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New Football League Draws Strong Ratings, But Faces Long Odds

  • The upstart AAF outperforms NBA with games on Saturday
  • XFL is rebooting league as well, with plans to debut in 2020
Orlando Apollos safety Will Hill III runs onto the field during player introductions on Feb. 9.
Orlando Apollos safety Will Hill III runs onto the field during player introductions on Feb. 9.Photographer: Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Photo

The Alliance of American Football, an upstart league attempting to fill a void during the NFL’s off-season, is off to a strong start.

More than 2.9 million viewers tuned in to watch the league’s games on CBS Saturday night, topping the ratings for the National Basketball Association on ABC, according to Nielsen.