Vince McMahon considers move to bring back the XFL

[Colin Unger]

2 hours ago, wbbfan said:

That 3-year minimum ooof. Exist a year before something like that. I see that making them prime targets for the back end of the career cfl/afl nfl PR guys. What player in or before their prime is going to want to sign away 3 years. 

They still can sign in the nfl even when they are under contract.  But if cfl players scoff at the 2 year deals I can’t see these 3 year deals being all that appealing. 

[wbbfan]

On 2018-12-14 at 6:08 PM, SpeedFlex27 said:

My son lives in Seattle. Big football fan but he sure isn't excited about an XFL team there.

Yeah seattle is a boom city in a big way. Plus that football market is locked up tight as it gets. 

[SpeedFlex27]

34 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

Yeah seattle is a boom city in a big way. Plus that football market is locked up tight as it gets. 

Fastest growing city in the US. 

[The Unknown Poster]

XFL more interested in Seattle as a TV market than walk up market.

[wbbfan]

8 hours ago, The Unknown Poster said:

XFL more interested in Seattle as a TV market than walk up market.

I feel like these start-up leagues, and even the established ones get caught up in this. Trying to hammer in as many Toronto type teams instead of Edmonton, Winnipeg etc. Some tiny cities and areas of the US get 30k or more for high school games. Just makes no sense to me to target a city like Seattle, vs a city that would be invested in keeping a team around. 

23 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Fastest growing city in the US. 

One of the more interesting too. It has such a strong hipster reputation but has a huge now counterculture that predates the hipsters. 

 

I believe the small market teams are what keep leagues around through the rough times. I also would bet the combined years of operation for XFL 2.0 and AAAAAFL will max out at 3. 

[GCn20]

31 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

I feel like these start-up leagues, and even the established ones get caught up in this. Trying to hammer in as many Toronto type teams instead of Edmonton, Winnipeg etc. Some tiny cities and areas of the US get 30k or more for high school games. Just makes no sense to me to target a city like Seattle, vs a city that would be invested in keeping a team around. 

One of the more interesting too. It has such a strong hipster reputation but has a huge now counterculture that predates the hipsters. 

 

I believe the small market teams are what keep leagues around through the rough times. I also would bet the combined years of operation for XFL 2.0 and AAAAAFL will max out at 3. 

Toronto may be a joke attendance wise but the GTA provides very solid CFL viewership numbers to TSN and is a big reason the rest of the CFL has the TV deal it does. Don't be fooled by attendance. People like the Argos and watch them in Toronto, you just won't get them to go to a game because their game day experience has been complete garbage for a long time.

[wbbfan]

1 hour ago, gcn11 said:

Toronto may be a joke attendance wise but the GTA provides very solid CFL viewership numbers to TSN and is a big reason the rest of the CFL has the TV deal it does. Don't be fooled by attendance. People like the Argos and watch them in Toronto, you just won't get them to go to a game because their game day experience has been complete garbage for a long time.

I don't buy viewership. But it does give you the leverage to get nationwide tv. I really can't see that many people watching them on tv in the GTA. Perhaps (more than likely) I am crazy though. 

[WBBFanWest]

2 hours ago, gcn11 said:

Toronto may be a joke attendance wise but the GTA provides very solid CFL viewership numbers to TSN and is a big reason the rest of the CFL has the TV deal it does. Don't be fooled by attendance. People like the Argos and watch them in Toronto, you just won't get them to go to a game because their game day experience has been complete garbage for a long time.

the numbers would disagree with you when you say solid.  Average would be more like it, and again, when you consider the potential market, not all that great:

Here’s a look at the TV ratings for the nine CFL teams compared to their 2017 numbers for the same number of games along with their attendance figures.

http://3downnation.com/2018/09/21/cfl-ratings-report-team-team-look-season-far/

Here’s a look at the TV ratings for the nine CFL teams compared to their 2017 numbers for the same number of games along with their attendance figures.

