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A report has surfaced indicating that Dwayne Johnson's XFL does not have any deal in place with ESPN and therefore, their future is in jeopardy. Coming after another report that the league lost $60 million in its first season, it certainly doesn't bode well for the future.
Alternative football leagues have come and gone over the years, including the XFL. These reports seem to suggest that another exit is on the way for Johnson's league.
John Ourand said the money lost was to be expected in a startup league like this. Businesses can take some time to become profitable. However, the number of firings the company had to do was startling, as is the apparent lack of a deal.
"What I was not expecting was the layoffs that occurred there, including two of the top marketing executives at the XFL. I was told that they laid off dozens of employees and that suggests to me that the losses incurred are actually much greater than anticipated."
Johnson replied to the tweet to refute the reports.
He was concise, saying:
"Not true. ESPN is a stakeholder in XFL. Long term partners. Big plans for ‘24 season. Back to work."
According to him, the league is slated for a return next season and ESPN is evidently going to be involved with it for a very long time.
This would not be the first time Johnson refuted financial details. When his film "Black Adam" came out, there was a lot of controversy over what the movie actually made at the box office.
Will the XFL be back?
Dwayne Johnson's XFL lost a lot of money during the season per reports. Whether or not it's as bad as they seem, it's hard to imagine the league doing well financially in its first year.
However, with someone like Johnson behind it, the financial loss isn't so bad. He is worth about $800 million, so he can afford to lose a little while trying to build the league up. It was likely never a one-and-done project for him, so he can continue working on it in the future.
