NFL and ESPN have closed a billionaire agreement that will transfer many of the league’s leading media assets to the sports network, in exchange for a shareholder at ESPN -rated billions of dollars, according to The Athletic.
The official announcement is expected to take place next week, aligned with Disney’s financial results, ESPN controller.
The agreement, which has been discussed over four years, includes ESPN access to Redzone, NFL Network, seven additional regular season, NFL’s fantasy football business and possible special features such as sports bets.
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The partnership coincides with the launch of ESPN’s direct consumer service, which will allow subscribers to watch the entire network programming, including live games, through their own application, without the need for traditional pay -TV providers.
For the NFL, the agreement represents a strategic output of the television production business, allowing the league to focus on its main intellectual property while obtaining significant participation in one of its largest media partners.
ESPN, in turn, plans to invest in improving NFL Network programming, which has faced cuts and difficulties for competing with ESPN for years.
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The agreement still depends on regulatory approval, which can take from nine months to one year to be completed.
If it is implemented next season, it will schedule an important year for ESPN, which will broadcast its first Super Bowl in season 2026-27, an event that will also be aired by ABC, another broadcaster of the Disney group.
With the inclusion of Redzone, a service that allows fans to follow live every scoring opportunities during Sunday games, ESPN expects to strengthen its offer and negotiate better conditions with TV providers.
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The direct service to ESPN consumer will cost $ 29.99 and seeks to curb the drop in the number of subscribers caused by the phenomenon of the “cable cable” and the preference of young people by digital platforms.
