ESPN Signs Multi-Year Deal With Rebooted XFL For Games, Tentpole Events
Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 09:45PM By Barry Janoff
May 17, 2022: The XFL, scheduled to restart for its third life in February 2023, today unveiled a global multi-year agreement with The Walt Disney Co. and ESPN, which includes exclusive broadcast rights for all game day content and tentpole events.
Financial terms of the alliance, which runs 2023-2027, were not shared.
Each season, all scheduled 43 games — 40 regular season games, two playoffs, one championship — will be featured on a combination of ABC, ESPN networks and Disney's FX.
In addition, the agreement includes exclusive content rights across Disney and ESPN's digital, social and direct-to-consumer outlets, including ESPN+.
The XFL is is currently planning to launch Feb. 18, 2023, one week after the NFL's Super Bowl LVII (Feb. 12, 2023).
"The XFL will tap into sports fans' deep love of football by emphasizing competitive action while dedicating itself to innovation and entertainment," Jimmy Pitaro, chairman, ESPN and Sports Content, said via the network.
The rival USFL spring league relaunched in April with games on NBC Sports and Fox Sports.
“Without question, we have long admired Disney's distinct ability to engage an expansive consumer fanbase across verticals, while also maintaining a deeply authentic, nuanced and heartfelt approach to storytelling much like our own,” Dany Garcia, XFL chairwoman, said via the league.
“To find a partner that honors our foundation and to be able to root our vision of unwavering passion, accessibility and the future of football with Disney as our home, is a dream come true. We are extraordinarily excited to explore the endless possibilities of this partnership — today is surely just the beginning."
The original version of the XFL, led by WWE founder and chairman Vince McMahon, played one season in 2001 before disbanding.
In February 2020, one week after Super Bowl LIV, a reimagined XFL played its first game, also under McMahon.
The next month, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, finances and other issues, the league shut down.
Weeks later, XFL ownership filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy motion in Delaware just days after shuttering operations and releasing its employees.
"This is a definitive moment for the XFL and the beginning of an incredible, long-term partnership for the league."
In August 2020, Garcia, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and RedBird Capital Partners acquired substantially all of the assets of Alpha Entertainment LLC, the parent company of the XFL, for $15 million, according to industry analysts.
In February, the XFL unveiled that it would collaborate with the NFL on “select innovation programs to further expand the game of football and create increased opportunities for player development both on and off the field. Key areas of focus include health and safety, international football development and officiating and rules innovation.”
"This is a definitive moment for the XFL and the beginning of an incredible, long-term partnership for the league, building on my longstanding, very successful legacy relationship I've had with Disney throughout my career,” Johnson said via the XFL.
"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."
XFL Rocks On En Route To 2023 Relaunch
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