Trenton Almgren-Davis
The Rock says more than 30,000 fans at The Dome at America's Center this weekend.
When the St. Louis Battlehawks host the home opener this Sunday, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson says he’s expecting a big crowd.
Not just a big crowd –– but the biggest crowd in the XFL this season by a wide margin.
He’s expecting 30,000 fans on Sunday at 3 p.m. when the Battlehawks take the field against the Arlington Renegades in The Dome at America's Center.
The Rock, who owns the XFL, is banking on it.Week over week our @XFL2023 is showing some nice growth.
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) March 8, 2023
Little wins and step by step.
We’re building for the long haul, for player opportunities.
Attendance growing nicely too!
Expecting 30,000+ this weekend for the @XFLBattlehawks home opener.
🤯🏟️
Enjoy the games!
~ #54 https://t.co/tgNmIKnyuR
Viewership of the league has impressed, with nearly 665,000 people tuning in to watch the Battlehawks take on the Washington, D.C., Defenders –– more viewers than the MLS, NHL and NFL Combine.
But three weeks into the year, that same viewership hasn’t been reflected in attendance. During its first season since 2020, the XFL has seen a dip in attendance throughout the league. In week three, for example, the total attendance across the league was 45,564, with the highest number in Washington, D.C., where they brought in 16,212 fans.
In 2020, the XFL averaged over 18,000 fans over its 20 home games before the season was canceled due to the pandemic.
But those numbers are climbing: Week three saw a 5,000-person increase in attendance. And most importantly, the league hasn’t come through St. Louis yet –– and our city could very well could shift attendance numbers.
Last year, St. Louis famously came out in droves to watch the Battlehawks (then with a capital H). Despite having few big-name players on the team, the Battlehawks led the XFL in attendance with an average of 28,541 fans –– including a league-high number of 29,554 fans in week three.
Plus, this year’s team has arguably the most well-known player in the league, former Alabama star A.J. McCarron. The team went viral for its unbelievable week one victory, where they erased a 12-point deficit in three minutes.
Energy is buzzing around the St. Louis Battlehawks, who enter the game 2-1 after falling in a tight 34-28 loss to the Defenders. Ticket sales indicate that the team could match The Rock's lofty expectations for attendance in week 4. The Dome even opened up its 300-level for season ticket sales late last month to accommodate demand.
But so much for football. I know what we're all thinking: Will we be getting an appearance from the Rock in St. Louis? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see when St. Louis packs The Dome on Sunday.
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