The rebooted XFL is actively looking for supporter help to shape the start-up league by launching a new digital community it has branded the Football Advisory Network (F.A.N.).
Through participation in surveys, polls, and discussions on a variety of on- and off-the-field topics such as ticket affordability, seat value, and on-field game day experiences, members of the F.A.N. community will help the XFL design its fan experience and shape its games. The XFL has already sought feedback from season-ticket holders in the past month.
“We love the game of football and we want what our fans want,” said Jeffrey Pollack, XFL president and chief operating officer. “The XFL is a league that listens, and the Football Advisory Network is an important platform that enables our direct connection to fans who share our love of football. This national panel will help us listen and learn from football fans in each of our eight markets and across the country.”
The XFL is backed by WWE owner Vince McMahon, who has invested nearly $400m (€459m) in the venture. The first version of the XFL, a joint project between WWE and NBC, lasted just one season in 2001.
In the United States, the XFL has agreed multi-year rights deals with ESPN and Fox Sports. From the inaugural 2020 season, XFL games will air weekly on broadcast television (ABC and Fox Sports) complemented by games on cable (ESPN, ESPN2, FS1 and FS2). ABC will broadcast the inaugural game, between the DC Defenders and Seattle Dragons, at Audi Field in Washington, DC, on February 8, at 2pm ET.
The XFL will introduce premium seating on the sidelines of its games, Elevate Sports Ventures chief executive Al Guido revealed in September.