Team	Average viewership	Percentage change (2017)	Attendance change (2017)
SSK	717,958	+14.2	-1.5
EDM	571,583	-5.4	-3.8
HAM	555,675	+3.2	-0.6
CAL	543,183	+3.6	-5.9
WIN	540,258	-7.24	-3.0
TOR	503,473	+10.39	+4.2
B.C.	500,964	-2.28	-4.3
MTL	477,317	+17.1	-11.8
OTT	449,750	+5.3	-3.5

 

 

[Jesse]

10 hours ago, WBBFanWest said:

the numbers would disagree with you when you say solid.  Average would be more like it, and again, when you consider the potential market, not all that great:

Here’s a look at the TV ratings for the nine CFL teams compared to their 2017 numbers for the same number of games along with their attendance figures.

http://3downnation.com/2018/09/21/cfl-ratings-report-team-team-look-season-far/

Here’s a look at the TV ratings for the nine CFL teams compared to their 2017 numbers for the same number of games along with their attendance figures.

Team	Average viewership	Percentage change (2017)	Attendance change (2017)
SSK	717,958	+14.2	-1.5
EDM	571,583	-5.4	-3.8
HAM	555,675	+3.2	-0.6
CAL	543,183	+3.6	-5.9
WIN	540,258	-7.24	-3.0
TOR	503,473	+10.39	+4.2
B.C.	500,964	-2.28	-4.3
MTL	477,317	+17.1	-11.8
OTT	449,750	+5.3	-3.5

 

 

Every team is in that 500k range. Seems solid to me.

[WBBFanWest]

1 hour ago, Jesse said:

Every team is in that 500k range. Seems solid to me.

I'd suggest that a team from a metropolitan area as large as Toronto should see higher numbers that this when they play.  An Argos game pulls in  503k.  The average is 539k.  If you take out Saskatchewan, which does tend to skew things a bit (easy to draw crowds when you are the only pro sport in the province), you still end up at an average of about 517k.   The largest population center's team can't even manage average viewership.  Yes, its numbers are not the lowest, but personally, I would have expected that if there really was a large fan base on TO, the numbers would have shown that, but they don't.  For the TSN people, the real saving grace in that part of the province are the Tiger Cats.   It's their viewership which seems to be the real driving force in Ontario

[NorthernSkunk]

12 hours ago, WBBFanWest said:

 

Team	Average viewership	Percentage change (2017)	Attendance change (2017)
SSK	717,958	+14.2	-1.5
EDM	571,583	-5.4	-3.8
HAM	555,675	+3.2	-0.6
CAL	543,183	+3.6	-5.9
WIN	540,258	-7.24	-3.0
TOR	503,473	+10.39	+4.2
B.C.	500,964	-2.28	-4.3
MTL	477,317	+17.1	-11.8
OTT	449,750	+5.3	-3.5

 

 

TV numbers are always hard to believe,  how do they count who is watching? Lol......the number that jumps off the page for me is Torontos attendance going up from 2017.  25 more years with increases like this and they may be getting somewhere...

[The Unknown Poster]

From Meltzer

 

 Sports Business Journal ran a story about the AAF, which starts play in February, and its rival, the XFL.

The gist is, as we noted, the XFL is in larger markets and playing at a number of NFL stadiums while the AAF is playing in secondary markets and smaller stadiums.

The feeling is the XFL has more money to spend, although the AAF claimed that they have $850 million in funding and will spend that over the next five years to get the venture up and running.

Vince McMahon, who is funding the XFL on his own, has only said he will fund it for far more than the $100 million that he cashed out stock on to get the ball rolling.

Oliver Luck, who will be actually running the XFL, at least as much as anyone can run a company owned by Vince McMahon, said that the NFL did a study on what markets have the most interest in football, and they got the results and placed teams in those cities.

The XFL is expected to announce a television deal for 2020 within weeks. Vince McMahon was very confident in that. With sports channels needing live programming, getting a deal shouldn’t be hard, but getting ratings will be far more difficult than it was in 2001.

What type of revenue they can get between television and streaming platforms will spell the success or failure of the league not things like ticket sales.

They also expect to start naming head coaches for its teams in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa and Washington, DC.

The plan is also to sign eight star quarterbacks at around $250,000 to $300,000 per year, announce the signings early next year and spent a year marketing the star quarterback in the local market before starting play.

Luck said the league plans to start signing players throughout 2019 to give teams time to prepare for the season.

While not specifically addressed, it appears that the XFL will be making players sign exclusive contracts.

The AAF is giving players contracts that allow them to leave teams at the end of the season if they get an NFL offer, which essentially means if the league is taken seriously as strong football, most stars will get NFL offers and leave.

Luck said that the XFL will not become an NFL developmental league. That means that player who still believe they can get to the NFL, which would be the better players, would be more likely to sign with the AAF, although most athletes are going to go to who offers the most money. . .

