The Battlehawks barely missed making the XFL playoffs — it went to the fifth tiebreaker before they were edged by the Seattle Sea Dragons. But there is no mistake that the B-hawkers were the league’s most successful team in terms of attendance and television viewership.
They ended up drawing an average of 35,104 fans to their five home games, more than double the 14,983 that runner-up Seattle attracted. The Battlehawks were so dominate at the gate that their home games ranked No. 1-5 for all contests in the league in attendance. They also far outdistanced any other market it terms of TV viewership for the league.
The B-Hawks’ average home attendance (35,104) was more than the combined average of Houston, Orlando and Vegas (32,754).
In television viewership, St. Louis was 36% greater than the nation’s second-ranked market, San Antonio.
Actor and former pro wrestling star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the most high-profile member of the XFL’s ownership group, took to Twitter to express his gratitude to Battlehawks fans.
“Allow me to say ‘thank you St Louis’ for your INCREDIBLE spirit this … season,” he wrote. “As league owners, our intention is to build from the ground up with passionate fans who love their cities as much as we love representing them. We’re in this for the long haul — not one and done.
“We got to bless this field baby,” said St. Louis Battlehawks fan Jeff Easterwood of Crestwood, as he kisses the field before his team plays the Orlando Guardians at The Dome at America’s Center on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]
The St. Louis 8U Hot Boyz football team wait for their chance to play at halftime while attending the St. Louis Battlehawks-Orlando Guardians XFL game at The Dome at America’s Center on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]
Ft. Zumwalt South football players Branden Geno, center, Alex Gamble, Max Owens and Collin Dawson, right, greet St. Louis Battlehawks wide receiver Darrius Shepherd after pregame warmups before the Battlehawks play the Orlando Guardians at The Dome at America’s Center on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]
Feathered Battlehawks fans watch from the stands in the first half of an XFL game against the Orlando Guardians on Saturday, April 22, 2023, in at The Dome at America’s Center.
St. Louis Battlehawks fans Jeff Easterwood of Crestwood, center, and Kristen Meyer of Boulevard Heights, get their “bird squats” in as they flap their arms on the field before the game against the Orlando Guardians at The Dome at America’s Center on Saturday, April 22, 2023. “It feels so good,” said Easterwood. “We’ve got a tailwind.” Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]
St. Louis Battlehawks wide receiver Hakeem Butler (88) scores a second quarter touchdown, greeted by fan Ted Ricci of Superior, Wisc., against the Orlando Guardians at The Dome at America’s Center on Saturday, April 22, 2023.
Anthony Bayless, center, points to his head to ask for the headband of St. Louis Battlehawks lineman Jaryd Jones-Smith as players leave the field following a 53-28 victory over the Orlando Guardians at The Dome at America’s Center on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]
St. Louis Battlehawks quarterback A.J. McCarron leaves the field following a 53-28 victory over the Orlando Guardians at The Dome at America’s Center on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]