Update On Potential Competition To The Rock's XFL

A potential competitor to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's XFL is looking to make a big impression with its first game. FOX and NBC will simulcast the USFL's season opener on April 16. It will be the first scheduled sporting event to air on competing broadcast networks since the first Super Bowl in 1967. FOX and NBC are contracted to air all 43 of the USFL's games scheduled for its upcoming season.

The season opener will be played between the New Jersey Generals and the Birmingham Stallions. Every game during the USFL's inaugural season is scheduled to be played in Birmingham, Alabama. Two venues are set to be used: Protective Stadium, the home of the University of Alabama-Birmingham, and Legion Field.

The revived incarnation of the USFL is owned by FOX Sports. It is not affiliated with the failed incarnation of the league that operated under the same name during the 1980s.

FOX and NBC's parent company, NBCUniversal, are both broadcast partners of WWE. WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon's privately-funded Alpha Entertainment, LLC oversaw the unsuccessful relaunch of the XFL.

The XFL held its return season in the spring of 2020. It had contracts to broadcast its games on ABC, Fox, ESPN, ESPN 2, and FS1. However, the season was suspended after its fifth week of games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The XFL later filed for bankruptcy.

Vince McMahon sold the league in the summer of 2020 to an investment group led by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Johnson, his long-time business partner Dany Garcia, and Cardinale's RedBird Capital split the $15 million price tag evenly.

The XFL is currently planning to begin its relaunch season in the spring of 2023. Training camps are scheduled to begin on January 3, 2023. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stated earlier this month that talent scouts for the XFL are currently seeking out players for the league.