The decades-long, stop-start quest to establish an alternative pro football league positioned in the early spring took another turn Thursday, with the USFL and XFL declaring their merger. 

"Subject to customary regulatory approvals and if the transaction is consummated, the new league will establish best-in-class operations based on the most recent seasons of both leagues," a joint statement from the two leagues reads. "This historic combination will anchor professional spring football with substantial capabilities and resources to ensure future growth and continue to enhance the development of the collective players, coaches, and staff that are coming together.

Little else is known about the combined league at this point. What will it be called? What teams out of each eight-team league will be included? Will some teams be merged? Or eighty-sixed altogether?

“More details regarding the new league will be announced at a later date," the statement added. 

The objective for both start-up pro football leagues, on paper, isn't a bad one -- with live NFL games being the most reliable generators of mass audience for both linear and streaming video, why not try to create an alternative brand. 

The execution has always been fraught.

Fox Sports reanimated the failed 1980s era United States Football League brand in 2022. (We included the trailer for ESPN's insightful "30 for 30" documentary Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL here in case you missed that spectacle. Next TV was actually at Los Angeles' Pierce College, seating capacity about 8,000, to watch the USFL's L.A. Express and quarterback Steve Young play their last sad game in 1985.)

The relaunched USFL's 2023 championship game featuring the Birmingham Stallions beating the Pittsburgh Maulers 28-12 on July 1, captured an audience of 1.2 million viewers on NBC. That was down 20% from 2022's inaugural USFL championship game, but this year's title game did occur over what was the de facto Fourth of July weekend, with plenty of folks on the road and not watching football.

Perhaps more foreboding for the league and its broadcasters, Fox and NBC, the overall average USFL audience was down 16% from the 601,000 the league averaged in 2022.

The XFL fared a little better.

Resuscitated last spring for a third time after the XFL brand's founder, WWE mogul Vince McMahon, whiffed twice on establishing it over a span of 20 years, the league is now s controlled by Redbird Capital, along with Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia. (We also included the trailer for another "30 for 30" doc on the original 2000 XFL launch below.)

XFL games were shown on Disney platforms last season.

The XFL's 10-game regular-season schedule averaged 622,000 viewers last ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, FX, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes, with its championship game averaging 1.5 million viewers.

After competing against each other this past spring, the XFL and the USFL will combine to create one spring football league that hopes to take the field in 2024. 

The USFL and XFL announced Thursday their intent on merging, subject to customary regulatory approvals. "This historic combination will anchor professional spring football with the substantial capabilities and resources to ensure future growth and continue to enhance the development of the collective players, coaches, and staff that are coming together," the entities said in a joint statement. 

The eight-team XFL league, owned actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Danny Garcia and RedBird Capital Partners, launched its inaugural season this Spring, while the the eight-team USFL -- owned by Fox Corp. --  completed its second season this past May. 

Details regarding the new league -- including when it will begin play, and who will televise the games -- will be announced at a later date. Fox and NBC held the television rights to USFL games, while ABC, ESPN and FX aired XFL games.

The combined league will look to solidify what to date has been a spotty history of spring football in the U.S. The USFL re-launched in 2022 after a previous iteration of the league failed three decades earlier. The XFL initially launched in 2001 as a collaboration between the WWE and NBC before shutting down after one season. The WWE's Vince McMahon resurrected the league in 2020 but shut down operations in the middle of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Mother’s Day weekend lineup of live tv sports action begins on the pro football field as ABC airs in primetime the upstart XFL pro football league’s Championship game featuring the Arlington Renegades and the D.C. Defenders. 

The second round of the NBA Playoffs winds down as the Philadelphia 76’ers and the Boston Celtics meet Saturday on ABC in a pivotal Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. 

On the ice, ESPN on Saturday will air a Game 6 NHL Playoffs contest featuring the Dallas Stars, who will look to close out its second round series against Seattle Kraken. On Sunday ESPN will air Game 6 of the Edmonton Oilers-Vegas Golden Knights series, with the Golden Knights up three games to two.

On the racetrack, NBC on Saturday will televise the GMR Grand Prix IndyCar Series race and on Sunday will air the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Motul Course de Monterey race. 

On the baseball diamond, Peacock on Sunday morning will stream the L.A. Angels-Cleveland Guardians game, while ESPN will televise the St. Louis Cardinals-Boston Red Sox game as part of its Sunday Night Baseball telecast. 

On the links, CBS and Golf Channel will offer final round weekend coverage of the AT&T Byron Nelson Classic PGA tournament, while the CW offers live Saturday and Sunday coverage of the LIV golf tournament in Tulsa. 

Both ESPN and Showtime will feature boxing cards Saturday night, with ESPN offering the Janibek Alimkhanuly-Steven Butler WBO middleweight title fight and Showtime airing the Rolando Romero-Ismael Barroso WBA interim junior welterweight title bout. In the octagon, ABC will air a UFC heavyweight main event bout between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Jailton Almeida. 

