Interesting Mike Mitchell quotes from the XFL Show: XFL, CFL, USFL

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GregParks
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Interesting Mike Mitchell quotes from the XFL Show: XFL, CFL, USFL

Post by GregParks »

@CFL_News printed a bunch of quotes from Mike's appearance on The XFL Show - I haven't yet listened, but I thought I'd share some of the more interesting pieces I found. Apologies for the ensuing giant block of text :

-"The real focus of the XFL and CFL talks right now is the business side."
-"What I would focus on is the term alignment. I think both leagues are working on, and this may be shocking to some people, but existing under the same umbrella. Now this part is speculative: What could be a parent company structure."
-"It could be a parent company structure with the XFL and CFL operating under the same umbrella. At least initially, as different leagues during the same time."
-"What would that mean? A merger of both leagues and both businesses. What would come from that is sharing in marketing and promotion, TV deals, streaming deals. Everything."
-"I know we want the football side and that may come over time. That might be the next step, but that's what's going on right now between both sides. They're narrowing down the options."
-"They're leaning on their analysis and analysists (sic) about the best options moving forward together."
-"Imagine 2022 where there are several documentary shows following The Rock, Dany Garcia, Jeffrey Pollack, all the CFL teams, all the XFL teams as they reform, reshape. Might see an additional XFL team."
-"The XFL's plans are lofty. They want to be great right out of the gate. They're not taking any second chances here. They want to make an excellent first impression."
-"FOX was waiting for the XFL to come back quickly but their design is to be a year around (sic) league."
-"This is not a takeover. This is a true partnership they're working on here. This isn't a 'strip the Canadian game down, you're going to play our American style and it's all over.'" (My edit adding quotes inside the quote for clarity)
-"These two leagues are moving forward. It's just a question of what structure they move forward under."
-"The CFL is pretty big for the XFL. They want to go global. If you're doing something globally, you're looking to expand your audience. RedBird is in this and looking to profit and create as many revenue streams as possible."

-Mike isn't expecting an announcement about what the leagues are doing together until the end of the year.
-He says the design is to be a year round league that distributes year round content internationally for both leagues (CFL and XFL). And where both leagues benefit together.
-He says the USFL plan has been in place for a while. It raises the stakes for currently what the Spring League is which would revert to a back seat. Says USFL would be more of a bare-bones operation - seems to indicate (my reading of the Tweet) that investors and FOX would have to put more capital in and that it could be costly to be anything more than that.
-He says that even if Bill C 218 passes in Canada, it won't have an effect on the XFL/CFL talks.
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Re: Interesting Mike Mitchell quotes from the XFL Show: XFL, CFL, USFL

Post by Tank55 »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwn9OwXkmBY

Listening now. Mike starts around the 20:11 mark.
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Re: Interesting Mike Mitchell quotes from the XFL Show: XFL, CFL, USFL

Post by 4th&long »

GregParks wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 2:48 pm @CFL_News printed a bunch of quotes from Mike's appearance on The XFL Show - I haven't yet listened, but I thought I'd share some of the more interesting pieces I found. Apologies for the ensuing giant block of text :

-"The real focus of the XFL and CFL talks right now is the business side."
-"What I would focus on is the term alignment. I think both leagues are working on, and this may be shocking to some people, but existing under the same umbrella. Now this part is speculative: What could be a parent company structure."
-"It could be a parent company structure with the XFL and CFL operating under the same umbrella. At least initially, as different leagues during the same time."
-"What would that mean? A merger of both leagues and both businesses. What would come from that is sharing in marketing and promotion, TV deals, streaming deals. Everything."
-"I know we want the football side and that may come over time. That might be the next step, but that's what's going on right now between both sides. They're narrowing down the options."
-"They're leaning on their analysis and analysists (sic) about the best options moving forward together."
-"Imagine 2022 where there are several documentary shows following The Rock, Dany Garcia, Jeffrey Pollack, all the CFL teams, all the XFL teams as they reform, reshape. Might see an additional XFL team."
-"The XFL's plans are lofty. They want to be great right out of the gate. They're not taking any second chances here. They want to make an excellent first impression."
-"FOX was waiting for the XFL to come back quickly but their design is to be a year around (sic) league."
-"This is not a takeover. This is a true partnership they're working on here. This isn't a 'strip the Canadian game down, you're going to play our American style and it's all over.'" (My edit adding quotes inside the quote for clarity)
-"These two leagues are moving forward. It's just a question of what structure they move forward under."
-"The CFL is pretty big for the XFL. They want to go global. If you're doing something globally, you're looking to expand your audience. RedBird is in this and looking to profit and create as many revenue streams as possible."

