The NFL Considers Pro Flag-Football Leagues

The NFL is considering multiple bids to set up both a women’s and men’s professional flag-football league, which could debut as early as next year.

The Big Play: Flag football has exploded in popularity in recent years, so investors are chomping at the bit to take the sport pro. If the demand for the NFL’s new leagues mirrors that of pro pickleball just a couple of years ago, expect a lot of money, talent, and media firms to turn their attention to the sport.

Behind the Huddles: The NFL’s desire to start pro flag-football leagues is already looking like a touchdown.

• The cost to invest in the league hasn’t yet been determined, but the NFL is considering proposals from 10 parties.
• That group includes TKO, Ice Cube and producer Jeff Kwatinetz, Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams, Connect Ventures (a partnership between CAA and New Enterprise Associates), and SMAC Entertainment (co-founded by Michael Strahan).
• The goal is to first set up a women’s division, which is where most of the growth is — 14 states have already sanctioned women’s flag football as a high school varsity sport, smaller colleges already have teams, and the NCAA considers the sport “emerging.”

Last Down: Flag football is already played in more than 100 countries by about 20 million people, according to Bloomberg. While the sport has been around for years (if you’re a millennial, you may have fond memories of middle school PE… or not), the NFL is bullish on getting flag football up and running, because it’s set to make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles Games in 2028. There’s truly no better global marketing opportunity than that.