One of the defining characteristics of Minor Sports Leagues is that they play to smaller crowds of fans. Minor-Leagues.com has compiled a series of posts that provides details of attendance figures.
The United Football League (UFL) was a professional football league which began play in 2009. It lasted almost four seasons, folding in 2012. It played most of its games in markets where the National Football League had no presence.
Below is the fan attendance for the entire league from 2009 to 2012.
League | Sport | Season | # of Teams | Team Change | Games | Games Change | Total Attendance | TA Change | Average Attendance | AA Change | Source |
United Football League | American Football | 2009 | 4 USA | untracked | 6 | untracked | 111,654 | untracked | 9,305 | untracked | kenn.com |
United Football League | American Football | 2010 | 5 USA | 25.00% | 10 | 66.67% | 300,007 | 168.69% | 15,000 | 61.20% | kenn.com |
United Football League | American Football | 2011 | 4 USA | -20.00% | 8 | -20.00% | 155,579 | -48.14% | 14,144 | -5.71% | kenn.com |
United Football League | American Football | 2012 | 4 USA | 0.00% | 8 | 0.00% | 30,174 | -80.61% | 4,311 | -69.52% | kenn.com |
The UFL primarily consisted of players who had at one time or another played for an NFL team. Although the league had no connection with the NFL, and had never intended to foster any such connection, some speculated that it could have become a minor or “developmental” league for the NFL.