THE UFL suffered a major setback after a controversial broadcast move from ESPN.
The league has had a rocky second season with poor television ratings and a planned player revolt.
Shutterstock EditorialABC showed the Arlington Renegades against the DC Defenders[/caption] GettyThey left the game early to join NBA Countdown coverage for a Game 7 in OKC[/caption]It is backed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and even his star power hasn’t paid off in interest.
The UFL has broadcast deals with Fox and ESPN.
The latter showed a game on ABC on Sunday afternoon to give it a prime spot.
The Arlington Renegades were facing the DC Defenders in a close contest.
DC led 33-30 with 1:55 to play in the fourth quarter.
And then an announcement was made that ABC would be switching to NBA coverage as the game overran.
ABC showed Game 7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s series against the Denver Nuggets.
And that meant the UFL game was bumped over to ESPN2 for the dramatic conclusion.
The NBA playoffs series was a huge occasion in Oklahoma City.
But the decision to cut to the playoffs 20 minutes before tip-off raised some eyebrows.
ABC cut to the NBA Countdown crew starring Malika Andrews and Stephen A. Smith.
The team looked ahead to Sunday’s decisive game in the series.
And the thrilling end to the UFL game played out over on ESPN 2.
DC held on for the 33-30 victory to book their playoff spot.
But it was the latest incident in a rough year for the league.
The UFL is a merger between the USFL and XFL, aimed at filling the spring void for football after the Super Bowl.
It began in March with reports that players were planning on revolting in person to The Rock.
The players wanted year-round healthcare or an increase in salary that would let them afford it.
The Rock was forced to miss the season opener after suffering plane issues.
The season opener was watched by 690,000 fans – just half of last year’s 1.18 million.
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