NFL Goes in on flag football
TL;DR
NFL investments $32 million to launch pro flag football league.
Broadcast deals are likely.
20 million players worldwide.
The NFL is going all in on flag football. In December 2025, all 32 NFL team owners unanimously approved a $32 million investment — $1 million per club — to launch a professional flag football league.
The investment, made through 32 Equity (the league's collective investment arm), signals that the NFL sees flag football not as a side project but as a genuine growth opportunity. Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed that both men's and women's professional leagues are planned, with a launch targeted within the next two years.
Two major groups have emerged as potential operating partners for the new venture. One is TMRW Sports, the sports startup founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, which already operates TGL, a tech-forward golf league. The other is led by former NFL running back Curtis Martin and former Milwaukee Bucks part-owner Marc Lasry.
The timing is strategic. The professional league is expected to launch ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where flag football will make its debut as a medal sport. The thinking is straightforward: Olympic exposure will drive massive global interest, and a professional league will be ready to capture that momentum.
Media rights are also part of the plan. The NFL intends to sell broadcast deals for the new league, leveraging its existing relationships with major networks.
For flag football, a sport with 20 million players worldwide but no established professional structure, this is a landmark moment. The NFL's financial backing and operational expertise could transform flag football from a recreational activity into a legitimate spectator sport — with a professional pathway for athletes who have never had one.