The NFL announced today that it is partnering with TMRW Sports to develop and operate a professional flag football league for women and men. The new professional league will launch with support from a broad and influential investor pool, including NFL clubs, established institutional and strategic investors, and current and former NFL players.
This initiative comes at a time of unprecedented global momentum for flag football, as the sport experiences rapid growth, expanding commercial interest, and increasing engagement from prospective investment, media, and sponsorship partners. This surge reflects the significant long‑term market opportunity surrounding flag football as it continues its transformation into a premier global sport.
Driving the investment group supporting the launch of the league is a list of NFL legends and active players, including Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, Steve Young, and Larry Fitzgerald, as well as Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Justin Tuck, Ryan Nece, and Dhani Jones, and current players Arik Armstead, Bobby Wagner, and Russell Wilson. Together, they are investing in the league’s future and helping to shape its long‑term vision as both stakeholders and ambassadors. In addition, a number of other prominent figures from the sports and entertainment world are also part of the investment group, including women’s sports champions Billie Jean King, Ilana Kloss, Alex Morgan and Serena Williams.
Notable institutional investors include Ariel Investments/Project Level, Bessemer Venture Partners, Blue Pool Capital, Dynasty Equity, Silver Lake, and Sixth Street, underscoring the significant market interest and conviction in flag football’s growth potential. Additional investors supporting the league include 776/Alexis Ohanian, APEX Capital, Arctos Partners, Bolt Ventures, Next Legacy Partners, Trenches Capital and Trybe Ventures.
The NFL and TMRW Sports are continuing conversations around additional investment opportunities and potential media and sponsorship partners as interest in the league grows, reflecting enthusiasm for flag football as a fast‑expanding global sport.
TMRW Sports was chosen following a competitive evaluation process that generated strong interest from multiple potential operators and concluded with NFL clubs authorizing 32 Equity, the member clubs’ investment vehicle, to approve an investment of up to $32 million to support the launch and operation of a professional flag football league.
TMRW Sports’ first successful venture has been the development of TGL presented by SoFi, a primetime team golf league in partnership with the PGA TOUR. The selection of TMRW Sports reflects its proven ability to leverage technology and new platforms to build modern approaches in sports, media, and entertainment properties.
“As the flag football movement continues its explosive global growth, a professional flag league completes the pathway for elite athletes to compete at every level of the game, from youth to high school and college, to the Olympic stage, and now professionally,” said Troy Vincent Sr., NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations. “This is especially meaningful for girls and young women who are helping drive the sport’s growth worldwide and who can now see their dreams in this game extend all the way to the professional level. Selecting TMRW Sports represents an important step in our long-term commitment to growing flag football and supporting the world-class athletes driving its momentum.”
“For more than three decades, the NFL has made a significant investment in flag football at the grassroots levels, including youth, high school and college. And now with the inclusion of flag football in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, TMRW Sports shares a vision with the NFL to further fuel fandom and participation worldwide with the development of a professional flag football league,” said Mike McCarley, Founder and CEO of TMRW Sports. “As the elite competitive tier of flag football, this league will mark a new era for the sport as the world’s best compete in a fast-paced format that aligns with the evolving media consumption of today’s sports fans.”
“Flag football represents so much of what makes this game special, showcasing the skill, creativity, and competitiveness that define this sport,” said NFL Legend and seven-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady. “Flag football’s rapid rise has been incredible, and the extensive list of current and former players supporting this league shows just how strongly athletes believe in its future. I’m excited to help take this sport to even greater heights through the launch of a professional flag football league.”
“The momentum behind women’s sports has never been stronger, and flag football is poised to play a major role in that continued growth,” said Billie Jean King. “This new professional league will build on that progress by giving elite women athletes the stage they deserve to showcase their skills and shape the sport’s global trajectory.”
Flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, with approximately 20 million players worldwide. The new professional league will serve as a crucial anchor in the broader flag football ecosystem, completing a full athlete‑development pathway that spans youth play, high school and collegiate programs, professional competition, and ultimately the Olympic stage at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Approximately 4.1 million youth play flag football in the U.S. alone – a more than 50% increase since 2020. Flag football is now offered at the high school level in 39 states, with the number of young women playing on their high school teams increasing by nearly 60% from 2024 to 2025.
In addition, more than 100 colleges and universities across the country now offer women’s flag football programming. The NCAA recently approved the addition of flag football to the Emerging Sports for Women program, an important step in establishing flag as a varsity women’s sport across the NCAA. Recently, the University of Nebraska became the first Power Four Division I program to launch a varsity women’s flag football team.
Flag football will make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, solidifying flag’s rapid ascension as a global sport. This new professional flag football league operated by TMRW Sports will complement this Olympic momentum by creating a clear path for the top women and men athletes from around the world to compete at the highest level.
The NFL and TMRW Sports will continue to advance league design and operational planning over the coming months to ensure a world-class experience for athletes and fans alike. A launch timeline is expected to align with the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, maximizing visibility and momentum for the sport.