Fox on Sunday will air final round coverage of the Professional Bowlers Association’s Players Championship. On the soccer field, USA and Peacock will air nine Premier League games throughout the weekend. 

Sports fans will have plenty of pro basketball, hockey and football playoffs action to watch during the last weekend of April.

The NBA launches its second round of playoff games Saturday with the Phoenix Suns-Denver Nuggets game on TNT and Sunday afternoon with the Miami Heat- New York Knicks on ABC. Also Sunday, the Golden State Warriors will meet the Sacramento Kings in Game 7 of their first round series on ABC. 

The NHL winds down the first round of its playoffs schedule Saturday with Game 6 telecasts of the Toronto Maple Leafs-Tampa Bay Lightning (TBS), New Jersey Devils-New York Rangers (ABC) and Edmonton Oilers-Los Angeles Kings (TBS) series.

On Sunday TNT will air a pair of Game 7 showdowns as the Florida Panthers meet the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kracken face off against the Colorado Avalanche.

The XFL will kick off its Divisional Championships games Saturday with the South Division Championship game between Arlington Renegades and the Houston Roughnecks on ESPN2. On Sunday ESPN will air the North Division Championship game between the Seattle Sea Dragons and  the D.C. Defenders. 

The USFL offers up week three action with two Saturday games including the New Orleans Breakers against the Birmingham Stallion (USA Network) and the Memphis Showboats against the Houston Gamblers (Fox).

On the baseball diamond, Peacock on Sunday will stream the Chicago Cubs-Miami Marlins game, while ESPN will air the Philadelphia Phillies-Houston Astros game in a rematch of the 2022 World Series as part of its Sunday Night Baseball package. 

On the links, CBS and Golf Channel will air final round weekend coverage of the Mexican Open PGA tournament. On the soccer field, Peacock and USA Network will air eight Premier League games combined on Saturday and Sunday, while Fox and FS1 will combine to air two MLS contests over the weekend. 

NBC on Sunday will air the Alabama Grand Prix IndyCar Series race, while ESPN carries the Azerbaijan Grand Prix Formula One event.

 This weekend’s list of live TV sports events begins Saturday on the basketball court with the start of the NBA Playoffs. 

After a week of play-in games to determine the final four playoff teams, the NBA’s first round, best-of-seven post-season series begin Saturday afternoon on ESPN with the Brooklyn Nets against the Philadelphia 76’ers, the Atlanta Hawks facing the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks meeting the Cleveland Cavaliers. ABC will round out Saturday’s action with the Golden State Warriors-Sacramento Kings telecast.

On Sunday, ABC will televise the L.A. Lakers-Memphis Grizzlies contest, while TNT offers up a tripleheader beginning with the L.A. Clippers-Phoenix Suns clash. Also slated for Sunday on TNT is the Milwaukee Bucks game against the winner of Friday’s Chicago Bulls-Miami Heat play-in contest, and the Denver Nuggets matchup against Friday’s Oklahoma City Thunder-Minnesota Timberwolves winner. 

Football fans will have two spring leagues to watch as the USFL kicks off its second season Saturday alongside week nine of the XFL's inaugural season. Fox on Saturday will televise USFL matches featuring the Philadelphia Stars and Memphis Showboats and the New Jersey Generals against the Birmingham Stallions, while NBC on Sunday will carry the Houston Gamblers-Michigan Panthers contest and FS1 will air the Pittsburgh Maulers-New Orleans Breakers game. 

On the XFL front, ABC on Saturday will televise the Vegas Vipers-Houston Roughnecks matchup while ESPN2 tackles the Orlando Guardians-San Antonio Brahmas game. On Sunday, ESPN will air the Arlington Renegades-D.C. Defenders game and the Seattle Sea Dragons-St. Louis Battlehawks contest.  

On the links, CBS and Golf Channel will televise weekend final round coverage of the PGA RBC Heritage golf tournament, while on the bowling lanes Fox and FS1 will offer weekend coverage of  the PBA World Series of Bowling tournament.

USA, Peacock and NBC will continue its weekend Premier League coverage with a total of nine live games across Saturday and Sunday. Fox on Sunday will air an MLS contest between LAFC and LA Galaxy 

On the racetrack NBC on Sunday will televise the Grand Prix of Long Beach IndyCar race, while FS1 televises the NASCAR Cup NOCO 400 race. On the baseball diamond, ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball contest will feature the Texas Rangers against the Houston Astros. 

The March Madness college basketball tournament enters its elite-eight round this weekend as part of the busy lineup of live sports events airing on broadcast and cable networks.

The NCAA Men’s college basketball tournament action begins Saturday on TBS with Fla. Atlantic facing Kansas State and UConn battling Gonzaga. Sunday’s action will pit the winners of Friday night’s San Diego State-Alabama and Princeton-Creighton  games in one elite eight matchup, and the winners of the Miami-Houston and Xavier-Texas games in the other contest.

