All of Indoor and Arena football seems as if it’s getting to a place of relative stability. It will never see perfect stability, but Arena Football One is doing everything it can to contribute. From moves made during the season, to standards that have been set this offseason. They are making a run at longevity, one small detail at a time. There could be a list twenty reasons long as to why we are impressed, but these are the biggest so far:
Table of Contents
Keeping Arena Ball Alive
One thing that is evident in every forum and social media group is that you will always have Arena Rules purists who will only ever watch Arena football. They don’t care for the netless version (Indoor Rules) and never will. The Arena Football One has done a major service to the community by pushing for and maintaining this ruleset.
The 2024 AFL disaster not only marred the game forever, but it also had a few awful rules. For instance, the three & four-point conversation. This rule was gimmicky and never needed to be there, and the AF1 ensured it died with the AFL.
Not only that, the traditional defensive rules that kept the old AFL interesting and high scoring are back, ensuring we don’t get 31-27 results that feel like indoor ball with nets. Even better are rumors of the Rouge coming back in 2026, something any purist would cheer for.
Overall, the Arena Rules game needs to have a place in the world of indoor and arena football. It was the game that started all of this, and we at Shady Sports only ever want to see this version grow. Every single person who watches, works in, or promotes it would love nothing more than to see this be one of, if not the strongest leagues that exist.
Better Pay and Big-time Exposure
Before diving into this, we came to this conclusion by watching announcements and multiple sources; this was a collective conclusion, more than any single source. The league operates on a $400 minimum per game payout for active roster players, and $300 per game for practice squad players. Both of these numbers are larger than the advertised $250 per game for the IFL.
This one is huge; the casual fan may not care on the surface, but they do care about seeing top-of-the-line talent. The best way to find the best of anything professionally is to compensate higher than anyone else. I would go as far as saying the Arena Football One’s base pay is somewhere around 20-30% better (on paper) than any other league. The leaders in passing yards, rushing yards, receiving touchdowns all wound up signing UFL contracts for 2026.
If it’s not already evident by some of the transactions by Kentucky, Nashville & Albany, it has an effect. To most guys, it’s not exclusively about the money, but more about the exposure. The ability to have teams from the NFL, UFL & CFL watching is front and center. A good example of this would be the now-defunct Memphis Showboats signing four Firebirds in August: QB Sam Castronova, WR Duane Brown, and Isiah Scott, and OL Isaiah Hardy.
It’s not just the champions who are moving guys up; everyone from the Wolfpack to Kats has moved up players this year. This, paired with the higher-quality pay, will continue to entice top-level talent for this level of the sport.
Set a Streaming Standard in 2025
Vice TV
Since the end of the CIF and the second version of the AFL, the national streaming deals have been sparse in the fifty-yard game. Covid set the sport back quite a bit, and the rebuild hasn’t seen much along these lines. The AF1 immediately came in and changed this, even starting something of a “streaming race” with competing leagues.
Striking a deal with Vice TV for weekly games gave a ton of exposure to the Arena Football One, a league that your casual sports fan may not have known existed. The production value was above the standard we are used to, paired with several competitive matchups. The usual cutting in and out you see from YouTube was hardly ever an issue, and it gave a feel that major sports broadcasts do.
What was typical of the deal was the upfront league cost. What was atypical is that, according to sources, the Arena Football One was one of the few leagues that could claim to be receiving payouts for the revenue produced by their broadcasts. Further reports stated the Arena Football One was among the largest draws on Vice TV in 2025, and the network was keen on making sure they continue to carry AF1 games in 2026.
Evergreen NOW
Though not as strong, the Evergreen Now broadcast was a strong option for games not being shown on ViceTV. As a streaming service, it may not have been top of the line, but as a way to watch Arena football? It was great. Evergreen Now was a stable, quality stream most arena fans beg for.
While Evergreen NOW provided a smaller user base than more established options like YouTube or Twitch they did however provide an easier path to monetization. While this surely did not amount to significant income for the league in year one of the platform, the fact that both platforms the Arena Football One used in 2026 at least helped recuperate some of the outgoing costs for production is a win for the league.
Sadly, Evergreen Now is no more, as it went defunct earlier this offseason. Early on there had been whispers that the owners of the streaming platform were hoping to unload the assets to the AF1 allowing them to have a pre-built streaming platform complete with a subscriber base already signed up. Part of what led to these conversations was the fact that the AF1 was again among the largest draws for viewers coming to the platform.
Though positive rumors on a streaming partner are floating with mentions of Amazon Prime, CBS Sports, and ESPN. Many of our sources point to a potential national streaming partner for 2026. This move would further push Arena Football One along in its quest to return to the heights arena football soared to in the original AFL when it was the premier alternative to the NFL in the early 2000’s.
Today’s landscape isn’t just about butts in seats; if you want to survive, it’s about eyes on screens too. Just like earlier points, this is yet another example of upgrades commissioner Fisher and company have pushed further than almost everyone else.
Upgraded Vetting & Expansion
With all due respect, the 2025 off-season saw a ton of excitement and a hard fall from grace. Watching several teams announce, sign players, and then vanish into memory hurts. The head brass of the Arena Football One more than took note, and as of now, it seems they have taken steps to prevent that issue going forward.
