Serena Williams has expressed interest in investing in the NFL’s proposed professional flag football league, following her participation in a meeting with WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark.
The NFL’s annual meetings took place last weekend in Palm Beach, Florida, where discussions ranged from the possibility of an 18-game regular season to the removal of the automatic first down from defensive holding and illegal contact penalties.
The number of international games and the introduction of automated chains were also on the agenda. However, one topic that stood out was the growing interest in flag football, leading to the NFL’s plans for a professional flag football league – a prospect that has piqued Williams’ interest.
As reported by Front Office Sports, Williams is interested in being one of the project’s investors. On Sunday, the 23-time Grand Slam winner 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.”
Following the event, Williams shared a photo on Instagram with Clark and 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 appears that Williams, along with her husband Alexis Ohanian, is enthusiastic about the future of women’s sports. The couple has submitted a bid in response to the NFL’s request for proposal seeking investors for the flag football leagues.
Williams dropped a hint on Instagram that she may join forces with Clark and Manning in investing in flag football leagues, based on their Sunday discussion.
Already a minority owner of the Miami Dolphins alongside sister Venus, Williams joined the team’s ownership group in 2009 after Dolphins chief Stephen Ross opened up shares to her, Venus, and other celebrity investors.
The NFL is catching the eye of star-studded investors eager to back both men’s and women’s flag football leagues. The league itself is ready to put money into these ventures yet intends to let other partners handle operations.
Once these leagues are off the ground, the NFL plans on pitching media packages to existing or potential broadcast partners, aiming to add more big names to the enterprise.
In related news, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell revealed this Tuesday that there’s player interest in flag football for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 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.”
