Despite a promising beginning, the recent version of the XFL shuttered its doors midway through its inaugural season. Despite impressive ratings in its opening weeks, the league saw viewership drop over time, and when the COVID-19 crisis impacted the United States, the league suspended operations and all employees were laid off.
However, there is hope for the league this week.
A new ownership group acquired the XFL, a group that contains Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as well as Dany Garcia, his business partner. They partnered with RedBird Capital Partners to acquire the XFL for approximately $15 million dollars.
Johnson has become a household name since beginning his career as a professional wrestler. He has become a movie star, a television host and producer, and even the founder of Teremana, a brand of tequila. Garcia and Johnson – who were married for just over ten years – remained close after separating and work closely together to this day. Garcia’s portfolio of business is extremely impressive. She is the founder, CEO and chairwoman of The Garcia Companies/TGC Management, and she oversees TGC Manageme,t, Teremana, Athleticon (an upcoming competitive bodybuilding show being launched with Johnson), and Johnson’s collections with Under Armour, VOSS and more.
Now they face perhaps their toughest challenge to date: Reviving the XFL. Given their previous run of successes, they might not need any advice
But if they’re looking for ideas, here are some suggestions.
Start Small
One of the issues that plagues every new sports league is the level of competition, or more specifically the product on the field. Keeping the size of the league small to start helps to counteract the level of talent in the league, which might impact the product that viewers see each game.
The most recent version of the XFL got this right, starting with eight teams and keeping ownership over each team. That, as opposed to the traditional franchise model, allowed the league to retain some impact on each team, rather than relying on outside ownership groups or investors.
The league also needs to consider where the teams are located. Prior to folding, the recent version of the XFL placed teams in established football markets, such as Houston, Dallas, Seattle and Tampa Bay. Placing teams in larger media markets, even with established fanbases in place for NFL franchises, is wise. However, the new XFL would be wise to tap into some of the markets that were successful with the AAL, most notably Orlando. Perhaps it was due to the presence of Steve Spurrier and the success of the Apollos, but Orlando was second in attendance for the AAF season and has a suitable stadium in place.