In other sports, Showtime on Saturday will offer a pay-per-view boxing fight card featuring the super middleweight bout between David Benavidez and Caleb Plant. In the octagon, ESPN will air a Saturday afternoon UFC Fight Night card featuring a main event bout between bantamweights Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen. 

On the racetrack, Fox on Sunday will televise the NASCAR Cup EchoPark Grand Prix auto racing event. On the ice, ABC on Saturday will televise live the Washington Capitals-Pittsburgh Penguins NHL game.

On the football field, the XFL enters week six with three games, including ABC’s Saturday Seattle Sea Dragons-Orlando Guardians and Sunday San Antonio Brahmas-Arlington Renegades telecasts, as well as FX’s Saturday St. Louis Battlehawks-Vegas Vipers game. 

The National Women’s Soccer League kicks off its 2023 season Saturday on CBSSN, which will air the Chicago Red Stars-San Diego Wave FC. ■ 

This weekend’s full lineup of top live TV sports action begins on the soccer field as Major League Soccer launches its 28th season exclusively on Fox and FS1.

Fox will telecast the New York City FC-Nashville SC MLS match on Saturday, while FS1 will air the Seattle Sounders FC-Colorado Rapids game. The games officially launch Fox Sports’s four-year linear TV deal with MLS.

On the NBA court, ABC will air a Saturday primetime matchup between Eastern Conference rivals the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. On Sunday ABC will air an afternoon NBA doubleheader featuring the Phoenix Suns-Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers-Dallas Mavericks contests, while ESPN’s primetime doubleheader includes the Minnesota Timberwolves-Golden State Warriors and L.A. Clippers-Denver Nuggets games. 

Week two of pro-football league the XFL will launch Saturday with the D.C-Vegas game on FX, while ESPN on Sunday will air the San Antonio-Orlando game and ESPN2 will offer the Arlington-Houston contest.

In the ring, YouTube star Jake Paul on Sunday will look to advance his boxing career when he faces Tommy Fury in the main event of an ESPN Plus pay-per-view boxing card on Sunday. On Saturday, Showtime will telecast a live fight card headlined by the junior welterweight championship fight between Subriel Matias and Jeremias Ponce.

The men’s college basketball lineup begins with top-ranked Houston traveling to face the Pirates of East Carolina on ESPN2, second-ranked Alabama taking on Arkansas on ESPN2, third-ranked Kansas taking on West Virginia on ESPN and fifth-ranked Purdue hosting No. 17 Indiana on Fox. On Sunday, fourth-ranked UCLA plays Colorado on CBS. 

Saturday’s women’s college basketball schedule of top-ranked teams includes fourth-ranked UConn playing DePaul on Fox. On Sunday, top-ranked South Carolina hosts Georgia on ESPN2, second-ranked Indiana battles No.6 Iowa on ESPN, and fifth-ranked LSU meets Mississippi State on the SEC Network. 

On the links, NBC and Golf Channel will offer weekend coverage of the PGA Honda Classic golf tournament, while Fox will continue its NASCAR coverage with the Sunday telecast of the Pala Casino 400 race. 

On the ice, ABC on Saturday afternoon will telecast the N.Y. Rangers-Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins-St. Louis Blues NHL games. ■

With its season kicking off Saturday, the XFL and Disney Advertising Sales are still looking to fill their sponsorship roster.

The XFL and The Walt Disney Co., as the league’s exclusive broadcast partner, have been looking to enlist a handful of marketers as founding partners for the league. So far, only Progressive, the official auto insurance sponsor of the XFL, has been announced.

“We’re really trying to create truly 360-degree sponsors, offerings that including assets the XFL can provide like team affiliates and IP to premiere broadcast integrations and new technology that we’re bringing into the broadcast,”  Deidra Maddock, VP, sports brand solutions, told Broadcasting+Cable.

Selling those multifaceted partnerships can be complicated, and Maddock said there are conversations underway with a number of potential sponsors. 

“There's definitely a lot of interest,“ Maddock said. ”As with any 360 partnership, there’s just a lot of details to be worked out.” 

Right now the ad market is soft, which might be having some impact on sales, but “there’s just a wait-and-see mentality for new sports as they launch,“ Maddock said.

Individual spots for the season are about 80% sold out, she added.

Football has become America’s game, with NFL games dominating the list of most-watched programs in 2022.

The first XFL was a famous bust when it was launched to much fanfare in 2001 by WWE impresario Vince McMahon. The league was revived in 2020 and after a fast start its season was canceled by the pandemic. 

The bankrupt XFL was purchased by a consortium led by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his ex-wife Dany Garcia for $15 million.

All of the league’s games will appear on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or FX and stream on ESPN Plus.

“We believe that football fans are always looking for more football. And now that the saddest day of the year for football fans — the day after the Super Bowl — has passed, hot on the heels of that we’re giving them the opportunity to have more football,” Maddock said.

Progressive clearly agrees.

