Earlier this week, the XFL was back in Bankruptcy Court to go over some more procedural items. That being said, from what we’ve heard, the league is looking in much better shape for an eventual return. Whether that return is in 2021 or 2022 is still yet to be determined.
HEARING UPDATE: There will be another PROCEDURAL hearing, scheduled for July 13th at 9 AM for the XFLs parent company Alpha Entertainment LLC.
— Jake Henry (@stljakeh) June 16, 2020
Currently over 30 different interested parties have signed NDA’s (Non-Disclosure Agreements) to gain access to the leagues data with the sole purpose of bringing it back from the dead (again). According to various reports, the XFL was on track to earn roughly $20M in revenue over the course of the 2020 season. Clearly, a lot of that went down the drain once the season was forced to suspend due to the coronavirus.
Either way, that is very promising for an investor looking to build his enterprise. At the time, the who is the biggest question. Who is interested in the league… and do they have the capitol to keep the league afloat during its formative years?
With over 30 different groups showing interest, a return is looking more and more likely. According to sources with knowledge of the subject, at least 20 of the bidders have more than enough capitol to get the league back up and running very comfortably.
Although no specific names have been publicly revealed, rumors have swirled online that Disney and FOX are both interested in the league. Others have mentioned the NFL as well, possibly as a way for them to create a development league. August 7th is the date that all XFL fans need to know, that’s when we should all officially know if the XFL was purchased and who will take the reigns from McMahon.
With roughly a month and a half left until the auction concludes, anything can happen. The model being proposed to potential owners is for the league to return in 2021 with a 12-week, made-for-TV, tournament. This tournament would be house out of one central location, which would contribute to player safety and cost savings. The XFL would then look to transition back to home-markets for a 2022 season.
Clearly, a lot of things need to happen before we start even considering 2022; but it’s great to see it being discussed. Will this many parties interested, I think it’s becoming more and more clear that the XFL may be able to survive another day.
Who would you like to see purchase the XFL? Do you think the league can get up and running for 2021 or will they need to delay until 2022? Let us know down in the comments below or join the conversation on Discord.
