The Xtreme Football League (XFL), despite its ambitious vision and strong financial support, failed to achieve long-term success due to a combination of financial instability, low ratings, and fierce competition. The league’s past failures and comeback attempts have not gone unnoticed, however, the attempts at revival showcased the numerous challenges of establishing a sustainable football league in the country.
Despite these challenges, the XFL is showing signs of improvement and potential for success. As the XFL heads into the 2024 season, marking its third season since the “reboot” and under the ownership of Dany Garcia, actor and wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Red Bird capital’s Gerry Cardinale.
Change is Coming
The XFL has undergone significant changes and improvements to address the issues from previous seasons. In 2023, the league faced some serious challenges regarding viewership, but the XFL has maintained its partnerships with Disney to ensure the games are broadcast on ESPN, ABC, and FX. This aims to provide more consistent and widespread coverage to attract more viewers.
In September 2023, a merger with XFL and the USFL to form the Unite Football League was announced. The merger was split 50-50 between Fox Sports and XFL’s three owners and will feature eight teams divided into the USFL Conference and XFL Conference. This merger signals a new beginning for loyal fans and sportsbooks alike. Techopedia’s Jeremy Olsen says that the betting options with top offshore sportsbooks typically include moneylines, point spreads, and season win totals. While the betting market is much smaller compared to the NFL, the UFL sports betting options still provide football fans and bettors with an incredible alternative, especially during the NFL off-season. Despite having a loyal fan base, why hasn’t the XFL achieved much success?
Financial Instability
One of the main reasons behind the XFL’s lack of success was financial instability. Despite playing a crucial role in creating, developing, and investing in the XFL, Vince McMahon’s $500 million investment failed to generate sufficient revenue to cover the league’s expenses. The heft investment scaled down to the league only generating $14 million in revenue by the time it filed for bankruptcy. This was a staggering $44 million in net losses and a massive financial hurdle the league could not overcome.
Declining Attendance and Ratings
Declining viewership and low attendance at XFL games rattled the league and played a crucial role in its downfall. In the beginning, the league’s viewership looked exceptionally promising, attracting 1.3 million viewers at the opening weekend of the 2020 season. However, this number dwindled significantly over the subsequent weeks, with some games drawing in a meager 234,000 viewers.
Things were looking up for the XFL when the 2023 season began. However, the XFL failed to keep the momentum going, with each game averaging at least 622,000 viewers per game. While the ratings and viewership went up, there was a sharp decline in attendance figures. A good example of this is the St. Louis Battlehawks attendance figures dropped from an average of 35,000 in 2023 to just over 34,000 in 2024. This decline in both viewership ratings and attendance figures highlighted a waning interest in the league, and much less engagement from the fans too. These figures are a critical metric for the league’s revenue through its ticket sales and advertising.
Inconsistent Scheduling
The league struggled to be consistent with game scheduling, which made it much harder for fans to develop a routine for watching the game. Countless Reddit threads have been created, with most fans complaining about the scheduling of the games. One Redditor complained that the XFL’s inconsistent scheduling of games showed the league’s disregard for time zones, while another commented “The schedule is so bad it almost feels like it’s intentionally a terrible schedule.” The league’s struggle with irregular game times has made it difficult for fans to develop a routine for watching games. This inconsistency is a massive contributing factor to the declining attendance and ratings.
Competition from Other Sports Leagues
The XFL faces significant competition from other sporting events and football leagues. The league’s spring schedule, for example, coincided with the latter half of the NHL and NBA leagues. This included both league’s most-watched playoff games. In an effort to draw in an audience, the XFL’s season happened during the NCAA basketball tournament, also known as March Madness. These are high-profile leagues and competitions that are more established and have many sports fans’, sportsbooks, and online casino betting platforms’ attention. The highly competitive sporting landscape made it so much harder for XFL to gain a strong foothold in a crowded sporting environment, failing to attract consistent viewership.
Misalignment With Fan Expectations
The XFL’s marketing was heavily criticized for presenting itself as a gimmick, rather than a professional football league. Many fans felt that the top announcers and promotional stunts overshadowed the actual football. Additionally, most felt that the league was “out of tune” with its fans through its overly emphasized association with the WWE, leading many to believe it was a fake league. This perception of the XFL severely undermined the credibility of the games, the players, and the participating teams. The XFL’s attempt to blend sports with entertainment seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for many football fans.