“The XFL’s commitment to on-field innovation and fan engagement aligns with Progressive’s forward-thinking approach and dedication to delivering value to our customers,” Jay VanAntwerp, media business leader at Progressive, said. “We’re excited to continue our support of the XFL and look forward to seeing the league return to action in 2023.”

As part of its sponsorship, Progressive will have premium, on-field brand positions located on each side of the 50-yard line at each of the 43 XFL games, gaining national marketing exposure through the XFL’s exclusive broadcast partner, Disney and ESPN. 

Progressive will also benefit from digital signage displayed across each of the XFL’s eight stadiums. In addition, Progressive has secured brand placement on the ear cup and top headband of all XFL coaches’ headsets, which will result in additional TV exposure. Progressive has also been granted access to league imagery and video content for promotional use.

Lots of Ad Options

Disney is looking to be flexible and innovative as it looks to bring in more partners, whether they want a 360-degree package like Progressive or just to explore television.

One opportunity would be sponsoring the XFL’s replay center for live game reviews of on-field calls by the official. The XFL is planning a transparent process, enabling fans to be able to see what the referees are looking at as they decide whether or not to overrule a call. 

A sponsor could say, “this fast review is brought to you by,” or a sponsor's technology could actually be used in the replay and review process.

Disney’s data and targeting capabilities are also available for XFL advertisers.

“One of the strengths that the Disney ad platform has to offer is the flexibility to do all of that,” Maddock said. “We have a lot of data solutions that really equip us to be able to work with brands who are looking for specific audience segments. But we also have the great reach and frequency for the broad reach here of the general sports fans.”

Maddock said it’s not clear how the USFL, another football league whose games will be on Fox and NBC later in the spring, is affecting the market. “The seasons are not concurrent,“ she said. “It is definitely a different proposition.

“Would we like to see more advertisers activating? We would,“ Maddock said. “We think it's a really great opportunity and a unique one.” Advertisers are often looking for a chance to get in on the ground floor with a property, she said.

“It’s the launch of a league where there’s a close partnership between the broadcaster and the league themselves, so I’m hopeful that would unlock some opportunities.” ■

Pro football fans will get to watch a second spring football league in 2023 as the upstart XFL league Tuesday reached a multiyear distribution deal with the Walt Disney Co. and ESPN to air all of the league’s regular-season and playoff contests.

The XFL, owned by a group led by actor Dwayne Johnson, will launch February 18, 2023 and will air all of its regular season games on ABC, ESPN, and FX, the parties announced during Disney’s upfront presentation Tuesday. The agreement also includes exclusive content rights across ESPN’s digital, social and direct-to-consumer outlets such as ESPN Plus. 

“The XFL will tap into sports fans’ deep love of football by emphasizing competitive action while dedicating itself to innovation and entertainment,” said Jimmy Pitaro, chairman, ESPN and Sports Content in a statement. “You can see a great path to success when you combine the reach and influence of ESPN and Disney with the collective vision of XFL leadership led by Dany, Dwayne and Gerry.”

Also: Stars Shine Bright at Disney Upfront

Johnson, along with business partner and wife Danny Garcia and RedBird Capital, led by founder and managing partner Gerry Cardinale, purchased the league in August 2020 from World Wrestling Entertainment chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. 

The XFL initially launched in 2001 as a collaboration between the WWE and NBC but was shut down after one season. McMahon resurrected the league in 2020 but ceased operations in the middle of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The deal comes as competing Fox Sports-controlled spring football league the USFL continues its inaugural season with games airing on Fox and NBC.

Johnson said the Disney-XFL deal is a “definitive moment” for the league. “We’re excited to be working with global visionaries that are aligned with the XFL’s values, are true team players and share our ambitious goals to grow the XFL as a global sports and entertainment business,“ he said. ”Through the combined power of Disney and the XFL, together we will create a new powerhouse on the sports calendar and bring a dynamic game of football to fans everywhere. Time to ball out.” ■ 

Broadcast networks Fox and NBC on Saturday (April 16) will kick off the opening season of the United States Football League with a rare simulcast of the league's inaugural game, as the USFL looks to succeed where other spring football leagues have failed.

The eight-team, Fox Sports-operated league will play a 10-game regular season -- with all games played at Protective Stadium in Birmingham -- and a three-game postseason that will determine the league's champion. 

Fox Sports and NBC Sports will televise every game via the Fox and NBC broadcast channels, USA Network and FS1 cable channels, and the Peacock streaming service.

Mike Mulvihill, Fox Sports executive vice president and head of strategy and analytics, spoke to Multichannel News senior content producer R. Thomas Umstead about Fox’s operational and programming strategy for the league, as well as how USFL games will differ from the NFL on the field of play. An edited version of the interview appears below.  

Listen to the rest of Multichannel News’ interview with Mulvihill as part of its TV Sportsplay podcast.

Multichannel News: Why is Fox Sports confident that there is viewer demand for pro football in the spring? 