-Mike isn't expecting an announcement about what the leagues are doing together until the end of the year.
-He says the design is to be a year round league that distributes year round content internationally for both leagues (CFL and XFL). And where both leagues benefit together.
-He says the USFL plan has been in place for a while. It raises the stakes for currently what the Spring League is which would revert to a back seat. Says USFL would be more of a bare-bones operation - seems to indicate (my reading of the Tweet) that investors and FOX would have to put more capital in and that it could be costly to be anything more than that.
-He says that even if Bill C 218 passes in Canada, it won't have an effect on the XFL/CFL talks.
Just like I stated (bold)... 10/1/2020 XFL a no go in 2021..... 10/2/2020 FOX-TSL deal announced. I used plan common sense, now Mike's inside info confirms.

Lots to digest from those quotes... I'm not sold on anything happening yet. Seems like they want ABC..XYZ and if they don't they'll pull the plug. Contrast that with the USFL which will take growth (edit spelling) as revenues rise approach.
Last edited by 4th&long on Fri Jun 04, 2021 11:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Interesting Mike Mitchell quotes from the XFL Show: XFL, CFL, USFL

Post by GregParks »

Just as interesting is what WASN'T mentioned, or was glossed over: Anything about an XFL TV deal. We've heard over and over again that the XFL will not move forward without a substantial paying TV deal. What does it say that they're spending all of this time having these in-depth conversations with the CFL and making (apparently) gigantic merger-type plans without such a deal?

Do they assume a partnership with the CFL will help them get one (Mike DID mention it in passing in terms of things the two groups would share)? Would a partnership with the CFL ease their financial burden and no longer make a substantial paying TV deal a necessity? Just food for thought. Could mean something, could mean nothing (which basically describes every XFL-related discussion topic these days).
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Re: Interesting Mike Mitchell quotes from the XFL Show: XFL, CFL, USFL

Post by 4th&long »

GregParks wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 10:39 pm Just as interesting is what WASN'T mentioned, or was glossed over: Anything about an XFL TV deal. We've heard over and over again that the XFL will not move forward without a substantial paying TV deal. What does it say that they're spending all of this time having these in-depth conversations with the CFL and making (apparently) gigantic merger-type plans without such a deal?

Do they assume a partnership with the CFL will help them get one (Mike DID mention it in passing in terms of things the two groups would share)? Would a partnership with the CFL ease their financial burden and no longer make a substantial paying TV deal a necessity? Just food for thought. Could mean something, could mean nothing (which basically describes every XFL-related discussion topic these days).
Excellent observation and post. Mike M is a v good reporter - he is pretty darn objective. And yes no word on TV deal and that is the ONE thing the XFL team has publically stated is required to move forward.
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Re: Interesting Mike Mitchell quotes from the XFL Show: XFL, CFL, USFL

Post by MGB01 »

I'd hope they aren't just sitting here assuming that NBC, which now has a blank slate in April and May for the first time in three decades, is going to jump on. Fair or not it's kind of been there done that.
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Re: Interesting Mike Mitchell quotes from the XFL Show: XFL, CFL, USFL

Post by johnnyangryfuzzball »

GregParks wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 10:39 pm Just as interesting is what WASN'T mentioned, or was glossed over: Anything about an XFL TV deal. We've heard over and over again that the XFL will not move forward without a substantial paying TV deal. What does it say that they're spending all of this time having these in-depth conversations with the CFL and making (apparently) gigantic merger-type plans without such a deal?

Do they assume a partnership with the CFL will help them get one (Mike DID mention it in passing in terms of things the two groups would share)? Would a partnership with the CFL ease their financial burden and no longer make a substantial paying TV deal a necessity? Just food for thought. Could mean something, could mean nothing (which basically describes every XFL-related discussion topic these days).
Because right now, the CFL actually has a paying TV deal, running in the tens of millions of dollars—about as much money as the XFL would need to break even at their 2020 salaries. A merger would mean leverage to get the kind of money the CFL is getting right now.
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Re: Interesting Mike Mitchell quotes from the XFL Show: XFL, CFL, USFL

Post by 4th&long »

johnnyangryfuzzball wrote: Sat Jun 05, 2021 1:45 pm
GregParks wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 10:39 pm Just as interesting is what WASN'T mentioned, or was glossed over: Anything about an XFL TV deal. We've heard over and over again that the XFL will not move forward without a substantial paying TV deal. What does it say that they're spending all of this time having these in-depth conversations with the CFL and making (apparently) gigantic merger-type plans without such a deal?

Do they assume a partnership with the CFL will help them get one (Mike DID mention it in passing in terms of things the two groups would share)? Would a partnership with the CFL ease their financial burden and no longer make a substantial paying TV deal a necessity? Just food for thought. Could mean something, could mean nothing (which basically describes every XFL-related discussion topic these days).
Because right now, the CFL actually has a paying TV deal, running in the tens of millions of dollars—about as much money as the XFL would need to break even at their 2020 salaries. A merger would mean leverage to get the kind of money the CFL is getting right now.
The CFL TV deal is about $C 50mm, or $38-40mm USD. That is not break even for the XFL which was running $100mm plus annually as VM was expecting $300mm in losses for 3 years.

Also the AAF was cost Ton Dundon $10mm weekly so that aligns with $100mm+
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