The two business giants are joining forces.
The NFL and ESPN have been in discussions regarding the league's TV properties, and the two sides have finally struck a deal.
The Athletic's Adam Marchand reports the two sides have come to an agreement that will give ESPN access to much of the NFL's media properties in exchange for equity in the company. The deal includes the fate of the NFL Network and the RedZone channel, which will now be under control of the league's former TV rivals.
ESPN and the NFL have become stronger business partners in recent years, which includes ESPN broadcasting its first Super Bowl in 2027. The deal only confirms the strong relationship between the two sides.
Here's the latest on the ESPN-NFL deal.
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NFL-ESPN media rights deal, explained
Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reports that ESPN and the NFL have agreed to a deal "potentially worth billions" that will merge the NFL Network and RedZone with ESPN. The deal comes after four years of negotiations that resulted in a "complicated agreement" that allows ESPN access to those two TV Channels.
ESPN also will receive seven more regular-season NFL games and the NFL's fantasy football business, among other NFL Media assets in play. It will also coincide with ESPN's new direct-to-consumer service that will launch later this year, as the league will likely treat the NFL Network like it treats the SEC Network.
What is happening to NFL RedZone?
As for RedZone, which has become extremely popular with the rise of football, ESPN is likely to make it available on its properties In return, the NFL could get up to 10 percent of ESPN equity and allow the league to focus less on TV properties and more on the league itself.Â
I think RedZone will almost definitely be presented the same way it is now
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) August 1, 2025
It becomes another big carrot for the new app and ESPN will use it in carriage agreements with distributors.
Meanwhile, the NFL is the most programming in entertainment and the league gets paid like it
Due to the nature of the deal, it will require regulatory approval, and it could be up to a year before it becomes official. Therefore, the deal could be part of the 2026-27 NFL season, which ends with both ABC and ESPN broadcasting the Super Bowl.
With the deal not expected to be official soon, it's unclear how this impacts talent on NFL Network that may overlap with talent on ESPN. The two sides have largely been competitors over the past two decades, with each side employing many of the top NFL insiders and analysts.
Category: Football
