Tennis legend Serena Williams has bid to invest in the NFL’s planned pro football league after attending a panel alongside WNBA icon Caitlin Clark.
Last weekend in Palm Beach, Florida, the NFL’s annual meetings tookk place. Some of the topics expected discussed at these league meetings were the potential for an 18-game regular season, removal of the automatic first down from defensive holding and illegal contact penalties, and the volume of international games, as well as changes such as the addition of automated chains.
However, one topic is particularly pressing for women’s involvement in football. The increased interest in flag football has led to the NFL planning a pro flag football league – and Williams is certainly intrigued.
On Sunday night, Williams – who won 23 Grand Slam titles across an illustrious 27-year career – joined Clark and two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning on a panel, titled “The Changing Face of Sports and Its Impact on the NFL.” On Monday, Williams posted an Instagram of herself and the Indiana Fever guard along with the caption: “Yesterday was a blur and all about the future of women at the annual @nfl Annual Meeting @caitlinclark22 @alexisohanian @elimanning I love future of women don’t you?”
It seems Williams is certainly excited about the future of women’s sport. The 43-year-old, along with husband Alexis Ohanian, has submitted a bit to the NFL’s request for proposal seeking investors into the flag football leagues.
The question Williams posed at the end of her Instagram caption is intriguing. It seems Williams is looking to team together with Clark and Manning when it comes to investing in the flag football leagues given the topics of discussion on Sunday night.
Along with her sister Venus, Williams is a minority owner of the Miami Dolphins. In 2009, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross sold a small portion of the team’s shares to Williams, Venus, and a number of other celebrities.
The NFL is receiving plenty of interest and enthusiasm from various superstar investors looking to support the men’s and women’s flag football league. The NFL wants to invest in the leagues but have other partners operate them.
Once the leagues are fully operational, the NFL will sell media packages to current or new rights partners. It will be interesting to see which other high-profile names come to the fore.
Meanwhile, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said on Tuesday that players are interested in competing in flag football at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. He said: “I’ve heard directly from a lot of players who want to participate and represent their country, whether it’s United States or the country that they came from.”
