XFL in “Deep Discussions” With FOX and ABC/ESPN

The XFL is in “deep discussions” with FOX and ABC/ESPN, according to Sports Business Daily (article is behind a pay wall).

The article claims that the XFL may sign a deal with both FOX and ABC and is looking to air at least two thirds of its games on broadcast television (FOX and/or ABC) and the rest on cable on ESPN and/or FOX Sports 1. ESPN’s ESPN+ streaming service is not involved in the deal, they say.

It was reported last week by Dave Meltzer that an XFL TV deal could be announced within the next few weeks and there has been more interest in them than expected, since networks are looking for more live sports.

WWE already has a deal with FOX, of course, that will see SmackDown Live move to the network in October.

The other new football league, the Alliance of American Football (AAF) already has a TV deal signed with CBS and they will play their first game the week after the Super Bowl, starting on Saturday, February 9 at 8 PM ET on CBS. The rest of the games will not air on regular CBS, but on the CBS Sports Network cable channel. But the Sports Business Daily article also says that the AAF is in talks with the NFL Network to air several of its games and a deal could be announced in the next few weeks.