The third biggest shareholder in Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have landed a multi-year TV deal for the relaunched XFL.
RedBird Capital Partners, the New York-based private equity firm that took an 11 per cent stake in FSG in March 2021 for a $750m sum, have been the financial backers behind the plans to get the XFL off the ground for the third time in the USA, with RedBird in partnership with Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson and his ex-wife and business partner Dany Garcia on the project, which is set to take to the field in 2023.
The XFL that RedBird, Johnson and Garcia envision is one that does not compete with the global behemoth that is the NFL, but an American football competition that works alongside it, filling the void and the desire for 'gridiron' after the NFL season ends in February. It won't simply be a repackaged NFL, it will seek to implement new media opportunities and put entertainment at the forefront for the fan, as well as attempting to provide unique insight from a player perspective.
