ESPN Shares Details of NFL Network Purchase, League Keeps RedZone Channel Ownership

In a blockbuster deal, ESPN will now own and operate NFL Network. The channel will be added to ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming service. The Wall Street Journal estimates the deal is worth $3 billion.

The league continues owning and operating NFL RedZone, but ESPN will get the RedZone brand and can distribute it to traditional TV providers. The league retains the rights to distribute NFL RedZone digitally, including on NFL+.

The NFL retains all of NFL+, NFL.com, the NFL Podcast Network, the NFL FAST Channel, and the official sites for the league’s 32 clubs.

Also as part of the deal, ESPN Fantasy Football will merge with NFL Fantasy.

There will also be some schedule switcheroos. ESPN’s platforms will license an additional 3 NFL games per season to air on NFL Network. In addition, ESPN will adjust its overall NFL game schedule, with 4 games (including some from overlapping windows) shifting to the NFL Network. NFL Network will continue to present 7 games per season.

In exchange for all of this, the NFL gets 10 percent ownership of ESPN. Eight percent of that comes from Disney and two percent comes from ESPN co-owner Hearst.

In its news release, ESPN writes that fans will benefit from “expanded high-quality programming,” but some sports fans are hesitant. In recent years, ESPN has laid off legitimate journalists to cut big checks to hot-take blowhards like Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee. NFL Network has its share of talking head opinion shows, but at its heart, it’s a reliable source for relatively sober league coverage.

Disney CEO Bob Iger told the Wall Street Journal, “Nothing in this deal in any way changes ESPN’s approach when it comes to journalism.” 

Will ESPN turn NFL Network into another screaming opinion factory? Assuming the deal gets approved, we’ll see.