The NFL announced a $32 million investment in a new professional flag football league.
At the Dec. 10 virtual league meeting, all NFL teams unanimously voted to pay $1 million each toward the development and launch of a professional flag football league for both men and women.
According to Bleacher Report, the NFL will partner with another organization to bring the league to life. Two of the leading contenders are TMRW Sports and another company led by former NFL athletes and NBA owners.
In a statement, the NFL said, “There has been tremendous interest from a variety of companies. We continue to make great strides to determine operational leads that will position us for long-term success.”
Related: New York Jets Make $1M Investment in Collegiate Women’s Flag Football League
"We're looking at this as something we think is going to be a great opportunity to continue to get people playing football, both men and women," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. "I think what we're looking for are creative partners, strategic partners—people who can bring value to us. Capital is less interesting to us."
The recent push from the NFL to invest in flag football comes as the 2028 Summer Olympics announced that flag football would be included in the competition for the first time ever.
Flag football has experienced tremendous growth in recent years — especially in women’s sports. An estimated 20 million people worldwide play flag football, including 2.4 million U.S.-based youth athletes. The sport is now supported at the high school level by 38 states.
Leaders within the NFL did not comment on when the league could potentially launch — or where teams may be based — but Goodell has said in previous interviews that the competition could begin “in the next couple of years.”
