XFL Betting Not Enough, XFL Has No Plans To Return In 2021

The XFL has fired all of its employees and ceased all operations for the second time in its history.
In 2001, the league had its debut for a single season before coming back in 2020 where it has again failed to be a profitable business venture.

STAMFORD, Conn. – On Friday, the eXtreme Football League (XFL) has fired all of its employees as well as suspended the remainder of operations.

This is the second time that the XFL has tried to gain a fanbase to succeed in the sports world and failed. The first go-around happened in 2001 and also did not go further than one season.

Lack Of Fans And The Coronavirus Pandemic

In 2020, the XFL had a reboot that was set to be a 10 week season. However, on March 12, halfway through the new schedule, all games were canceled because of the Coronavirus pandemic. At the time, the XFL assured fans they would be back in 2021 for a second season.

A statement released by the league amid the season suspension read:

“When our teams return to the field, we’ll make every effort to ensure your faith in us is rewarded with even more fun and excitement. Your passion is our purpose, and everything we do, every day and for every season to come, is For the Love of Football.”

Chief operating officer Jeffery Pollock of the XFL told ESPN on Friday that all workers affiliated with the XFL were laid off and the XFL itself was suspending its business.

The fan base, as well as the betting that was taken during the five weekends of playing time, were not enough to keep the league afloat due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Employees were notified of their termination via conference call by the organization.

Is There A Future For The XFL?

The reboot of the XFL showed a lot of promise in Week One with a betting handle surpassing the first two games of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), a league that played in 2019.

The games that were played and televised had the betting lines listed on TVs throughout the duration of all matchups. It allowed fans to engage in sports betting and provided a bit more profit to the league.

While XFL betting and the shortened season could not keep the XFL in business, there is no telling whether or not the league will try for round three in 2021.

With all of the effort put into getting the 2020 season off of the ground by owner Vince McMahon and getting partnerships with sportsbooks, McMahon may try to resume operations for a third season in 2021. However, the costs associated with doing so might be too much depending on the economic status of the country then.

Advertising Disclosure

In order to provide you with the best independent sports betting news and content LegalSportsBetting.com may receive a commission from partners when you make a purchase through a link on our site.

Christina Monroe

Christina has been writing for as long as she can remember and does dedicated research on the newly regulated sports betting market. She comes from a family of sports lovers that engage in friendly bets from time to time. During the winter months, you can find Christina baking cookies and beating the entire staff at Mario Kart…the N64 version of course.