UFL 2025 and Beyond

[4th&long]

The UFL had a great 2024 year, and that was despite all the hurdles - merger drag, late ticket sales starts, stadium in Houston, less parity than expected, no StL in championship. Viewership up 35% and attendance only slightly down 8%.

Now its on to 2025 and hopefully Beyond.

While the focus on 2025 will be strengthening the 8 existing markets, having a better schedule and improving attendance.   There is also the positive of moving out of Rice stadium and back to TD in Houston.  They need to make a decision on Ford Field and Mich too.

But beyoond 2025 there could be TV net opportunities in 2026.  WB-D is losing (not quite official yet) the NBA and thereby needing sports programming bad.  They are also part of the "VENU" Sports Streaming service to launch in the fall as partnership of Disney/Fox/WB-D.

Could TNT Sports pick up 10-13 games in 2026 when they have no NBA?  Could this be an Expansion trigger?  I think Yes to both.  I see TNT doing as well if not better than ESPN, and if they buy 12 games of 50+5 (assuming expansion to 10 teams and 6 playoff teams) for $35-45mm, it could value the entire league in that $350-500mm range.

I think Expansion is highly driven by filling open time slots - for 2025 it makes sense to stay the course, with 8 teams.  But in 2026 Disney will lose some NBA coverage, and with the 2025 move to Friday nights (and that's TBD how it goes) Fox already takes a date off w/e.  If TNT is highly interested and needs to fill a slot  too- Expansion makes sense by 2 teams (low risk) in 2026.

Benefits to UFL:

- Another valued TV partner that can spread word and promote the UFL now on more channels ie more exposure.
- A paying TV rights deal allows expansion to be a net + to cash flow instead of a drain on (Fox/RBC/Disney+Rk/DG)
- The VENU streaming service will have all UFL games
- The rights deal value will be used to value the rest of the leagues games.
- For TNT it fills a need made possible by NBA going to NBC.


Keep regular season same at 10 games but add a Wild Card week so that top two from each conf make playoffs, Conf winner has bye with 2 weeks to sell tix for conf champiosnhip against WC winner, #2 in Div hosts one of two best of league remaining teams (this means you could have 4 teams in one conf make playoffs).  Since playoffs did better than reg season games on avg - these games are more desirable without being watered down.

I can see this being announced just before or during the 2025 season to pump up interest in UFL.

Something will be new in 2026, you gotta think expansion and more $$ without ownership is high on the table.  UFL topped NHL (on cable) so I can see TNT attracted esp with their NBA loss.

Thoughts?

[4th&long]

>> We are also hearing that the league is planning on keeping the end of March kick-off window. <<

https://uflnewshub.com/ufl/report-outpa ... 9d66acb8b7

Good - it works well in 2024.

[4th&long]

UFL 2025 season Rookie Draft - Mid July per J Larsen



>> James Larsen @JamesLarsenPFN Hearing that the #UFL Rookie Draft will be held in mid-July, per league sources.

The official date & surrounding details are still being finalized. What we do know is that the @USFLShowboats have the first pick in each round, due to their week 10 win.

With all of the talent we've seen in spring ball the last two years through the USFL & XFL College Drafts, excited to see who ends up in the UFL in 2025 through this process.  3:00 PM · Jun 24, 2024  <<