About four months after starting talks with the Canadian Football League about a possible collaboration, the XFL said it has put those discussions on hold and looks toward starting play in the 2023 season.

The XFL said in March that it had begun discussions with the Canadian league to “identify opportunities for the leagues to collaborate, innovate, and grow the game of football.” As a result, the XFL said it would postpone its 2022 season. 

News that the talks had ended was first reported by Sports Business Journal. 

Speculation was high that the two leagues were exploring a possible merger. Last year, former CFL player, professional wrestler and current movie star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, his ex-wife Dany Garcia and RedBird Capital purchased the XFL out of bankruptcy for about $15 million.  With the tabling of the CFL talks, the chances of a possible merger appear slim.   

“Our talks with the XFL, exploring the potential for collaboration and innovation, have been positive and constructive,” the CFL said in a statement on its website. “While we remain open to finding new ways to work together in the future, we and our XFL counterparts have jointly decided to not pursue any formal arrangements at this time.” 

The XFL issued a similar statement.

“While our discussions with the CFL did not ultimately lead to a collaboration, the effort reinforced our belief and commitment to developing the XFL for international spring football,” the XFL said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing everyone for kickoff in spring of 2023.”

Just what is next for the XFL remains in question, especially as another spring football league — the USFL — gears up for its 2022 season, with minority owner Fox Sports as its broadcast partner.

The XFL said it has started talks with the Canadian Football League about a possible collaboration, a move that will delay its previously planned spring 2022 launch. 

The XFL wouldn't say what it is talking to the CFL about, except that it is working with the league to “identify opportunities for the leagues to collaborate, innovate, and grow the game of football.”

While neither side mentioned a merger, the XFL said in a tweet that its 2020 season is “on hold pending the outcome” of its talks with the CFL.  Some reports said that meant the league would restart plans for the season once talks left the preliminary stage.

The XFL emerged from bankruptcy last year after it was purchased by former wrestler and current movie star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, his ex-wife Dany Garcia and Red Bird Capital, an investment fund headed by former Goldman Sachs banker Gerry Cardinale for about $15 million.   

“Since we first acquired the XFL, we have focused on identifying partners who share our vision and values on and off the field,” Garcia, the XFL chairwoman as well as part owner, said in a press release. “A vision filled with opportunity, innovation and the highest level of entertainment value for the benefit of our athletes, fans and communities. The CFL has expressed that similar sentiment and jointly we recognize a great opportunity to build exciting innovative football experiences that make the most of each league's unique strengths. I look forward to our continued discussions and we will update the sports community as we have more to share.” 

The XFL, created by WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, has a storied history. While the earlier version of the league crashed and burned after one season in 2001 amid low ratings and a string of bad luck, the latest iteration was supposed to be more serious, fast-paced, fan-centric and family-friendly. But the league was hit hard by the pandemic, ending its 10-game regular season in March 2020 with five games left to play.   In early April, it laid off most of its workforce and suspended operations. 

The Rock and his team stepped in in August, promising to create “something special for the players, fans, and everyone involved for the love of football.”

The CFL too was broadsided by the pandemic, canceling its 2020 season after the Canadian government rejected its request for a $30 million loan last year. The league has announced its 2021 schedule, but there are questions as to whether the ongoing pandemic will affect attendance at games, its primary source of revenue. 

“Canada has an exciting game and devoted fans, and our discussion with the XFL provides a tremendous opportunity to build on that strong foundation,” CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a press release. “We look forward to exploring how we might work with one of the most innovative sports brands in the world to grow the game, engage fans in new ways, and reach new audiences. We look forward to seeing what possibilities our discussions might uncover, and to sharing those with our fans as the process unfolds.”

Seven Bucks Companies, the film and TV production entity headed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his ex-wife Dany Garcia, and RedBird Capital, the private equity company led by former Goldman Sachs partner Gerry Cardinale, have agreed to buy troubled sports league the XFL in a deal valued at about $15 million.

The XFL filed for bankruptcy protection in April, shortly after it canceled its season due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, the league reported assets of between $10 million and $50 million. 

The bid came on the day the bankruptcy court was scheduled to begin an auction for the XFL assets. In light of the bid, that auction will not take place.

The XFL, created by World Wrestling Entertainment chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, has struggled to eke out a niche as an alternative to the NFL. While the earlier version of the XFL crashed and burned after one season in 2001 amid low ratings and a string of bad luck, the latest iteration was supposed to be a more serious, fast-paced, fan-centric and family-friendly football league. In June 2018 McMahon hired former NFL and NCAA executive Oliver Luck as commissioner and CEO of the league, and tapped sports business consultant Jeffrey Pollack as president and chief operating officer.

Pollack was in charge of the auction process. In a press release he was pleased with the outcome.

“We are grateful for today’s outcome,” Pollack said. “This is a Hollywood ending to our sale process and it is an exciting new chapter for the league. Dwayne, Dany and Gerry are a dream team ownership group and the XFL is in the best possible hands going forward.”

Johnson and Garcia, a former Merrill Lynch exec, formed Seven Bucks Companies in 2012, which has mainly produced films and television properties for Johnson. This will be the company’s first foray into live sports. 

The deal is expected to close quickly. Seven Bucks said in a press release that the bankruptcy court will hold a hearing to approve the transaction on Aug.7, and with a favorable ruling the deal could close on or shortly after Aug. 21.

