The third time has already been the charm for the XFL. After starting and stopping in both 2001 and 2020, the third version of the XFL will be the first to see a second season.
A report by Forbes stated the league lost an estimated $60 million in its 2023 inaugural season, which began in February and concluded May 13.
Co-owned by Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, RedBird Capital Partners and Disney, the XFL says it has funding in place to play four seasons and can begin turning a profit by Year 5, in 2027. The XFL plans to generate $100 million in revenue in 2024, according to Forbes.
RedBird Capital founder Gerry Cardinale believes the XFL can pass Major League Soccer in time to become America's fifth most-popular professional sport.
XFL games averaged 627,000 viewers across ABC, ESPN/2/+ and FX, slightly below the USFL's average of 751,000 on NBC, Fox, FS1, and USA but nearly double the MLS. The USFL's second season is ongoing, concluding with a championship game on July 1. Management of that league has called the revived USFL "a profitable property."
Ultimately, the XFL and USFL co-existing and finding niches as unofficial minor leagues for the NFL would be a good thing for the game of football and the coaching profession. And unlike previous ownership, the XFL 3.0 says they're determined to make that happen.
“This is not just an endeavor that’s going to fill up a portfolio and one day we flip it and we’re out,” The Rock told Forbes. “This is legacy. This is the long game.”