Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the co-owners of the XFL, and the league lost a large amount of money this past season. According to Forbes, the pro football league lost $60 million this year, the first season since Vince McMahon sold the XFL to a group that includes Johnson and his business partner Dany Garcia in 2020. Johnson spoke to Forbes about the XFL and said the “league of opportunity” will have financial success despite the $60 million loss. 

“This is not just an endeavor that’s going to fill up a portfolio and one day we flip it and we’re out,” Johnson told Forbes. “This is legacy. This is the long game.” For the 2024 season, the XFL is projected to make $100 million in revenue, and about a quarter of its income comes from ESPN, which pays the league $20 million. A second season for the XFL has been confirmed, but can this version of the league be a staple for spring football?

The USFL is another pro football league playing in the spring and has slightly better TV numbers than the XFL, according to Forbes. Its games have averaged 751,000 viewers on Fox, FS1, NBC and USA Network. The XFL drew around 627,000 fans per game, but the league championship game was seen by 1.4 million viewers. Both leagues are getting more viewers than Major League Soccer which brings in 340,000 viewers across ESPN platforms. 

Both the XFL and USFL are opportunities for athletes to show off their skills to NFL scouts. “Football was my dream,” Johnson told Forbes. “The NFL was my thing. I was going to buy my parents their first house.” “Football didn’t end on my terms,” Johnson said. “I wish I’d had the XFL when I was coming out.”