According to a new report by Darren Rovell of ESPN.com, Vince McMahon’s original claim of spending $100 million to launch his resurrected XFL in 2020 appears to be far less than what he will actually spend.
The report notes that Alpha Entertainment, the Vince McMahon owned company re-launching the XFL, has informed insiders that the LLC plans to spend roughly $500 million in the first three seasons of the new league.
League CEO and commissioner Oliver Luck told ESPN “people were focused on the $100 million, but the truth is that doesn’t even get us to the 20-yard line.”
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Luck added that the bulk of the league’s spending will be on player and coach salaries, and noted insurance for players will be another significant cost. Plans for the XFL at launch include eight teams, 40-man active rosters and a 10-week regular season schedule.
“I’ve been at all levels of football, and the importance of a broad-based insurance program cannot be understated. There are very few participants who underwrite for this market anymore and it is obviously costly,” added Luck.
One key thing the ESPN article reveals is that it appears Alpha Entertainment has a vision for the XFL that will at least carry them through three seasons, which would be two more seasons than the first iteration of the league which folded after its freshman year. The new league, which is dubbing itself “warp speed football reinvented,” is expected to launch in early 2020, likely following the NFL’s SuperBowl.
ESPN