m ons ▁was ▁named ▁the ▁league ' s ▁first ▁commission er ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁D ixon ▁Plan , ▁if ▁the ▁league ▁was ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁success , ▁it ▁needed ▁television ▁re venue ▁and ▁expos ure . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁the ▁league ▁signed ▁contract s ▁with ▁both ▁over - the - air ▁broad c aster ▁ABC ▁and ▁a ▁cable ▁TV ▁broad c aster , ▁the ▁four - year ▁old ▁ESP N , ▁to ▁te lev ise ▁games . ▁The ▁de als ▁yield ed ▁roughly ▁$ 1 3 ▁million ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁and ▁$ 1 6 ▁million ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁including ▁$ 9 ▁million ▁per ▁year ▁from ▁ABC . ▁ABC ▁had ▁options ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁season ▁at ▁$ 1 4 ▁million ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁at ▁$ 1 8 ▁million . ▁Each ▁week , ▁there ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁nation ally ▁tele vised ▁game , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁US FL ' s ▁own ▁version ▁of ▁Monday ▁Night ▁football . ▁ ▁St umb les ▁before ▁play ▁begins ▁ ▁Like ▁almost ▁all ▁startup ▁pro ▁football ▁le agues , ▁the ▁US FL ▁had ▁some ▁off - the - field ▁factors ▁that ▁prevent ed ▁the ▁league ▁from ▁starting ▁out ▁with ▁their ▁preferred ▁membership . ▁ ▁The ▁problems ▁started ▁when ▁the ▁original ▁owner ▁of ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁franch ise , ▁Alex ▁Span os , ▁pulled ▁out ▁and ▁instead ▁became ▁a ▁minor ity ▁owner