Mike Mulvihill: I think the foremost thing that gives me confidence is that the appetite for spring football has already been pretty well demonstrated. The numbers that we saw in 2020 for the [WWE-owned] XFL were really encouraging. Had the pandemic not turned our world upside down and forced the XFL to suspend operations we would probably be in our third season of XFL football right now. The numbers that they were doing were more than satisfactory – they were doing a little under 2 million viewers for their games on national networks. That’s a pretty good number in the current environment. I think that gives us a good baseline expectation for what we can do.

MCN: How is Fox looking to market and promote the USFL in a very crowded and noisy sports television marketplace? 

MM: I think we can come at that in a couple ways. One is that we’re very fortunate to have not just our own networks, but to have an incredible partner in NBC Sports. To have a scenario where we're able to leverage our own air time and our own promotional vehicles, and also rely on NBC for their own promotional power and production expertise is a really advantageous situation. There have been very few startups that have launched with the full support and the full power of not just one but two major traditional media companies. Hand in hand with that we've developed a schedule that has something like two-thirds of our games on free, over-the-air television networks at a time where a lot of sports content is going to streaming networks. For the viewer right now it’s a little bit tricky to find the content that they’re looking for – they don’t know what streaming platform to go to or what games are on what cable channels. When you have a lot of games on Fox broadcast or on NBC broadcast – the same networks that they go to to watch the NFL every Sunday – that's a huge advantage.

MCN: From an operational standpoint, does Fox’s control of the USFL increase the prospects for the league’s long-term success?  

MM: You raise a great subject, because when people examine the opportunity for success in a spring football league, what they tend to focus on is consumer demand and whether we can  generate an audience. But I think just as important is how we manage costs and how we keep those costs from getting out of control, which I think has been a big issue for previous spring leagues. We feel really confident that the consumer demand is there. Where we think we have a great business advantage is in the fact that we are an owner of the league, and we are able to use the vast resources of a company of this size to help manage the operations of the USFL.

MCN: How will the USFL differ on the field from the NFL? 

MM: I would tell you that probably 95 % of the USFL rule book is identical to the NFL rule book, because we don't feel a need to reinvent the game. When people tune in, we want this product to be instantly recognizable as professional football –  we don't want it to be excessively gimmicky. Where things get a little bit different is after a scoring play, we've got some innovations that we think are going to help keep games close. One of them is that a team can elect to either kick an extra point or try for a two-point conversion. We're actually going to introduce a three-point conversion as well, because when you have a three-point conversion in play that means that a game with a margin that's as much as 18 points is still a two-possession game. We think that's going to keep fans interested. We've got a mechanism in place where rather than attempt an onside kick, we're going to let a team bring their offense on the field and try to convert a fourth and 12 [play] from scrimmage. The play clock will go from a 40-second clock to a 35-second clock – it’s a subtle distinction, but again it should just result in more offensive plays per game. ■ 

NBC Sports will join Fox Sports in carrying live games from the reincarnated USFL pro football league as part of a multi-year deal reached between the parties. 

NBC Sports will carry all 21 games from the Fox Sports-controlled USFL league, which will begin play in April 2022 with eight-teams playing a 10-week regular season schedule. Of NBC Sports’ 21 USFL telecasts, eight will air on NBC, nine will air on USA Network, and four will stream on Peacock.

NBC Sports joins Fox Sports, which will air 22 USFL games split between Fox (12) and FS1 (10). The eight USFL teams – all franchises that were part of the inaugural USFL league that ran from 1983 to 1985 before folding – include The Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, New Orleans Breakers, Tampa Bay Bandits, Michigan Panthers, New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia Stars and Pittsburgh Maulers.

"We're excited to partner with the USFL and Fox Sports to present this new era of professional football," NBC Sports chairman Pete Bevacqua said in a statement.  "With our multiple platforms across broadcast, cable, and streaming, football fans throughout the country will be able to experience the USFL's opening season this spring." 

Added Fox Sports CEO and Executive Producer Eric Shanks: "We're thrilled to have NBC Sports join Fox Sports as an official media partner of the new USFL. Like Fox, NBC has a reputation for excellence in football production, and the exposure both companies have committed to the USFL, including a combined 20 games on broadcast television, will provide fans unprecedented access all season long."

The USFL is the latest pro football league to attempt to compete against the powerful National Football League. The WWE-backed XFL launched in 2020 but cancelled its season the same year due to the pandemic. The XFL was purchased in 2020 by a group including former wrestler and current movie star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and is reported to launch sometime in 2023. ■  

WWE chairman and CEO and XFL founder Vince McMahon claims that former XFL CEO Oliver Luck is "stonewalling" in his wrongful termination suit against the league founder by refusing to answer a sheaf of questions regarding his use of a company iPhone, which McMahon and his lawyers claim prove the former league chief was slacking off on the job.

Luck, a former NCAA and NFL executive, was hired as CEO of the XFL, McMahon’s second attempt at creating a rival to the National Football League, in 2018. The league launched on Feb. 8, 2020  but canceled its season on March 12 of that year because of the pandemic. 

