LAUSANNE, Switzerland and ORLANDO, Fla. (June 18, 2026) – The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) and TMRW Sports today announced a strategic partnership designed to further accelerate the growth, visibility and accessibility of flag football around the world. The announcement was made today by Pierre Trochet, president, IFAF, and Mike McCarley, founder and CEO, TMRW Sports.

The partnership brings together IFAF, the international governing body for American football and the IOC-recognized federation responsible for flag football competitions in the Olympic Games, and TMRW Sports, which is developing the new professional flag football league with the National Football League (NFL). The strategic partnership reflects a shared commitment to coordinated talent identification, athlete development, fan engagement, unified competition pathways and the sustained, long-term growth of one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.

“This partnership is important in helping us harness and further accelerate the momentum surrounding flag football at the international level,” said Trochet. “By working closely with TMRW Sports from the outset, we can ensure the elite flag football ecosystem evolves in a coherent way – with common standards and complementary calendars – in the interests of athletes, fans and all the game’s global stakeholders. This is a time of extraordinary opportunity for our sport!”

"Flag football is experiencing extraordinary momentum around the world, and this is a defining moment in the sport's evolution as we build a professional league for both women and men," said McCarley. "Our vision is to build the sport’s professional tier that showcases the world's best flag athletes, engages fans in new ways, and is the aspirational destination for young flag football players all around the world. By partnering with IFAF, we strive to better connect athletes, fans and communities to the future of flag football." McCarley is a veteran of 10 Olympic Games with NBC Sports.

The announcement comes as the global flag football community prepares for the 2026 IFAF World Championship in Düsseldorf, Germany from Aug. 13-16. The event is a qualifier for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. IFAF's global network now includes national federations spanning more than 80 countries across five continents, with the top 16 men’s and women’s teams competing at this year’s World Championship.

TMRW Sports and the NFL are launching the professional flag football league prior to the 2028 Olympics. Fans will experience the league’s fast-paced, elite-level competition and tech-forward presentation. The league will bring spectators close to the action, and the broadcast will feature a data-rich and accessible viewing experience for fans around the globe. Ultimately, professional flag football aims to deliver data-driven storytelling and technology that immerses audiences in the sport’s speed, agility and athleticism.

The league has support from a broad and influential investor pool, including NFL club owners, established institutional and strategic investors, and current and former NFL players, reflecting broad belief in the sport's long-term growth potential and increasing global relevance. The league will play an important role within flag football's broader global pathway, capping existing youth, high school, collegiate and international competition tiers with an opportunity to compete professionally.

More than 20 million people currently play the sport around the globe, with participation continuing to grow across all levels. 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 40 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 200 colleges and universities across the country now offer women’s flag football programming. The NCAA recently approved flag football as part of the Emerging Sports for Women program and voted at its spring meeting to recommend that Divisions I, II and III add a National Collegiate Flag Football Championship as early as spring 2028. Globally, IFAF has seen a 48% increase in national teams entering its world ranking system over the past three years, with many nations – including China, which now boasts more than one million players – reporting more than 100% year-on-year growth in grassroots participation. Fan engagement is also on the rise. Among 60 sports on the program of The World Games 2025 in China, flag football topped every streaming category, delivering 23% of total watch time across the Games.