Back in 2001, NBC aired a sports program on their network that filled in the void of the NFL's offseason. It featured never-before-used camera angles, had teams in cities the NFL (at the time) couldn't have imagined hosting teams and had a much larger entertainment aspect.
Of course, what do you expect when the owner was the chairman of WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), Vince McMahon.
Only one problem: it was a massive failure.
While the first week scored strong ratings, it only declined from there, as any appeal the league had worn out, and McMahon (as well as NBC) lost millions of dollars as the league was after just one season. Although, it did lead to a famous heated on-air interview between McMahon and Bob Costas.
Now, 16 years later, the XFL might be returning. Or at least McMahon wants it to, and he's sold $100 million worth of WWE stock “primarily to fund a separate entity from the Company, Alpha Entertainment LLC, which Mr. McMahon established to explore investment opportunities across the sports and entertainment landscapes, including professional football.”
It's become apparent that McMahon is planning to revamp the once-failed league. If successful, the league could help the credibility of football, which not only has seen dropped viewership in the NFL, but also declining participation at the high school and junior high school levels in the past year.
If the league will be a success, however, is still up for debate.
Only time will tell.