How, you ask? Well, it all starts with vetting new ownership. The vetting so far has come off great; both the owners of Kentucky and Michigan have the finances to keep a team going long term. Cunningham, the owner of the Barrels, was actually the reason Corpus Christi made it to the finish line this past season.
Another massive difference is the way these teams are announced. In this current offseason, there hasn’t been a single team announced that didn’t already have an arena in place. All three even announced in the arena they plan on playing at in 2026. Ensuring that each team has infrastructure to play in and places to practice is pivotal. The league making this a prerequisite to joining puts them light years ahead of last year, and ahead of quite a few leagues.
If you want to feel even more confident, sources have told us that team(s) applied and were accepted, but are pushing back to 2027. The “runway to kick off” approach is not a new concept, but it is a smart way to launch a more polished, well-funded franchise. This was a good indicator to us at Shady Sports that they are making a run at quality and longevity, not just quantity.
League Jumpers & Larger Markets
Arena Football One is a big market league and needed to bring in markets that could provide big league potential. Having teams in cities that lack the population or the draw, and causing extreme travel, made no sense for a league with teams in Nashville, Washington State, and Albany.
While it was a subtraction, the addition made even more sense. Adding two teams with three championships and turnkey fan bases is a no-brainer. Let’s take a look at the top of the line league jumpers:
Beaumont Renegades
Location: Ford Arena
Market Size: 110,000
The Renegades come in after running the NAL for a season, dominating long-standing greats like Omaha and Columbus. They have great backing and have made vast improvements this offseason. Several close to the game and some social media posts have made it clear that an upgrade to the field, facility, and fan experience is coming.
The region has a rich indoor and Arena football history, paired with a local population of over 110,000. As long as the front office and management hold course, they could become a mainstay in the Arena Football One. Originally having come out and said they would be moving to the Indoor Football League following the 2025 season their paperwork was never fully submitted to the IFL before they opted to pivot and move to the Arena Football One.
It is believed prior relationships between the Renegades staff and Gary Compton helped contribute to this move for Beaumont. Beaumont may have won an NAL Championship in 2025, but they also lost their Offensive Coordinator following the season. These changes will require time to adapt.
Minnesota Monsters
Location: DECC Arena
Market Size: (Metro Area) 280,00
This move was not only solid but an absolute shocker to the entire football world. First hinted at on Around the Indoor Football World. Due to legal reasons, the name was changed to better reflect the state, and Habor was dropped from the name. The Result was a name used in the PIFL in 1998: Minnesota Monsters.
The league change comes with a move, but only to a different part of the same building. The team will remain in Duluth, MN. While they will have to find an Offensive Lineman and a kicker, it’s a welcome change. The franchise is going through growing pains; you would expect going from 7-on-7 with pads on to full-out arena rules.
Overall, they will be competitive. They have never played a season that hasn’t ended with a title. While we don’t expect that this coming year, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. This feels very much like a college team jumping from the FCS to the SEC.
IF Minnesota can manage to win an Arena Football One Championship in 2026 it would result in one of the most impressive runs in arena/indoor football history. The Monsters won back-to-back TAL championships including playing 6-man football in 2024, and 7-man football in 2025. Now they move to 8-man football for the 2026 season.
Our Thoughts
Similar to the NAL in 2025, the Arena Football One will feature three champions from the previous season, all the more reason to have your eyes on this league come April of 2026.
Overall, the Arena Football One is on the right path. The fans and other leagues may question their moves, but in our humble opinion, they are on the way to success. The coming weeks will see a streaming announcement and other exciting news. We plan to do breakdowns on all of it, in articles and on Around the Indoor Football World, so definitely check back!
- Ricky Proehl Returns to St. Louis, Hired as Battlehawks Head Coach for 2026
- Ryan Dinwiddie Begins Dealing for Ottawa in Preparation for 2026
- 2026 AIF Player Spotlight Anthony Ellison
- 2026 Player Spotlight & AAL2 Update
- AAL Sets Themselves Apart, Announce a Draft for 2026
Sponsor: Doich Cookie Dough
Just in time for the holidays, Shady Sports Network has a new sponsor! Doich Cookie Dough, a great stocking stuffer for family members, or white elephant gift for a friend or co-worker. With flavors like Chocolate Chip, What the Fudge!?, Basic B#tch, Peppermint Baddie, or the ability to order a variety pack, you can’t go wrong. Did we mention right now they are running a sale? Buy two jars at $7.99 a piece, and get a third for free. Then apply our code ShadySports and save another $5 on every order! Making it just $10.99 for three jars of cookie dough. Doich Foods also offers free shipping on any order over $60.
Use our code ShadySports or click the link below to save $5 on each purchase today!
https://snwbl.io/doich-foods/ShadySports
YouTube
Please also help us continue growing on our YouTube Channel by subscribing if you haven’t already. Also, like and comment on any videos you enjoy! Thank you for your support, and we hope you continue to tune in!
Also, check out our new Live Events channel dedicated to broadcasting any games we are able to get the broadcast rights to. We have broadcast arena football, A7FL, Big 3 Basketball, Flag Football, Boxing, MMA, and so much more.
https://www.youtube.com/@ShadySportsNetworkLiveGames
Join the Conversation on Discord, Facebook, or Reddit
Are you on Discord or Facebook? Join our server/groups to jump in the conversation, stay up to date on your favorite leagues, and give us your hot takes. You can also promote your content!
Fantasy Reports Facebook Group
Discover more from Shady Sports Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.