ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 23: Kirk Cousins #18 of the Atlanta Falcons warms up prior to an NFL preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 23, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ESPN is acquiring the NFL Networks and other National Football League media assets, including the linear rights to the league’s popular RedZone channel, in a deal that will see the NFL get a 10% equity stake in the all-sports network, it was announced Tuesday night.
ESPN will also acquire the NFL’s fantasy product and merge it into its existing platform, making ESPN Fantasy Football the official game of the NFL. In a separate deal, the NFL also agreed to license to ESPN other NFL content and intellectual property that will appear on the NFL Network and other assets.
The NFL Network will be owned and operated by ESPN, which will control the network’s linear and digital rights. The NFL Network will be integrated into ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming product, and it will continue to be available on traditional pay TV providers.
“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. “Together, ESPN and the NFL are redefining how fans engage with the game – anytime, anywhere. This deal helps fuel ESPN’s digital future, laying the foundation for an even more robust offering as we prepare to launch our new direct-to-consumer service.”
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ESPN platforms will also license three additional NFL games per season, giving it a total of 28. The NFL Network will continue to show seven games per season, with some games shifting to the NFL Network from ESPN’s original schedule. Dates and games were not announced. All of the ESPN-owned games will air on linear and ESPN’s direct-to-consumer platform.
According to the joint statement, ESPN will own broad rights to RedZone, including the trademark, and continue to distribute the channel to pay TV operators. The NFL will continue to own, operate and produce the RedZone channel, and it will keep the rights to distribute it digitally.
The league will also continue to own and operate some of its media businesses, including NFL Films and NFL.com.
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