(Photo credit: GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The NFL selected Tiger Woods' sports business venture, TMRW Sports, as its operational partner for a professional flag football league that is in development, according to a report by Sportico.

Sources told the publication that TMRW Sports beat out about a dozen competitors in a bid process. NFL owners voted in December to authorize the search for a partner and invest up to $32 million to support the creation of the new league.

TMRW Sports confirmed its interest in flag football to Sportico but would not comment on discussions with the NFL.

'We've made a tremendous amount of progress in one year, and the league is moving forward,' an NFL spokesperson told Sportico while declining further comment.

Woods co-founded TMRW, the group behind the TGL indoor golf league, in 2022 with fellow golf star Rory McIlroy and media executive Mike McCarley. Backers with ties to the NFL include Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, Minnesota Vikings owner Mark Wilf and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

The NFL has embraced flag football by making it the cornerstone event of the revamped Pro Bowl Games and allowing players to compete in the sport's Olympic debut at Los Angeles in 2028.

'Today's vote represents a critical step in establishing flag football as a premier global sport,' NFL executive Troy Vincent Sr. said in December when owners green-lit the new pro league.

'We are developing the infrastructure to accelerate the game's growth to new heights by creating a clear pathway for aspiring athletes to progress from youth and high school programs through college and now to the professional level. We look forward to forming a partnership to bring this vision to life and deliver a world-class professional flag football experience for elite athletes and fans alike.'

--Field Level Media