026 the UFL will play at least another 1 to 2 season depending on the viewership numbers. But it will look like a lot different league. Yes, I look for them to add Seattle and New Jersey, but they will also move 4 to 5 teams. I foresee them moving Arlington, Houston, Memphis and Michigan with them landing in places like San Diego, Orlando, Oklahoma and Ohio (Canton or Columbus). Perhaps will be see the Michigan Panthers become the Ohio Bulldogs, Arlington Renegades as the Orlando Renegades, Houston Roughnecks become the Oklahoma Outlaws and the Memphis Showboats as the San Diego Breakers.