ST. LOUIS — The reimagined XFL and the St. Louis Battlehawks returned this past weekend. The first games to be played since 2020 saw St. Louis winning not only on the field but also in viewership.
The Battlehawks faced the San Antonio Brahmas on the road during opening weekend. The game saw a wild comeback for the Battlehawks after being down during the last two minutes.
With the team down 15-3 with a minute and a half left in the game, St. Louis quarterback A.J. McCarron led a drive finished off by an 18-yard pass to Hakeem Butler to make it 15 to 9.
In the XFL, you can go for a 3-point conversion. The Battlehawks took advantage of the rule and converted on the play to make it 15 to 12.
Another rule in the XFL allows teams to attempt a 4th and 15 from their own 25-yard line instead of going for an onside kick, usually done in the National Football League.
The Battlehawks went on to convert the 4th and 15 and continue to march toward the end zone. Then with only 16 seconds left, McCarron connected with Austin Proehl for the go-ahead score to make it 18 to 15.
The game peaked at 2.3 million viewers during its broadcast and on average saw 1.6 million viewers, according to ESPN.
The next closest game in viewership was the Vegas Vipers at Arlington Renegades with 1.5 million viewers, it was the first game in the XFL's opening weekend lineup.
Online, the Battlehawks took Twitter by storm with AJ McCarron and #KaKaw trending in the top 10 nationally, according to the XFL. #XFL2023 also trended as No. 1 nationally on Saturday.
Week 2 will see the Battlehawks taking on the Seattle Sea Dragons at 8 p.m. on the road. The game will be broadcasted on FX and ESPN+. The team's first home game at the Dome will take place on Sunday, March 12 against the Arlington Renegades.
