Situation
On January 25, 2018, Vince McMahon announced the launch of a new, reimagined professional football league - but the XFL did not exist yet. There was no organization, no teams, no players, no stadiums, no technology infrastructure, and no operational playbook. The vision was bold: create a fan-first professional football experience that would complement the NFL season and capture America's insatiable appetite for football.
What We Did
SRA was engaged to lead all elements of the design and build-out of the XFL over a two-year period and serve as the league's interim COO and CTO. Our comprehensive scope of work included:
- Market Research & Strategy: In-depth market research to confirm America's appetite for more football and develop the overall XFL strategic plan with detailed tactical implementation
- City & Stadium Selection: Analysis and selection of eight cities and stadiums to host XFL teams, balancing market size, football enthusiasm, and facility availability
- Team Identity: Development of team names, logos, colors, and brand identities for all eight franchises
- Fan Engagement: Creation of fan engagement strategies designed to build loyalty and excitement from day one
- Organization Design: League and team organizational design including compensation plans and talent recruiting for both corporate and football operations
- Digital Strategy: Digital strategy and implementation including xfl.com, mobile applications, and social media presence
- Partnership Strategy: Development of partnership and sponsorship frameworks to generate revenue
- IT Enterprise Systems: Implementation of IT enterprise systems to support league operations
- Football Technology: Deployment of football technology including player wearables for performance tracking
- Consumer Operations: Consumer ticket sales, ecommerce, and customer service infrastructure
- Financial Planning: Financial forecasts and capital requirements analysis
- Communications & PR: Media relations and public relations strategy
"SRA served as the XFL's interim COO and CTO, leading all elements of the design and build-out of a professional football league from concept to kickoff in just two years."
Impact
The XFL successfully kicked off on February 8, 2020 with live coverage on ABC, FOX and ESPN. The league launch exceeded expectations across all key metrics:
- More than 20,000 fans attended each game
- Sold-out game merchandise and concessions
- Extraordinarily positive reviews and ratings from fans and media
- Successful multi-network broadcast partnership with ABC, FOX and ESPN
- 40 live nationally-televised games across the inaugural season
Related Topics