XFL Trademarks
Please note: Gerben IP does not represent XFL. This page is provided for informational purposes and reflects information available in public USPTO records.
April 13, 2024
XFL is an eight-team professional American football minor league. The teams are located across the U.S. in mid-sized to major markets, served by at least one other major professional sports team.
XFL’s season runs from February to April, with each team playing a ten-game regular season, followed by four games proceeding to the playoffs, where they crown the season’s champion.
Founded by former WWE executive, Vince McMahon in 2018, the XFL has its headquarters in Arlington, Texas. Vince started it as the reboot and successor of a similarly-named league he founded in 2001.
McMahon’s objective with XFL was to create a league with fewer off-field controversies and a faster, simpler play than the NFL. He also started the reboot without the presence of professional wrestling-inspired features and entertainment elements linked to its predecessor.
Let’s look into the company’s long history, season structure, and trademarks.
XFL History
The original XFL was founded in 2001. It ran for only a single season as a joint venture between World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and NBC, spearheaded by WWF’s Vince McMahon and NBC’s Dick Ebersol.
The league attempted to compete against NFL, the predominant American football professional league, running during late winter and early spring to fill in the gap left by the NFL at the end of its season.
NBC was interested in XFL because it had lost its NFL broadcasting rights to CBS three years earlier.
The original XFL featured various modifications to the American football rulebook, in an effort to increase the game’s intensity, as well as various on-air innovations such as Skycams, in-game interviews, and placing microphones on players.
XFL’s first season faced criticism for relying too heavily on sports entertainment gimmicks to popularize the content, similar to professional wrestling. Despite strong ratings for the first few games, viewer ratings plunged, and the league was stopped after the first season.
Combined, the XFL partners lost $35 million. Vince McMahon conceded that it was a colossal failure.
Sixteen years later, in the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary This Was the XFL, Vince McMahon jokingly spoke about reviving the XFL, noting that some changes would be necessary to make it more relevant in the modern era.
In line with his new vision, McMahon bought trademarks for the defunct United Football League and UrFL (Your Football League) in early 2017.
The next year, in an attempt to start a league before the XFL was revived, Charlie Ebersol, the documentary’s director, helped to form the Alliance of American Football (AAF) in 2018.
AAF managed to run its first season in 2019, a year earlier than XFL. However, the venture would be a failure, as it became bankrupt twice before the end of its inaugural season when its major investors chose to exit.
McMahon’s efforts to revive the XFL were not too clear, with WWE neither confirming nor denying his plans to the sports blog Deadspin. The WWE, however, noted that McMahon was launching a new venture dubbed Alpha Entertainment to explore investment opportunities across the landscapes of sports and entertainment, including professional football.
This was confirmed when the WWE issued a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 21, 2017. The filing recorded McMahon’s liquidation of $100 million of WWE stock to fund Alpha Entertainment. He set up Alpha Entertainment’s headquarters next to WWE’s in Stamford, Connecticut.
Alpha Entertainment announced the revival of XFL on January 25, 2018, beginning with a 10-week inaugural season from January or February 2020. Alpha Entertainment’s role was to keep the league’s operation and management separate from WWE.
McMahon plans to invest up to $500 million in the venture, five times more than he invested in his original venture. In March 2019, he liquidated an additional $270 million in WWE stock, about a 4% stake in the business, to provide additional funding for the league.
The revived XFL discouraged its players from bringing politics into the game as it felt that viewers were there to be entertained. McMahon also wanted to implement a policy that would not allow players with criminal records to play in the league, however, the league’s Commissioner later decided against this policy.
While the league did not initially reveal a lot of specifics on the game’s rules, a major goal of the sport was to reduce the length of games to two hours from the NFL standard of slightly over three hours.
XFL Season Structure
The XFL runs a 10-week regular season, with each team hosting 5 home games with no bye-week. The season is followed by a two-week postseason featuring the top two teams in every division competing in a single-elimination bracket.
