XFL Ratings Up for First Time

  • March 29, 2001
(AP) - The XFL's national rating on NBC increased week-to-week for the first time, though it still was by far the least-watched prime-time program on the four biggest networks. The league's Week 8 broadcast Saturday night drew a 1.8 rating, up from 1.6 in Week 7 - believed to be the lowest prime-time night among NBC, ABC or CBS in Nielsen Media Research history.

The XFL's ratings on NBC had plummeted since the debut earned a 9.5 rating, falling steadily until Week 5 and Week 6 both drew 2.4. This weekend represents the first time the show hadn't dropped from the week before.

Still, the 1.8 rating put the XFL 94th in Nielsen Media Research's prime-time ratings for last week, dragging NBC to a rare fourth-place showing in total viewers among the networks. All prime-time programming on ABC and CBS drew at least three times bigger ratings than the XFL.

Both the league and the network have indicated that the low ratings make it unlikely that NBC will air games Saturday nights next year.

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