[The Unknown Poster]

 

[The Unknown Poster]

 

[Goalie]

Call me crazy but i think Vince is gonna make XFL work this time around. Dunno why.. I just think it works for some reason. They seem to be taking their time doing things The right way.. Bob stoops as coach for Dallas is a big deal.. The other coach they named was an African American guy. Im not saying the coaches are a big deal but Stoops is a pretty huge name

[Fan Boy]

1 hour ago, Goalie said:

Call me crazy but i think Vince is gonna make XFL work this time around. Dunno why.. I just think it works for some reason. They seem to be taking their time doing things The right way.. Bob stoops as coach for Dallas is a big deal.. The other coach they named was an African American guy. Im not saying the coaches are a big deal but Stoops is a pretty huge name

I hope this stoops guy can throw a tight spiral and locate his target nicely.

[JCon]

1 minute ago, Fan Boy said:

I hope this stoops guy can throw a tight spiral and locate his target nicely.

And can catch said ball. 

[JCon]

If Vince were to simply liquidate $350M (or whatever he's sold so far) of WWE shares that would cause a negative impact on the corporation. It might make investors nervous, devaluing WWE.

Now, if Vince were to say liquidate that same stock with the express purpose of bankrolling the return of the XFL, that would cause less concern about the WWE. Investors may question Vince's decision but not be concerned about the Corp. 

 

So, what if Vince invests a modest amount of money into reviving the XFL but suddenly determines that it's not viable. Maybe that's been the play the whole time, taking his cash out of WWE and divesting it elsewhere because he knows the company is overvalued. 

The failure of the AAF would be a perfect cover.

 

Tin foil hat back on securely. 

[The Unknown Poster]

54 minutes ago, JCon said:

If Vince were to simply liquidate $350M (or whatever he's sold so far) of WWE shares that would cause a negative impact on the corporation. It might make investors nervous, devaluing WWE.

Now, if Vince were to say liquidate that same stock with the express purpose of bankrolling the return of the XFL, that would cause less concern about the WWE. Investors may question Vince's decision but not be concerned about the Corp. 

 

So, what if Vince invests a modest amount of money into reviving the XFL but suddenly determines that it's not viable. Maybe that's been the play the whole time, taking his cash out of WWE and divesting it elsewhere because he knows the company is overvalued. 

The failure of the AAF would be a perfect cover.

 

Tin foil hat back on securely. 

I dont think so because like you said, the risk of Vince selling so much stock is in de-valuing WWE, which he really doesnt want to do.  And he made it clear with this last stock sale that he has no plans to sell any more and will continue as CEO and Chairman (so no one thought he was preparing to leave).  I really think Vince really thinks the XFL will be viable.

Forecasters have WWE's stock actually rising some more.  When you compare it to market caps of other companies, it IS over-valued, but because of the TV deals and their cost cutting, since they are going to be very profitable and flush with cash and dividends, its always been a good buy.

[wbbfan]

On 2019-03-28 at 10:14 AM, Goalie said:

Call me crazy but i think Vince is gonna make XFL work this time around. Dunno why.. I just think it works for some reason. They seem to be taking their time doing things The right way.. Bob stoops as coach for Dallas is a big deal.. The other coach they named was an African American guy. Im not saying the coaches are a big deal but Stoops is a pretty huge name

As compared to mike singletary, steve spurrier, mike martz, bill polian, With troy polamalu and hines ward involved as well. 

I feel like the mere existence of both the xfl and aaf makes for a nearly 0% chance both combine for 3 seasons before folding. 

[Colin Unger]

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/04/xfl-rules-overtime-9-point-touchdowns

[sweep the leg]

Has Vince McMahon ever had success outside of the WWE? XFL & that body building federation in the 80/90s are the first things that come to mind when I think of him trying to branch out from wrestling, and both were huge busts.

[Brandon]

58 minutes ago, sweep the leg said:

Has Vince McMahon ever had success outside of the WWE? XFL & that body building federation in the 80/90s are the first things that come to mind when I think of him trying to branch out from wrestling, and both were huge busts.

[Booch]

well...keep with the dumb rule tweeks...and trying to be innovative to hope in catching the interest of a new audience and the XFL will vanish just as quickly as it's first attempt

[Fatty Liver]

56 minutes ago, Brandon said:

Well this confirms it.

Edited April 15, 2019 by Throw Long Bannatyne