The league has two divisions, each consisting of four teams. Each team plays the other three teams in their division twice, once at home and the other on the road. During the regular season, there are four games weekly.
XFL Trademarks
XFL has sought or obtained federal trademark registration for three trademarks. They include “DALLAS RENEGADES” and “TEXAS THROWDOWN.”
On February 26, 202, XLF sought federal trademark registration for “TEXAS THROWDOWN.” The sports league intends to use the trademark for downloadable software in the form of mobile applications, jewelry, posters, calendars, and subscription to a television channel.
XFL also sought federal trademark registration for “DALLAS RENEGADES” in August 2019. The company intends to use the trademark for its downloadable software in the form of mobile applications and jewelry.
Please note: While we make every effort to ensure that the information provided is accurate and up-to-date, we cannot be held responsible for its accuracy or completeness. If you have any questions regarding a specific entity in Gerben's Trademark Library®, please contact us and we will work with you to provide the information you need.
IC 025. US 022 039. G & S Footwear; Headwear; Bottoms as clothing; Tops as clothing.
IC 025. US 022 039. G & S Footwear; Headwear; Bottoms as clothing; Tops as clothing.
IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S Downloadable software in the nature of mobile applications for displaying information relating to football exhibitions, football schedules, media guides, audio and visual recordings relating to football; football helmets; protective helmets for sports; sports helmets; cell phone covers; magnetically encoded charge cards; decorative magnets; prerecorded compact discs and DVDs featuring the sport of football; downloadable video games software and downloadable computer game software; computer mouse pads; sunglasses, eyeglass cases; downloadable ring tones via the internet and wireless devices; downloadable graphics featuring content relating to football for use on computers and mobile phones and downloadable music files via a global computer network and wireless devices; decorative refrigerator magnets; video game cartridges and discs and computer game tapes; video game discs and computer game discs; video game cassettes and computer game cassettes; video game cartridges and computer game cartridges; recorded video game programs on CD-roms and recorded computer game programs on CD-roms; cinematographic and television films, namely, motion picture films featuring football; all of the foregoing relating to American football and an American football team and not relating to baseball or softball or to a baseball or softball team, league or mascot.
IC 014. US 002 027 028 050. G & S Jewelry, watches, clocks, earrings, tie pins, bracelets, necklaces, charms for jewelry; rings being jewelry, collectible coins, commemorative coins, non-monetary coins of precious metal, pendants and key chains made of precious metal, charms for jewelry in precious metals or coated therewith, costume jewelry, cuff links, tie clips, decorative boxes made of precious metal, jewelry charms, key chains of precious metals, lapel pins, medals; precious metal trophies; all of the foregoing relating to American football and an American football team and not relating to baseball or softball or to a baseball or softball team, league or mascot.
IC 016. US 002 005 022 023 029 037 038 050. G & S Posters; calendars; pictorial prints; series of books relating to football; magazines relating to football; stickers; bumper stickers; printed tickets to sports games and events; souvenir programs for sports events; sports trading cards; notepads; picture postcards; art pictures; stationery; pens and pencils; printed collectible trading cards; collectible trading cards and memorabilia holders specially adapted for holding collectible trading cards; cardboard and paper hangtags; packaging, namely, blister cards, paper for wrapping and packaging; collector albums for sticker collectables; sticker albums; collectable printed photographs; photo albums; photographs; framed art pictures; labels, namely, printed paper labels; folders; paper place mats; paper table mats; paper napkins; paper tablecloths; paper table linens; paper lunch bags; greeting cards; pictures; decals; temporary tattoo transfers; coloring books; children's activity books; notebooks; memo pads; date books; address books; agenda books; markers; pencil sharpeners; pencil cases; rubber stamps; stamp pads; chalk; paper banners; printed paper signs for doors; drawing rulers; erasers, rubber erasers; chalk erasers; blackboard erasers; decorative decals for vehicle windows; vinyl static cling decals relating to football, namely, decals on which football team names, logos, uniforms or events are printed for affixation to windows and windshields; lithographs; paper party bags; stencils for tracing designs onto paper; paper gift wrap; paper cake decorations; paper; indoor ornaments of paper, namely, party ornaments of paper; all of the foregoing relating to American football and an American football team and not relating to baseball or softball or to a baseball or softball team, league or mascot.
