The United States Football League went belly-up. So did the World Football League. The American Alliance of Football lasted only eight weeks a year ago. The Arena Football League had a nice run, but in the end, it too, cashed in its chips last year.
Now comes the resurrection of another upstart league trying to fill the void left by the end of the NFL season: the XFL. Vince McMahon’s plaything made it through a single season in 2001, but he’s brought it back for 2020. The league began play on February 8, with eight teams split into two divisions.
DraftKings believes the XFL will succeed this time around. Indeed, the company has struck a deal with the league to become an official daily fantasy sports partner and an authorized gaming operator of the XFL.
For DraftKings, the deal is a no-brainer, said Johnny Avello, director of sportsbook operations. “It’s football.”
What makes the new XFL a keeper? It’s fast-paced, up-tempo. It also has the financial wherewithal to insure the league completes its season and pays the players.
“With what I see so far, I’m optimistic,” Avello said.
Fantasy sports and legal sports betting have become an essential part of the fan experience, said John Scheler, senior vice president of Strategy & Business Development for the XFL. “This is a core business strategy for the league. We know that our early fan base is comprised of millennials who enjoy playing fantasy contests and betting on sports and our partnership with DraftKings will provide them more ways to connect to our game while allowing us to grow our audience.”
Avello was pleasantly surprised at the betting action for Week One, with the over/under, options and other wagering.
“The handle was comparable to what a baseball game would handle on a weekend. It’s nothing like the NFL, but it’s a very good start,” Avello said.
The fantasy sports end did well too, he said. “It exceeded expectations, we were told. Over and beyond what they thought.”
