XFL Signs Exclusive Deal With Disney And ESPN: What You Need To Know

The XFL has signed a multi-year agreement with the Walt Disney Co. DIS and its ESPN division for exclusive broadcast rights for all gameday content, tentpole events and other activities for the upcoming 2023 season through 2027.

What Happened: Under the terms of the agreement, each 43-game season – consisting of 40 regular season games, two playoffs and the championship match – will be featured on a combination of ABC, ESPN and FX platforms that include digital, social media and direct-to-consumer.

The 2023 season kicks off on Feb. 18, 2023.

Why It Matters: The XFL was created by Vince McMahon, chairman of WWE WWE, and played a single season in 2001 before shutting down as a ratings and financial failure. In 2018, McMahon announced plans to revive the XFL, but its return in the spring of 2020 was disrupted when the coronavirus pandemic shut down all professional sports venues. McMahon canceled the league’s 2020 and 2021 season and the XFL filed for bankruptcy protection.

In August 2020, the XFL was sold for $15 million to a group headed by one of McMahon’s former employees, professional wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who was working in conjunction with Dany Garcia, his ex-wife and business partner, and the private investment firm RedBird Capital.

“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,” said Garcia, who is now chairwoman of the XFL. “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.”

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“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 added. “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. Through the combined power of Disney, ESPN 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.”