Per TheAthletic, Disney and ESPN have reached an agreement that could potentially be worth billions of dollars.
ESPN and NFL Agreement
According to the article posted by the TheAthletic, this deal has been is talks for at least four years. With the agreement, ESPN will have access to the following:
RedZone, NFL Network, seven more regular-season games, the NFL’s fantasy football business, as well as the potential to integrate special features (including betting) and potentially more assets.
The agreement coincides with ESPN’s forthcoming direct-to-consumer service that will formally launch in the next few weeks.
It is likely that Disney and ESPN will announce this updated partnership on their third quarter 2025 earnings call, which is set to take place on August 6, 2025. The live audio webcast will take place at 8:30 a.m. ET / 5:30 a.m. PT on the same date.
While this agreement is a huge opportunity for both parties, “the contractual language is said to be complicated.”
The NFL may receive up to 10 percent of ESPN equity, sources confirmed. That detail was reported previously by CNBC. There could be a term length to the agreement, according to one person briefed on the agreement, but it is not yet known how that will be prescribed.
The NFL has been looking to unload many of its NFL Media properties for years. NFL Network was started in 2003 and was looked upon as a potential competitor to ESPN. While it gained traction and distribution, it never became a full-blown alternative to ESPN, whose studio shows focus more attention on the NFL than any other sport.
Benefits for ESPN and the NFL Network
ESPN also looks to improve the NFL Network, which has been plagued with cutbacks for years.
For ESPN, the deal looks to use the NFL Network similarly to the SEC Network, which offers 24/7 programming regarding the league. A similar set-up is possible with the new agreement. This deal will allow more time to focus on “mining its core IP, all while acquiring a meaningful stake in one of its most important media partners, swapping the receding value of NFL Media for the higher growth potential of ESPN’s business.”
Although more information will likely be released next week, the deal will take nine months to a year for regulatory approval.
If it goes into effect next season, it would be part of a big year for ESPN as the 2026-27 year ends with the network broadcasting its first Super Bowl. The game will also be on ABC, which Disney also owns.
Do you think this is a positive shift for both ESPN and the NFL Network? Let us know in the comments.
Source: TheAthletic on nytimes.com
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