“For Dwayne, Gerry and myself, this property represents an incredible opportunity. It is the confluence of great passion, tradition and possibility” Garcia said in a press release. “Sports and entertainment are the foundations of the businesses I have built. Melding our expertise combined with our commitment to deliver exciting and inspiring unique content, has us all focused on developing the XFL brand into a multi-media experience that our athletes, partners and fans will proudly embrace and love.”

Johnson, a former professional wrestler, parlayed his fame into a career as an actor and entrepreneur. In addition to starring in blockbuster films like Jumanji and TV shows like HBO series Ballers, he is CEO of Seven Bucks Cos.

“The acquisition of the XFL with my talented partners, Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale, is an investment for me that’s rooted deeply in two things - my passion for the game and my desire to always take care of the fans,” Johnson said in a press release. “With pride and gratitude for all that I’ve built with my own two hands, I plan to apply these callouses to the XFL, and look forward to creating something special for the players, fans, and everyone involved for the love of football.”

Cardinale and RedBird have been involved in several sports deals -- it was part of the team that purchased YES Network last year and last month purchased an 85% interest in French soccer club Toulouse. Also in July, RedBird formed a special purpose acquisition corporation -- RedBall Acquisition Corp. -- with Oakland A’s executive Billy Beane to raise $500 million to invest in sports properties. 

“It is a privilege to partner with Dany and Dwayne on the acquisition of the XFL,” Cardinale said in the press release. “Their track record in building dynamic businesses speaks for itself, and their vision and passion for developing the XFL as a world class sports and entertainment property will enable a new future for this organization. As their partner in acquiring and relaunching the XFL, RedBird will bring its own track record and experience in building world class companies in sports and live entertainment to help realize their vision.” 

Last week during the cable portion of the Television Critics Association summer tour executives and celebrities spoke to TV writers at length about their original programming projects.

Yet some of the talent and execs onstage couldn’t avoid answering some off-topic questions I’m sure they would have rather avoided, while others jumped at the opportunity to address what many may perceive as touchy subjects.

So here are five off-the-cuff topics that executives and celebrities addressed during last week’s TCA sessions.

Actor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson on recent revelations of racially-tinged comments from WWE star Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea:

"I was pretty disappointed with what I heard, like all of us. I’ve known Terry for a lot of years, and my dad helped train him in Florida in the ’70s when he was breaking in the business. And my uncles helped train him, too, as well. So I have not known the man to be racist. It’s one of those things -- and not justifying what he said -- we’ve all talked trash, especially in private. And he said what he said, and he’s paying the price."

HBO president programming Michael Lombardo on the violence in ‘Game Of Thrones’:

"This show has had violence as part of one of its many threads from really the first episode. I can’t speak to any single person’s particular taste or saturation point. I think the show is phenomenal … I think the show continues to grow dramatically. I think there’s no two showrunners who are more careful about not overstepping what they think the line is … I support them fully artistically."

Orange Is The New Black actress Lea DeLaria on the show’s influence on the awareness and perception of the LGBT community:

"I have to say that a large part of what we’ve done as a part of the politics of the LBGT community has been about gaining our rights, fighting for our rights, achieving our rights. And recently it’s been turned a little bit more towards winning the hearts and minds of people. And I feel very strongly that `Orange Is the New Black' has been very important in that part of what’s happened to us and our community."

Discovery Channel’s Racing Extinction producer Fisher Stevens on the killing of Cecil the lion and why there seems to be an increase in wildlife game hunting:

"People are getting wealthy … there is a new economic middle class and upper middle class forming in certain places that is craving these things, that’s making the market go. [But] you are hearing about a lot of it now, too, because of the Internet and because of social media and because there are people capturing these images that are hopefully, like what just went on with Cecil,helping the world become aware of what is going on."

Adobe head of MVPD industry strategy Jennifer Cooper on the ability of Adobe and Nielsen’s new partnership to measure non-traditional television viewers for advertisers:

"One of the reasons from a strategic perspective Adobe and Nielsen are partnering is actually to address that problem and others because Adobe is inherently measuring nonlinear television audiences in every channel. When we bring the measurement into a single view, it will actually help the advertising community to bring those audiences together."

TNT will begin offering a full episode of its new series Wake Up Call, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, on Thanksgiving through video on demand and digital outlets.

Viewers will be able to watch the sneak peek episode through the Watch TNT app and  www.tntdrama.comstarting Thanksgiving Day.The episode also will be made available via TNT on Demand in the days ahead. The sneak peek episode will be accessible until Friday, Dec. 12  at 9 p.m., when Wake Up Call makes its linear bow on TNT, and fans can watch an all-new episode.

Johnson will be helping those in need out of difficult family and personal situations, reminding each about they can accomplish through hard work.

Produced by Electus, 5x5 Media and 7 Bucks Entertainment, executive producers include, Ben Silverman, Chris Grant, Corie Henson and Jimmy Fox of Electus. Others are Craig Armstrong, Rick Ringbakk and Charles Wachter of 5x5 Media; and Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia of 7 Bucks Entertainment.

Special guests mentors to appear include UFC president Dana White, chef Rocco DiSpirito, celebrity stylist and host Jeannie Mai, and rapper/producer Juicy J.