Stamford CT June 13 2000 – WWE Entertainment Inc. (NMS: WWE) and NBC announced they have signed their formal strategic partnership agreement to jointly own and fund the XFL a new professional football league that will begin play on February 3 2001. As part of the agreement NBC has committed to broadcast regional and national XFL games on Saturday nights in primetime from February through April and the XFL championship game the first of which will be played on April 21 2001. The commercial airtime will be controlled by the XFL and WWE will provide the XFL with marketing merchandising and other support services.