Disney's ESPN to acquire NFL media assets in major deal
Stake could be worth $2 billion to $3 billion, analysts and industry insiders say
Deal remains subject to regulatory approval
Would bolster ESPN streaming service due to launch as early as this month
By Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine
The deal, which ESPN said would bolster the offerings on its upcoming ESPN streaming service, is subject to regulatory approval and no value was provided.
Analysts and industry insiders estimated the NFL's stake in ESPN could be worth $2 billion to $3 billion, though the companies declined to comment.
'Tough to estimate a value except that it's in the multi-billions,' said Bob Dorfman, a sports marketing analyst in San Francisco. 'The NFL seems to have no ceiling on growth and value; with all the content beyond the actual games, it's become a year-round sport. And it's only going to grow internationally.'
ESPN also will acquire NFL Fantasy, a digital offering, and will gain the rights to distribute the NFL RedZone television channel to its cable and satellite television customers.
'Today's announcement paves the way for the world's leading sports media brand and America's most popular sport to deliver an even more compelling experience for NFL fans, in a way that only ESPN and Disney can,' Disney CEO Robert Iger said in a statement.
The ESPN streaming service, which Iger has said could launch as early as this month, will cost $29.99 per month. It will provide access to ESPN's portfolio of professional and college sports, including the NFL, the NBA and WNBA, MLB and the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, as well as studio shows such as 'SportsCenter' and 'Pardon the Interruption.'
'By combining these NFL media assets with ESPN's reach and innovation, we're creating a premier destination for football fans,' ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement.
The league launched the NFL Network in 2003, as it sought to tap into the revenue generated by cable and satellite subscriptions. While it gained traction, introducing Thursday Night Football, it never rose to become a rival to ESPN.
Under the new agreement, ESPN would own and operate the TV and streaming rights to the NFL Network, which will continue to carry seven games a year.
'The network's sale to ESPN will build on this remarkable legacy, providing more NFL football for more fans in new and innovative ways,' said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
RedZone is a service that allows fans to watch scoring opportunities during Sunday afternoon NFL games.
The league will continue to own, operate, and produce NFL RedZone and retain rights to distribute it digitally. The league also will retain ownership of certain media properties, such as NFL Films, and platforms such as the NFL Podcast Network and NFL+.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
06-08-2025
- Daily Maverick
Disney's ESPN to acquire NFL media assets in major deal
NFL will take a 10% equity stake in ESPN Stake could be worth $2 billion to $3 billion, analysts and industry insiders say Deal remains subject to regulatory approval Would bolster ESPN streaming service due to launch as early as this month By Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine The deal, which ESPN said would bolster the offerings on its upcoming ESPN streaming service, is subject to regulatory approval and no value was provided. Analysts and industry insiders estimated the NFL's stake in ESPN could be worth $2 billion to $3 billion, though the companies declined to comment. 'Tough to estimate a value except that it's in the multi-billions,' said Bob Dorfman, a sports marketing analyst in San Francisco. 'The NFL seems to have no ceiling on growth and value; with all the content beyond the actual games, it's become a year-round sport. And it's only going to grow internationally.' ESPN also will acquire NFL Fantasy, a digital offering, and will gain the rights to distribute the NFL RedZone television channel to its cable and satellite television customers. 'Today's announcement paves the way for the world's leading sports media brand and America's most popular sport to deliver an even more compelling experience for NFL fans, in a way that only ESPN and Disney can,' Disney CEO Robert Iger said in a statement. The ESPN streaming service, which Iger has said could launch as early as this month, will cost $29.99 per month. It will provide access to ESPN's portfolio of professional and college sports, including the NFL, the NBA and WNBA, MLB and the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, as well as studio shows such as 'SportsCenter' and 'Pardon the Interruption.' 'By combining these NFL media assets with ESPN's reach and innovation, we're creating a premier destination for football fans,' ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. The league launched the NFL Network in 2003, as it sought to tap into the revenue generated by cable and satellite subscriptions. While it gained traction, introducing Thursday Night Football, it never rose to become a rival to ESPN. Under the new agreement, ESPN would own and operate the TV and streaming rights to the NFL Network, which will continue to carry seven games a year. 'The network's sale to ESPN will build on this remarkable legacy, providing more NFL football for more fans in new and innovative ways,' said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. RedZone is a service that allows fans to watch scoring opportunities during Sunday afternoon NFL games. The league will continue to own, operate, and produce NFL RedZone and retain rights to distribute it digitally. The league also will retain ownership of certain media properties, such as NFL Films, and platforms such as the NFL Podcast Network and NFL+.
