XFL and Disney reach multi-year agreement to air games

[LadyStanley]

ESPN reaches multiyear deal to broadcast XFL games

The league is set to kick off Feb. 18, 2023 with a 40-game regular season schedule and three playoff games.

theathletic.com

Paywall. Across whole family of channels, including ESPN+

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[Big Z Man 1990]

It could have made sense to replace Fox as a broadcast partner with CBS Sports, but with the broadcast portion going to The CW to start building that network into a legitimate contender, and Paramount Network airing the cable portion.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

It could have made sense to replace Fox as a broadcast partner with CBS Sports, but with the broadcast portion going to The CW to start building that network into a legitimate contender, and Paramount Network airing the cable portion.

Here we go again...

 

[gstommylee]

It could have made sense to replace Fox as a broadcast partner with CBS Sports, but with the broadcast portion going to The CW to start building that network into a legitimate contender, and Paramount Network airing the cable portion.

CBS sports network is on way way less tvs than the former NBCSN national network.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

CBS sports network is on way way less tvs than the former NBCSN national network.

That's why I didn't mention it in my post, instead saying Paramount Network, which is a similar network in scope to FX.

And I will never understand what you people have against The CW. It is just as much a network as ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. And adding sports will only make it even more so.

 

[Acesolid]

I think this makes sense as a TV deal. What doesn't make sense is the USFL and the XFL somehow competing week after week.

Personally I think their medium-term coexistance is impossible. It's likely they'll both quickly fold... but I guess technically one could eat the remains of the first to fail and become somewhat viable... but that'd be a first.

 

[Section 104]

Third time is the charm? I guess spring football leagues exist so people can lose money quicker than betting it on the roulette wheel.

 

[TheRumble]

Third time is the charm? I guess spring football leagues exist so people can lose money quicker than betting it on the roulette wheel.

Only reason it failed the second time was because of covid. It was just poorly timed and had its legs cut off before it had a chance. A start up league operating without gate reciepts was gonna cost the WWE a massive amount of money.

America loves football more now than it ever does. I think - assuming there is no covid-24, it succeeds this time around.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

And this should be in the Business of Sports sub-forum. This thread has nothing to do with hockey,

Also, if the stars align right, the XFL and USFL could merge eventually, with the respective owners of each league jointly owning the merged entity.

 

[Voight]

This was no surprise, The Rock and them have had a long & very lucrative relationship.

 

[oknazevad]

That's why I didn't mention it in my post, instead saying Paramount Network, which is a similar network in scope to FX.

And I will never understand what you people have against The CW. It is just as much a network as ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. And adding sports will only make it even more so.

It isn't just as much of a network, as has been explained to you as nauseam. You just refuse to listen to anyone telling you why you're wrong.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

It isn't just as much of a network, as has been explained to you as nauseam. You just refuse to listen to anyone telling you why you're wrong.

And you refuse to listen to me when I say if you don't like what I say, don't reply.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

Furthermore, Fox had fewer primetime hours at the launch of their primetime than that of The CW.

The CW was able to cobble up six straight nights of primetime right away (they didn't program Saturday nights until 2021) because programming-wise, it was a merger of UPN and The WB with few new shows.

Fox on the other hand, needed to take until 1992 to get that many nights on their primetime schedule, and until 1993 to have primetime seven nights a week.

Granted The CW stopped programming on Sunday nights for a time. Still, Fox had a seven-night schedule for just less than 2 years when it started broadcasting the NFL.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

The CW isn't getting sports.

Stop...

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

If CW employees were reading all these posts attacking the idea of sports on their network they'd be so ashamed.

Many CW shows have large fanbases, such as the Arrowverse. Sports would be a good way to enlarge these fanbases because then their primetime shows would be getting good advertising.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

And again, people were saying the same things about the idea of Fox airing sports 35, even 30 years ago.

But they have several major organizations in their lineup now.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

What you either fail to understand or refuse to, is that FOX came to being because Murdoch owned several stations in big markets. That allowed him to build a real network.

The CW isn't a "real" network. It's a very loose affiliation of stations and controlled by competiting organizations. Neither Paramount or Warner Brothers Discovery has any incentive to acquire sports rights for it, they have their own properties to focus those dollars on.

 

[awfulwaffle]

Furthermore, Fox had fewer primetime hours at the launch of their primetime than that of The CW.

The CW was able to cobble up six straight nights of primetime right away (they didn't program Saturday nights until 2021) because programming-wise, it was a merger of UPN and The WB with few new shows.

Fox on the other hand, needed to take until 1992 to get that many nights on their primetime schedule, and until 1993 to have primetime seven nights a week.

Granted The CW stopped programming on Sunday nights for a time. Still, Fox had a seven-night schedule for just less than 2 years when it started broadcasting the NFL.

Is CW like your favorite station and always shows up first when you turn on the tv or something?

 

[Chileiceman]

Guys, clearly My TV Network is the one that leagues should be trying to get on.