IC 025. US 022 039. G & S Clothing, namely, tops and bottoms as clothing; headwear; sports caps and hats; t-shirts; shirts; sweatshirts; shorts; tank tops; sweaters; pants; jackets; golf shirts; knit shirts; jerseys; wristbands as clothing; warm up suits; gloves; ties as clothing; cloth bibs; sleepwear, namely, bathrobes and pajamas; underwear; socks; footwear, namely, sneakers, slippers, flip flops; scarves; bandannas; swimwear; Halloween and masquerade costumes; all of the foregoing relating to American football and an American football team and not relating to baseball or softball or to a baseball or softball team, league or mascot.
IC 028. US 022 023 038 050. G & S Toys and sporting goods, namely, plush toys, stuffed toy animals, toy action figures, toy action figure accessories therefor, cases for action figures, playsets for use with action figures, toy vehicles, dolls, sports balls, footballs, board games relating to football, playing cards, jigsaw puzzles, billiard balls, dart boards, toy miniature helmets, toy helmets, toy foam novelty items, namely, foam fingers and hands, hand-held units for playing electronic game other than those adapted for use with an electronic external display screen or monitor, tabletop action skill games; construction toys, Christmas tree decorations; toy spinning tops; arcade games, kites, bobble-head dolls, puppets, card games, toy model guitars, toy water guns, doll furniture, party favors in the nature of crackers and noisemakers, skateboards, toy scooters, paper party favors, all of the foregoing excluding golf balls and golf equipment; all of the foregoing relating to American football and an American football team and not relating to baseball or softball or to a baseball or softball team, league or mascot.
IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S Subscription to a television channel, namely, continuing subscription video program in the field of sports broadcast over the internet and a continuing subscription audio program in the field of football broadcast over the internet; all of the foregoing relating to American football and an American football team and not relating to baseball or softball or to a baseball or softball team, league or mascot.
IC 038. US 100 101 104. G & S Television broadcasting services; television transmission services; cable television broadcasting; radio broadcasting; broadcasting programming on the Internet; information transmission via electronic communications networks; transmission of information through video communication systems; communication services, namely, audio and video broadcasting services over the internet; broadcasting services and provision of telecommunication access to video and audio content provided via a video on demand service via the Internet and television; streaming of audio material on the Internet; streaming of video material on the Internet; telecommunication services, namely, transmission of podcasts; electronic delivery of images and photos via a global computer network; providing multiple-user access to a global computer information network for the purpose of participating in interactive polling in the field of football; wireless communications services, namely, electronic transmission of information, namely, text, graphics, data, and entertainment information to mobile phones; mobile media services in the nature of electronic transmission of voice, data, images, signals, and messages featuring entertainment media content; all of the foregoing relating to American football and an American football team and not relating to baseball or softball or to a baseball or softball team, league or mascot.
IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S Entertainment services in the nature of professional football games and exhibitions; providing sports and entertainment information via a global computer network, mobile applications, commercial on-line computer service or by cable, satellite, television and radio; arranging and conducting athletic competitions, namely, professional football games; production and distribution of radio and television programs in the field of sports; entertainment services in the nature of live shows featuring football games, organizing live exhibitions, competitions, and live musical and dance performances; organization of sport competitions in the nature of sporting activities, namely, football skills competitions and football showcases; distribution of television programming to cable and satellite television systems; distribution of television programs for others; entertainment services, namely, providing online electronic games; football fan club services; providing a web site featuring sports news and entertainment news in the field of sports; Entertainment services in the nature of a fantasy football game; all of the foregoing relating to American football and an American football team and not relating to baseball or softball or to a baseball or softball team, league or mascot.