Tuesday, the USFL and Birmingham announced that the Alabama city could be the site for the league’s 2022 season.
FOX has reportedly invested $150M over the next few years to help run the USFL. If true, this would help keep the league alive at least until they’re able to secure private teams.
Talks have been going on for a while between the networks. FS1 began airing all the Spring League games since October 2022.
“Under the proposal, Fox Sports is serving as the lead entity to establish the USFL, marking the first time a broadcast network has taken the lead in such an effort. Fox Sports has acquired all copyrights to the USFL brand along with branding of the league’s former teams. Other national broadcast partners, one of which is believed to be NBC, have committed to airing primetime broadcast for USFL games.”
Dylan Smith of Yellow Hammer digital productions.
Nothing concrete has been set, the city still needs to approve the measure, but it’s estimated that at least $15M would be made for Birmingham on housing alone, not to mention the other expenses that a major football league would bring.
Nevertheless, this would be a big windfall for the sport in Birmingham. The last time a league played there, it was the AAF’s Birmingham Iron.
“I attended the presentation last week by the USFL League organizers. This is a once in a lifetime, unprecedented opportunity for Birmingham,” Waggoner stated. “This league is unlike anything else I have seen before. The league owner is the broadcaster. Never before has a professional football league proposed playing all league games for an entire season in a single city.”
Jabo Wagonaer
He went on to say
“This league has sound financial backing, has solid national broadcast agreements and they are committed for the long haul. We invested $200M to build this stadium, to be in a position to take advantage of opportunities like this. I just never thought it would happen this quickly. I expect all involved at the local level to find a way to make this happen for Birmingham.”
“The stadium is complete. Now the work becomes laser focused on continued events recruitment and keeping seats filled,” he added. “Events will generate revenue which helps with community development. As we reshape how the world views Birmingham and Alabama, I believe the ball will not be fumbled and we will score a win with Fox Sports Network exposure”
The deal would receive an initial $200 million investment from Fox, with the goal of raising an additional $250 million from numerous wealthy investors in the future. This unprecedented amount of financing, coupled with a unique broadcast scenario with four nationally televised games per week, on USA Network, FOX, and NBC, The city of Birmingham stands to reap vast economic benefits from the deal – from YellowHammer’s Dylan Smith .
Senator Waggoner also added:
“This league has sound financial backing, has solid national broadcast agreements and they are committed for the long haul. We invested $200M to build this stadium, to be in a position to take advantage of opportunities like this. I just never thought it would happen this quickly. I expect all involved at the local level to find a way to make this happen for Birmingham.”
If the Birmingham council approves, that is a major step to having traditional 11v11 football in America during the spring.
