Back in June, the UFL wrapped up their first season of play since merging with the XFL. The first season went fairly well, with even a Fox Sports executive saying the league was “ahead of the expected pace.” But not everything went smoothly.
One failed effort was the Army’s $11 million sponsorship deal with the UFL. Army’s goal was to spend a heavy investment into the alternative football league in hopes of bringing in new recruits. However, now we’re learning how much that plan backfired.
Related: 10 worst NFL starting quarterbacks right now, including Bryce Young
Army’s $11 million investment likely didn’t lead to any new recruits
According to Military.com, now the Army is disappointed in their $11 million UFL investment, and they’re trying to recoup $6 million of their lost money.
“The high-dollar, high-profile deal likely didn’t lead to a single new Army recruit and may possibly have had a negative impact on finding new enlistments, internal documents and emails reviewed by Military.com show. The service may even seek to get some of its money back.”
Military.com
The report adds that UFL league owner Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson did not “fulfill his end of the bargain to publish service-related posts on his social media accounts.”
This deal included large Army-branded ads during various UFL games and even the Army logo on player uniforms. But again, the Army had higher hopes for its partnership with Johnson, who apparently didn’t carry through his previously agreed-upon duties.
“Part of the allure of the deal was Johnson’s social media reach and an agreement that he would tout the Army. A titan on social media, Johnson has 396 million followers on Instagram. The Army valued each social media post at $1 million, service documents show, and it was expecting five of them. But Johnson did not fulfill his end of the deal — making only two of the five social media posts, Army documents show.”
Additionally, the UFL’s deal with the Army not only didn’t lead to new recruits, it may have caused the loss of up to 38 enlistments. Now, the Army believes the effort and resources invested into the UFL were a “net negative” for recruiting. It’s safe to say this is not the end of this battle.
Related: 10 NFL teams that will disappoint in 2024, including the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles