NFL acquiring stake in ESPN, ESPN will take over NFL media including NFL Network

[MMC]

Click to read more...

 

[No Fun Shogun]

ESPN about to pump the NFL's tires on anything and everything at all times even more so than now.

 

[MMC]

ESPN and the NFL are in advanced talks that could result in the league taking an equity stake in ESPN, The Post has learned.

As part of a potential agreement, Disney-owned ESPN would take control of NFL Media, which includes NFL Network, and the league would receive equity in ESPN. For the long-term viability of ESPN aligning with the most powerful sports league would enhance its position as the network plans to move to direct to consumer by 2025.

While the idea of an ESPN-NFL alliance has been mentioned before, discussions between Disney-owned ESPN and the NFL are far enough along that sources said that owners and the Players Association are being informed about the talks.

 

[LadyStanley]

NFL reportedly in advanced talks with ESPN to buy stake in sports network

A partnership would streamline distribution of the league's game broadcasts while further muddying the waters of ESPN's role in covering the NFL as an objective journalistic enterprise.

sports.yahoo.com

Yahoo Sports take

 

[Voight]

I can't imagine the other leagues are thrilled with this. Their coverage is going to take a hit.

ESPN about to pump the NFL's tires on anything and everything at all times even more so than now.

Get ready for even more Mahomes and Kelce coverage

 

[wildthing202]

I can't imagine the other leagues are thrilled with this. Their coverage is going to take a hit.



Get ready for even more Mahomes and Kelce coverage

They offered to the NBA and MLB back in June and for now it looks like they rejected it.

 

[FissionFire]

NFL and Disney together, can’t imagine that will be a a smooth partnership.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

Wasn't Disney looking to sell off ESPN? I guess that's no longer the case?

 

[Jussi]

Wasn't Disney looking to sell off ESPN? I guess that's no longer the case?

Yeah, that's what I remember hearing as well. I guess this takes ESPN off the market?

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

I would have preferred Paramount Global buy a minority stake in NFL Media given they own the NFL's oldest broadcast partner CBS.

This would have entailed Paramount Home Entertainment distributing NFL content on home media and Paramount Global Content Distribution distributing NFL Films contrnt internationally. Especially if NFL Films were to produce scripted content, which would likely be NFL-related and air on NFL Network. Also Paramount+ would share streaming rights to the NFL Films archive with Peacock.

 

[GKJ]

ESPN owning their own sportsbook going to raise some high-level questions

 

[IU Hawks fan]

ESPN owning their own sportsbook going to raise some high-level questions

They don't actually own it, they just license their name to Penn Entertainment.

 

[GKJ]

They don't actually own it, they just license their name to Penn Entertainment.

Didn’t they have that arrangement with barstool?

 

[CanadienShark]

Ew. As if I didn't have enough reason to dislike ESPN.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Didn’t they have that arrangement with barstool?

Penn owned Barstool, but ran into regulatory issues in some states, so they sold the company back to Dave Portnoy.