The XFL fired Luck on April 9, 2020, a day before the rest of the league's employees were let go, for what they said was cause, claiming Luck’s gross negligence and a willful disregard of the lawful instructions of Mr. McMahon. On April 13, 2020 the XFL filed for bankruptcy protection. Luck sued Alpha Entertainment, the vehicle that officially owned the XFL, and McMahon, who had personally guaranteed his compensation, in federal court in Connecticut on April 16, 2020. 

Last August, the XFL was purchased by a group including former wrestler and current movie star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, his ex-wife Dany Garcia and RedBird Capital for about $15 million. 

McMahon countersued Luck in January, and in a filing with the court on July 14, claimed that Luck has refused to answer questions related to his use of a company-issued cell phone. That phone is crucial for two reasons: McMahon claims that Luck used the phone for personal use, a violation of company policy, and it also contains text messages and emails that the WWE chief says proves that Luck was not adequately performing his job. 

McMahon's attorneys submitted a 50-page affidavit of questions relating to the cell phone use to the court, primarily asking the former CEO to confirm which emails and texts were sent on every day between March 13 and April 9. According to McMahon's attorneys, Luck's responses have been “evasive.”

Luck apparently has refused to voice his "contentions" regarding each email and text, which McMahon's attorneys believe would help the court differentiate between ones he claims reflect his work for the league and those that do not. 

In the July 14 filing, McMahon and Alpha attorneys allege that by responding to its requests with "baseless objections and evasive responses," Luck is "stonewalling" its efforts to discover what constitutes XFL-related work he has done and to "narrow the scope of disputed issues related to those contentions."

Luck’s attorneys have said many of the questions are burdensome, oppressive and overly broad, according to court filings. In several cases they objected to questions asking whether Luck had sent emails on certain dates because they don’t include about 95 emails sent to or from him that were excluded by McMahon and Alpha Entertainment on grounds of attorney/client privilege. 

McMahon's and Alpha's attorneys say Luck's actions are an attempt to "hide the ball on his position as to the evidence of his XFL and non-XFL work."

The July 14 dispute is just the latest in what has been a series of discovery disputes between the parties. In June, Luck asked to depose the partner in the law firm that headed the investigation that led to his firing. Alpha and McMahon have opposed that motion, which is still pending before the court.

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.” 

A group led by former WWE Superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has agreed to buy Vince McMahon’s XFL for $15 million.

According to Sportico, Johnson and RedBird Capital will split the alternative football league, which looked to revive itself this year but was crushed by the coronavirus.

The XFL filed for bankruptcy in April and was put up for sale. An auction was expected to begin on Monday.

In the bankruptcy filing, Alpha Entertainment listed assets of $10 million to $50 million and liabilities in the same range.

Started by McMahon with NBC, The XFL played one season in 2001. 

McMahon announced plans to revive the league in 2018 and it started play earlier this year. The XFL drew more than 3 million viewers in its first week. The audience was about half that number in its fifth and final week before the shutdown.

The battle between XFL owner Vince McMahon and Oliver Luck continued to heat up this week, with McMahon claiming his former CEO abandoned his duties as the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the alternative football league’s regular season, used a company-issued iPhone for personal use, and signed troubled players.

Luck, a former NCAA and NFL executive, was hired by McMahon to run the fledgling league in June 2018.  The league launched on Feb. 8, but canceled its season on March 12 because of the pandemic.

On April 9, a day before the rest of the league’s employees were let go,  the XFL fired Luck for what they said was cause, claiming “gross negligence” and a “willful disregard of the lawful instructions of Mr. McMahon” concerning his duties as CEO. The XFL filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 13. 

Luck sued McMahon in Connecticut federal court on April 16, for wrongful termination.

According to an affidavit filed on May 13, Luck claims he is owed no less than $23.8 million, including $800,000 in base salary owed for the remaining two months of the 2020 season, a $2 million guaranteed bonus, $15 million in salary for the remaining three years on his contract and $6 million in guaranteed bonuses for the remaining three years on his employment deal. Luck added that he is also owed additional amounts for benefits through June 30, 2023, according to the contract.

[embed]https://twitter.com/XFLVipers/status/1221889988981329921[/embed]

In the termination letter -- which was filed as an exhibit in Luck’s affidavit -- McMahon and XFL parent Alpha Entertainment claims of “gross negligence” by the former CEO included his decision to sign former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Antonio Callaway to an XFL contract with a “substantial” signing bonus of $125,000. According to the letter, Luck made the signing without permission from McMahon, who had requested he sign off on players with questionable backgrounds. Callaway had past drug use problems (mainly for marijuana) and run-ins with the law.

The letter continued that Luck failed to terminate Callaway immediately, and he was later injured in a practice session with the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers, leading to medical and worker’s compensation costs “well in excess of six figures.”

