The drop was to be expected.
These past couple of weeks have been an interesting experiment in whether or not football in the Spring can actually work. The XFL debuted last weekend and saw quite a bit of success. When the XFL debuted at the turn of the century, it was a bit of a sideshow. However, this version of the XFL is much more professional and features some high-caliber players who are trying to prove themselves. The first weekend saw incredible ratings as the first two games raked in 3.3 million and 3.2 million viewers, respectively.
According to Sports Illustrated, the league saw a massive decline in Week 2 as the first two games of the weekend raked in 2.1 and 2.3 million viewers. While these numbers are respectable, it demonstrates a decline in interest from the previous week. Considering this is a new league, the drop off is to be expected as many people only watched week 1 out of curiosity.
It remains to be seen what will become of the XFL but many are optimistic it can be sustained for the long term. The football world needs a second professional league in the United States and it seems like fans are finally coming around to something new.
Have you watched any XFL games? If so, let us know what you think of the league, in the comments below.