The UFL has not received much hype among fans in its second season, and ABC may have spoiled a good opportunity to change that on Sunday.
The D.C. Defenders beat the Arlington Renegades 33-30 in a game that featured a thrilling finish at Audi Field in Washington. D.C. Arlington had the ball at the D.C. 33-yard line with less than 10 seconds left and looked like they were going to spike the ball to attempt a game-tying field goal.
Instead, the Renegades ran a fake spike. Defenders cornerback DeAndre Baker was not fooled and jumped in front of the Luis Perez pass for a game-ending interception.
The entire final sequence for the Renegades defenders game
(After being booted to ESPN2)
WHAT A GAME#UFL pic.twitter.com/JCIrmQ67MR
— LanePFN (@LanePFN) May 18, 2025
Unfortunately, fans who were only able to watch the game on ABC missed the ending. With 1:55 remaining, play-by-play announcer Joe Tessitore shared that the game was moving over to ESPN2 in order for pregame coverage of Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals series between the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder to begin.
With less than two minutes left in the Arlington Renegades-D.C. Defenders UFL clash Sunday, ESPN punted the broadcast from ABC to ESPN2 to make way for their NBA pregame show, 20 minutes ahead of tipoff. pic.twitter.com/ZJYQZbPEo5
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 18, 2025
The Defenders clinched a playoff berth with the victory.
Those who had cable or a streaming service with ESPN2 were simply able to switch over from ABC if they wanted to see the finish of the UFL game. However, anyone who was watching the game via an antenna would not have been able to see the end.
The point of having a game on ABC rather than ESPN or ESPN2 is to broadcast to a wider audience. There were more than 20 minutes remaining until tip-off of the Nuggets-Thunder game at the time ABC/ESPN decided to switch over to NBA coverage, so many people thought the Disney-owned networks should have just stuck with the finish of the UFL game.
UFL Fans: Disney can't be so Petty & switch off this exciting #UFL Game with playoff implications right now to show a pre-game #NBA show!
Disney/ABC: pic.twitter.com/s51d2VeHIG
— Ken Harris (@kensgotbs) May 18, 2025
Not showing the ending to the Defenders game was a boneheaded move on ABC/ESPN’s part. If it had gone to OT I’d get it, moving it away just to show a pregame was ridiculous. #UFL
— Gray (@SmashPlayerGray) May 18, 2025
ABC network, how are we supposed to take the UFL seriously when you don’t. The DC Defenders game has playoff implications. But you switch to the nba countdown during a 3 point UFL game with 2mins left. 😠
— TSU Madness (@TSUmadness) May 18, 2025
There is obviously far, far more interest in Game 7 of an NBA playoff series than there is in a UFL game, but ABC/ESPN could have had it both ways. They could have helped fans develop some positive feelings about the UFL by carrying the ending of a thrilling game, but they instead wanted their pregame NBA coverage to receive the brightest spotlight.