eNCA
06-08-2025
- eNCA
NFL buys 10% stake in ESPN, which buys NFL Network, RedZone
NEW YORK - The NFL sold its NFL Network and Sunday RedZone television show to ESPN on Tuesday in exchange for a 10% equity stake in the US-based sports television network. Both companies announced the deal, which also includes the combining of NFL Fantasy Football with ESPN Fantasy Football. Federal regulators must approve the transaction, a process that could take several months, according to the league. Until the deal closes, fans are unlikely to see any significant changes to ESPN or NFL Network. "Today's announcement paves the way for the world's leading sports media brand and America's most popular sport to deliver an even more compelling experience for NFL fans, in a way that only ESPN and Disney can," said Robert Iger, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, in a statement. The NFL will allow ESPN to distribute NFL RedZone, the league's whip-around show for scoring plays on busy Sundays, to pay-television operators. "Since its launch in 2003, NFL Network has provided millions of fans unprecedented access to the sport they love," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "The Network's sale to ESPN will build on this remarkable legacy, providing more NFL football for more fans in new and innovative ways." NFL team owners also must approve the deal, but that is seen as little more than a formality given the expanded reach on offer for NFL programming. "I think we've hooked up with the best partners we can have," said New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, chairman of the NFL's media committee. "That will help expose us to more homes, more of an international audience. Strategically, we have to grow our salary cap and can only do that by -- if we want to keep labor peace, we have to grow our audience. This transaction helps us to do that." ESPN will adjust its NFL telecast schedule, shifting some telecasts with NFL Network, which will continue to show seven games a season while ESPN expands to 28. The NFL will continue to operate other media companies such as NFL Films and The NFL-ESPN deal creates the official season-long fantasy NFL game with greater digital experience and innovation allowing for broader global reach. Global growth opportunities for the NFL, which already plays games overseas every season, played a key role in motivating the NFL to get terms of the deal sorted. "We're hooking up with the strongest sports amalgamation of sports product," Kraft said. "We're giving them what I believe is the best content, and they're giving us the greatest operational company to grow our audience globally. "This is a way for us to broaden our audience. We've done so much. I don't think there's any company like (ESPN owners) Disney and ESPN in doing sports, all sports. We need to expose our product to more people and a greater variety of people." js/sla
The South African
30-07-2025
- The South African
Rumours swirl over date, venue for FIFA World Cup 2026 draw
Las Vegas will play host to the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw on 5 December 2025, according to multiple reports on Tuesday. ESPN and TUDN'Mexico said Vegas had been picked for the draw of the expanded 48-team event, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. In all, 12 groups of four nations will be drawn. When the United States played host to the 1994 World Cup, the draw ceremony was also conducted in Las Vegas. ESPN's original report said that The Sphere, a 17,500-seat venue which opened in 2023, was seen as the front-runner for the draw site. But Sphere sources confirmed to AFP the World Cup draw would not take place there, and ESPN later reported Sphere sources told the sports network it would not be held there. In 1994, the draw was staged in Las Vegas even though it was not a host city for any matches, a situation that is also the case for next year's event. Bafana Bafana, the South African national team, is edging closer to qualifying for only their fourth World Cup ever, provided they win their next two games. If Bafana beat Lesotho and Nigeria in September 2025, the national team will book their place with two games to spare – against Zimbabwe and Rwanda. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news. © Agence France-Presse
