Not your typical Batman and Robin, but the XFL has always been ambitious, opened its doors to sports betting, and that seems to be a unique blend that could save the spirited Spring league as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson takes over at the helm.
The Covid-19 pandemic radically impacted the world of sports and fans alike creating a loophole that could just be perfect timing for the XFL and whatever plans it has going forward. Sports took a break until a eureka came in the form of bubble concept, a closed system where professionals get to focus only on playing and entertaining starving fans who will take almost anything thrown at them after a 4-month layoff.
This peculiar situation was a boon for sports betting as well, and despite all the thrill that betting offers, a sure bet is still the best. For the XFL, new owner, Dwayne Johnson, and sports betting are the closest to a sure bet as it can get.
Betting on Dwayne Johnson
A few months ago the XFL would not probably benefit from a free bet by oddsmakers, but ever since a new sheriff was announced in town, there is a buzz and expectation as to what the persevering league will offer once it resumes. Dwayne Johnson was a hit in the WWE, an electrifying showstopper, the kind of energy that has made him a success in Hollywood in pretty much every other venture he has set his sights on.
The XFL may be his tallest task yet, but he has a track record. Under former owner, Vince McMahon, the XFL hit 3.6 million viewers in its first week, before levelling off around 1.5 million viewers in its following weeks. What this says despite the drop is that there is an interest in a second football league and the XFL. With Dwayne Johnson on board, the league has its biggest star to date, one that is very popular with the masses, has a fanbase, and a history of always delivering their money’s worth of entertainment and more.
Before propelling to stardom as The Rock, Dwayne Johnson was a pro footballer with stints in the NFL and the CFL, so obviously, his fanbase will include a mixture of WWE/football enthusiasts just waiting to smell what The Rock is cooking for the XFL. Johnson seems to have the Midas touch and the right fanbase that could jump onto the XFL bandwagon, at a time when entertainment in any form will be welcome.
Betting on Sport Betting
Sign up offers saw a jump as sports resumed back in April across the world. A massive 60% surge in live event betting ushered in by the resumption of soccer leagues meant a super boost for sports betting. The return of the NBA pushed those numbers well above 60% and the return of the remainder of America’s big leagues in the NFL and MLB will only mean good news for both sports betting and the XFL.
The entertainment value of betting has risen, and under the McMahon era, the XFL had embraced betting with open arms, as one of the most sports betting-friendly professional leagues in the US. New ownership may mean new rules, but a presence like that of Johnson who is not only a successful executive but still an active entertainment personality could mean popularity for the XFL in sports betting, and growing interest in free bets on offer by oddsmakers.
In a bubble where sports is uninterrupted and reports of legends like Bob Stoops and Steve Spurrier interested in the XFL, the league is in a different scenario than its previous iterations and predecessors. With Dwayne Johnson at the wheel and sports betting having a green light, the XFL could just have an ideal environment to thrive this time around.
