The XFL was dead and buried when Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, without donning the superhero costume, stepped in to save the day. After getting shut down in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and low fan engagement, the XFL is up and running again and by looking at the initial viewership numbers, we can safely say that the league is here to stay.

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Dwayne’s $15 million investment in the XFL carries a lot of emotional value for tonnes of people who were left high and dry once the league got shut. Moreover, Dwayne, who wanted to make his name in the football world, was never able to rise through the ranks. So this is his chance to relive his dream as well.

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XFL viewership numbers aren’t bad at all

As far as the popularity of the XFL is concerned, Dwayne’s involvement has definitely made things better. During week 1, we had 4 games, out of which, 3 were attended by more than 12,000 people each, and the one between St. Louis Battlehawks and San Antonio Brahmas was attended by a whopping 24,000 people.

In addition to this, 1.57 million viewers tuned in to watch the season opener between the Vipers and Renegades on TV. Post that, the Guardians vs Roughnecks was watched by 1.14 million viewers, Battlehawks vs Brahmas had 1.57 million viewers, and 918,000 tuned in to watch the game between Sea Dragons and Defenders.

While the viewership numbers of the Saturday and Sunday games are yet to be announced, we do have the numbers for the Thursday’s game and they look quite promising. Around 553,000 viewers watched the Battlehawks vs Sea Dragons game. Moreover, at the same time, as reported by Pro Football writer Mike Mitchell, the NHL on ESPN averaged only 253,000 viewers, while college football on FS1 had 364,000 viewers.

The XFL is more than just a league for Dwayne Johnson

The XFL indeed has a very special place in Dwayne Johnson’s heart. Not long ago, during an appearance on Good Morning America, ‘The Rock’ had claimed that although he gave it his all, he always emerged as No. 54 on the 53 member roster.

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“All of our players, who proudly wear a different number and a different last name on the back of their jerseys, they are all player 54. This is why this league is so incredibly meaningful and it goes deeper, it goes much deeper,” Dwayne had claimed.

It will be interesting to see if the ratings continue to stay up as the league progresses further.

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