The USFL is following in the footsteps of the recent XFL reboot with a strong over-the-air presence.
Sports Business Daily reported Wednesday that the new, Fox Sports-run USFL has reached a media rights deal with NBC Sports that will put 21 games on the NBC family of networks. The Fox networks will carry 22.
As with the XFL — which relaunched two years ago to much fanfare, but was wiped out when sports went dark — a number of games are set to air on broadcast television. Per SBD, 12 games will air on FOX and eight on NBC, adding up to 20 out of the league’s 43 total games.
Of the remaining 23 games, 10 are set for FS1, nine for USA Network and four for Peacock.
The USFL is set to debut in April — the week after the Masters — and run through mid-June. Games are set to air on Saturdays and Sundays, though some will be set aside for Fridays and Mondays. All games are set to be held in Birmingham, Alabama.
USFL games will likely take up some of the open weekend windows on NBC that used to be occupied by the Stanley Cup Playoffs. NBC similarly added Arena Football League games in 2003 to fill vacancies once occupied by its NBA coverage.
The new league is just the latest effort to revive spring football. The Alliance of American Football launched in 2019 with games on CBS, Turner and NFL Network, but failed to make it through its first season. As previously noted, the XFL returned two years ago with games on Fox Sports and ESPN/ABC, but again did not make it through its first season.
[News from SBD 12.15]