Luck countered that McMahon was well aware of Callaway’s signing, and that the deal was made as part of the XFL owner’s directive to attract higher quality players. Luck added that it was the XFL’s policy to “refrain” from testing for marijuana, and to reject players from the pool that could be drafted only if they had a felony conviction or a conviction for dealing drugs; had multiple misdemeanor convictions establishing a pattern; or if a credible allegation of sexual assault or domestic violence had been made against him.

[embed]https://twitter.com/XFLVipers/status/1223037946418417664[/embed]

“Callaway did not fit into any of those categories and was not disqualified under XFL policies that were in place at the time he was signed to play in the XFL,” Luck claimed in the document.

When McMahon informed Luck during the week of Jan. 26 that he wanted Callaway terminated, Luck said he did just that.

“He [Callaway] never played a down in the XFL,” Luck’s affidavit claims.

McMahon also claimed that Luck “failed to exhibit any of the vigor and work ethic required of a CEO of a start-up enterprise in these trying times,” failing to devote “substantially all of [his] business time to the performance of [his] duties since March 13th, which itself is grossly negligent under the circumstances.”

In his affidavit, Luck said he did return home to Indiana on March 13, but that the league closed its offices on Sunday March 15 and ordered all staff to work from home because of the pandemic. On March 20, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont issued a stay-at-home order in the state, asking all non-essential businesses to have their employees work from home.

As far as the cell phone, McMahon claims that when his lawyers asked Lack to return the iPhone issued to him, he failed to do so. Later, McMahon claims, Luck’s attorneys asked bankruptcy court counsel if there was a company policy about personal use of the phone.

“There was such a policy,” McMahon claims in his filing. “Thus, that phone and its contents are now evidence supporting Luck’s termination for cause.”

According to the suit, McMahon -- who also is the chairman, CEO and controlling shareholder of professional wrestling conglomerate WWE -- personally guaranteed Luck’s compensation. That is likely the reason the former CEO is suing McMahon individually instead of the bankrupt league. 

Oliver Luck, the former NFL quarterback and commissioner and CEO of the XFL, has sued league owner Vince McMahon, claiming wrongful termination.

Luck was hired last year and his pedigree -- he is a former NFL and NCAA executive -- added some needed credibility to the fledgling league.

According to the heavily redacted suit, filed April 16 in U.S. District Court in Connecticut, Luck was terminated by the XFL on April 9, a day before the league laid off the majority of its workforce. On April 13, the XFL filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, listing assets of and liabilities of between $10 million and $50 million. 

Luck reportedly signed a five-year deal worth about $20 million to run the league, and believes he is owed at least a portion of that. In the suit he claims that Alpha Entertainment, the vehicle that officially owns the XFL, “repudiated” his employment agreement. He adds that McMahon sent him a termination letter on April 9, the day before the league laid off most of its workers. 

Although the letter was redacted in the suit, Luck said he “wholly disputes and rejects the allegations set forth in the Termination Letter and contends they are pretextual and devoid of merit,” according to the document

Luck’s suit also comes days after the XFL asked the court to approve a process to sell its assets via an auction tentatively scheduled for July.

McMahon has agreed to provide debtor-in-possession financing of about $3.5 million to get the league through the sales process. That DIP financing is contingent on the court approving the auction sales process by May 15, and finalizing a sale by July 15.

Related: WWE Initiates Furloughs, Pay Cuts in COVID-19 Response 

According to bankruptcy court documents, the auction for the XFL assets -- mainly its name, trademarks and other intellectual property -- could start on July 8.

Just who would buy the assets remains to be seen. While the league enjoyed strong ratings when it launched on Feb. 8, viewership declined steadily in later weeks. Some reports have speculated that the NFL could buy the XFL and run it as an instructional league for new recruits, much like the NBA’s D-league. 

World Wrestling Entertainment said it has initiated a string of cost-cutting measures, including worker furloughs and executive pay cuts, in an effort to shave $4 million per month in expenses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a press release WWE said it has undergone an extensive evaluation of its operations in the past several weeks as the coronavirus has impacted nearly every business segment in the country. As a result, WWE said it would implement several short-term measures to reduce costs and improve cash flow, including:

• Reducing executive and board member compensation;
• Decreasing operating expenses;
• Cutting talent expenses, third party staffing and consulting;
• Deferring spend on the build out of the company’s new headquarters for at least six months.

Related: Trump Puts WWE in Major League Conversation

WWE said it also would furlough a portion of its workforce immediately, but declined to say how many workers would be affected. The company added that it believes the furloughs “will be temporary in nature.”

The company also said that it has come to terms with several wrestlers to release them from their contracts, including stars like Kurt Angle, Drake Maverick (James Curtin), Curt Hawkins (Brian Myers), Karl Anderson (Chad Allegra), Luke Gallows (Drew Hankinson), Heath Slater (Heath Miller), Eric Young (Jeremy Fritz), EC3 (Michael Hutter), Aiden English (Matthew Rehwoldt) and Lio Rush (Lionel Green).

