The XFL is undeterred by the failure of the AAF.
The XFL is set for a revival and plans to begin play next year. This will come a year after the AAF debuted and cancelled its season after eight weeks.
Though the AAF’s first-year fate seems to be an ominous sign for the XFL, the Vince McMahon-backed league does not sound worried.
“We have said all along the success or failure of other leagues will have no impact on our ability to deliver high-quality, fast-paced, professional football,” the XFL said in a statement via Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal. “The XFL is well-funded, we have time before kick-off to execute our business plan, and we will soon announce a national broadcast and cable TV schedule that makes it easy for fans to find our games consistently every weekend when we launch next February. There is no doubt that avid football fans want more and we’re excited to get going in 2020.”
One big difference between the XFL and AAF is that the XFL will have teams in major markets with existing NFL teams, compared to the AAF, which placed many teams in cities without an NFL team.
The AAF cancelling play for the 2019 season likely comes down to a business strategy by its majority owner, who is seeking to have a developmental relationship with the NFL.
