In one of the biggest media deals this century, ESPN and the National Football League agreed to a deal that will send popular entities such as RedZone over to the network, according to The Athletic.
The deal, according to the report, could be worth billions and is expected to be formally announced next week.
ESPN is gearing to start its direct-to-consumer service within weeks, which consumers are expected to pay nearly $30 a month, allowing buyers to cut cable subscriptions even further as people have more choices than ever in how they consume content featuring the nation’s most popular and attended spectator sport.
The network is expected to absorb the aforementioned RedZone, NFL Network, headquartered in Inglewood, California, and to take on its slate of games this season as well as the league’s popular fantasy football franchises. It is not expected that NFL Films is part of the deal, but the league is likely to take a 10% stake in the majority Disney-owned ESPN. The league is currently in an 11-year, $111 billion media rights deal with Amazon, CBS, ESPN, Fox, and NBC, which is set to expire in 2033.
The deal still needs to be approved by government regulators, but is expected to be done in plenty of time for the network to gear up for its Super Bowl 61 coverage. The game is set for February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The game is to be aired by ABC, another Disney-owned property.