“We wish them all the best in their future endeavors,” WWE said in a press release.

[embed]https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1250477978657665024[/embed]

The moves, especially the decision to suspend construction on its new headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut,  are expected to improve cash flow by $140 million. WWE said it has substantial financial resources -- including available cash and debt capacity of about $500 million -- to weather the economic storm created by the coronavirus pandemic.

The news comes just a few days after the XFL, the alternative football league that was the brainchild of WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, filed for bankruptcy protection. In those documents, it was revealed that WWE owns a 23.5% interest in the XFL. 

WWE said it would offer further details when it reports first quarter results, expected on April 23.

About four weeks after officially canceling its season because of the coronavirus, the XFL has suspended operations, laid off most of its work force and reportedly has no plans to return in 2021.

News of the XFL shutdown was first reported by ESPN. 

The XFL launched on Feb. 8, but the league canceled its season on March 12 amid the coronavirus pandemic. On March 15, the league revealed that one of its players, a member of the Seattle Dragons, had tested positive for COVID-19 in early March. 

This was to be the second attempt at creating a new football league for World Wrestling Entertainment chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. 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.

The hope was the league, which had no connection to McMahon’s WWE, would be able to compete as a summer league for football fans. While ratings for its inaugural games were high, later contests attracted a smaller number of viewers.

XFL officials did not respond to requests for comment, but according to several reports, Pollack informed employees of the decision to shutter the league in a 10-minute conference call Friday. Several employees took to twitter to say they had been let go.

[embed]https://twitter.com/BaileyCarlin/status/1248646012643786753[/embed][embed]https://twitter.com/MoMoneyMooney/status/1248646683124105228[/embed]

World Wrestling Entertainment chairman and CEO Vince McMahon sold more than 3.2 million WWE shares on March 27, raising about $272 million to help fund Alpha Entertainment, the main vehicle for the new XFL football league he plans to launch in 2020.

According to an 8-K document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, McMahon sold the shares (at a price of $84.50 per share) in a single block trade on March 27. Investment bank Morgan Stanley served as the sole bookrunning manager for the transaction.

According to the SEC document, McMahon made the sale to fund Alpha Entertainment, a private entity he established in 2017 to explore investments in the sports and entertainment area, including the XFL launch. The document added that McMahon has informed the company he has no intention of selling additional stock and will remain as WWE’s chairman and CEO.

The block represented about 4.1% of WWE’s total outstanding Class A and Class B shares. After the sale McMahon beneficially owned about 28.7 million shares of WWE Class B common stock, representing about 80.1% of the company’s total voting power and 36.8% of its total outstanding shares.

McMahon announced his intention to reboot the XFL in January.  The eight team league -- slated to play in NFL cities New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Houston, St. Louis, Seattle, Dallas and Tampa Bay -- is expected to play its first games on Feb. 8-9, 2020, offering a more fan-centric and family-friendly experience at a faster pace. In June the XFL named former NFL quarterback Oliver Luck as commissioner. 

WWE shares were down as much as 1% ($1.87 each) to $83.90 per share. The stock narrowed that gap in later trading -- it was priced at $84.24 each (down 63 cents, or 0.7%) at 12:17 p.m. on March 28.

“Although some investors may view this as negative for WWE, we don’t think they should as it is clear in the SEC filing that Mr. McMahon does not plan to sell any more of his WWE equity anytime soon,” wrote FBN Securities analyst Robert Routh in a note to clients. He added that WWE has a $500 million share repurchase program in place that could take advantage of any downturn in the stock price. 

WWE chair Vince McMahon will take another shot at scoring on the professional football field with the 2020 relaunch of the XFL pro football league. 

McMahon said Thursday (Jan. 25) during an afternoon press conference that he will look to reshape the XFL -- which ran for one season in 2001 in a joint venture with NBC -- into a new, reimagined format that will be "fan-friendly" and exciting. 

McMahon said the XFL will look to secure traditional network as well as digital distribution, but has yet to secure any deals.

McMahon said the league will listen to experts to help put the best product out on the field.

“We want to give fans more of that they want to see and less of what they don’t want to see,” he said.

McMahon said the eight-team league will be fully-owned by his company Alpha Entertainment and will play from late January into the spring, but would not reveal the cities in which the league will look to field teams.

The league will also feature no crossover talent from McMahon’s WWE franchise.

MCN Flashback: Vince McMahon: WWE's Ringmaster

He added that XFL games will be likely be condensed to two hours -- much quicker than the current three-hour average National Football League games – including the possible elimination of the traditional halftime period.

McMahon also said that the NFL's woes over declining ratings and political controversies did not factor into his decision to relaunch the league. He added that players with crimminal records will not be allowed into the league, and that players will most likely be required to stand during the national anthem.

"It will have nothing to do with politics and social issues ... we want really good football," McMahon said "That’s what we’re going to deliver."