XFL lands a Canadian TV Deal
Sport Business reports that the XFL has signed a Canadian TV deal with TSN, which will cover all regular-season and playoff games this year. The financial terms of the deal were not revealed. XFL already has multi-year deals with ESPN and FOX Sports in the US. XFL games will air weekly on ABC and FOX Sports, as well as cable games on ESPN, ESPN2, FS1 and FS2. The first game, between the DC Defenders and the Seattle Dragons (at Audi Field in Washington, DC) will air on ABC on February 8 at 2 PM ET.
Meanwhile, ABC and ESPN’s broadcast will include gambling graphics and commentary. The ESPN Player Platform, meanwhile, will stream games to people in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
This comes after the XFL released a new app for iOS and Android. It features news and videos; real-time scores and statistics; player and team status; league standings; a chance to join the XFL Football Advisory Network; access to the XFL merchandise store; and the ability to buy digital tickets.
Finally, XFL has also named DraftKings as the official daily fantasy sports partner and authorized gaming operator. DraftKings users where sports betting is legal can place bets and draft fantasy lineups each day. DraftKing will be allowed to use XFL trademarks, logos and player imagery for its service and marketing.
XFL President and COO Jeffrey Pollack said: “We want what our fans want, and millions of football fans have made fantasy and legal wagering an essential part of their football experience.”
Individual teams are also announcing deals with partners and sponsors. The Houston Roughnecks and Kroger announced a deal in which Kroger will be the sponsor for the Roughnecks’ first game on February 8 vs. the Los Angeles Wildcats. T-shirts will be given to the first 15,000 fans in attendance. The St. Louis BattleHawks and McDonald’s have a deal that will include local promotions featuring the team, as well as gameday specials at over 160 McDonald’s locations in St. Louis and the surrounding area. The BattleHawks and McDonalds will provide access to promotional offers and ticket packages. There will also be promotions during home games at The Dome at America’s Center.
