Who owns the XFL? All about Dwayne Johnson’s new $15 million league set to kick off in 2023
XFL owners Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Gerry Cardinale's RedBird Capital will certainly be pumped ahead of the newly-resurrected league's draft.
Over the last five years, the AAF and XFL owners have made it so that the leagues debuted and wrapped up before the end of their first season.
They both debuted in the spring and ended their seasons before the championship could be played, but their reasons differed.
The AAF ran out of money while the XFL ran into the pandemic.
According to Forbes, however, with operations resuming in various industries around the world, the Springtime Football League is giving it another shot.
The XFL, now owned by Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Gerry Cardinale's RedBird Capital will kick off soon after the end of the 2022 NFL season.
The league is set to be broadcast over the next five years on the same channels that the NFL regularly uses.
History in the making, Houston! Our team starts now.
The @XFLRoughnecks select @ADRIANKILLINS9 as their first #XFLDraft pick!
Presented by @ZipRecruiter. https://t.co/u4pTwhjlve
All 43 games will be streamed live on a combination of ESPN, ESPN+, FX, and ABC. There will be eight teams in the league, including the Vegas Vipers, St. Louis Battlehawks, Seattle Sea Dragons, San Antonio Brahmas, Orlando Guardians, Houston Roughnecks, DC Defenders, and Arlington Renegades.
San Antonio, Orlando, St. Louis, and Arlington are all first-time cities that do not have a pro football team. Of course, St. Louis used to be home to the Rams in the NFL. Texas holds three of the teams.
XFL's female owner Dany Garcia claims organisation has hit 'sweet spot'
In an interview with Axios earlier this year, Garcia said she was hyped for the league all the way back in 2020.
She said:
“I saw an opportunity to take this football universe and wrap it around with layered storytelling, bring it closer to the audience, invest in the athletes even more, bring more technology, and make a property and extend it as if it was a live IP."
Gerry Cardinale also pointed out how the XFL wouldn't compete with the NFL. He added that their league would fill a sore gap between the period in the spring when there's no football being played.
Dwayne Johnson's ownership in XFL convinced Cardinale to go all-in
In the same interview, Cardinale expounded on what finally convinced him the league was the real deal.
He said:
"So I look at these leagues, and I say, ‘those events, a great aggregation of entertainment properties and IP.’ At the end of the day, what really convinced me on this was when I got the call from Danny and Dwayne.”
With the XFL draft set to kick off on November 15 with the quarterbacks, spirits are clearly high in the camp.
The league's debut game, however, will be played on Saturday, February 18.
Who is playing in the XFL?
The XFL's inaugural draft is underway at the time of writing. According to Pro Football Network, notable players drafted include former NFL quarterbacks Kyle Sloter, AJ McCarron, and Ben DiNucci.
Show us a better name for a QB...we'll wait.
#XFLDraft https://t.co/1mO1i18ZQT
Sloter was a practice squad and preseason legend for the Denver Broncos. During their search for a franchise quarterback, fans pressured the team to give the quarterback a shot in a regular season game.
AJ McCarron, meanwhile, has played in numerous games in the NFL. Ben DiNucci has played in games for the Dallas Cowboys and was in the running to be the team's backup this season.
As for coaches, FB Schedules reports that the coaches will also feature NFL alumni. Notable former NFL names include Wade Phillips, Hines Ward, and Rod Woodson.