NFL buys stake in Disney subsidiary ESPN in media asset swap
The NFL is set to buy a minority stake in ESPN as the media giant takes control of American football’s NFL Network assets.
The non-binding agreement, confirmed in the early hours of Wednesday morning, will see the NFL purchase a 10 per cent stake in the Walt Disney subsidiary and allow Disney to broadcast more NFL matches.
Those matches could be packaged and sold to rival broadcasters such as Netflix, YouTube or Apple.
The assets include subscription offering NFL RedZone as well as the NFL Network channel Stateside.
Disney, which owns 80 per cent of ESPN, saw shares rise over 2 per cent in pre-market trading on Wednesday before the New York Stock Exchange opened.
ESPN is also set to confirm a five-year deal with the WWE which would see Disney pay over $300m per season to broadcast WrestleMania and Royal Rumble among other events, according to CNBC.
NFL deal with ESPN
Commissioner of the NFL Roger Goodell said: “The Network’s sale to ESPN will build on this remarkable legacy, providing more NFL football for more fans in new and innovative ways.”
Added ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro: This is an exciting day for sports fans. By combining these NFL media assets with ESPN’s reach and innovation, we’re creating a premier destination for football fans.
“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.”
Broadcasting numbers were down across the 2024 NFL season across the pond but games still averaged over 17m viewers apiece.
The league saw a Christmas broadcast in 2024 on Netflix, with Beyonce performing in a half-time show during the Baltimore Ravens’ game at the Houston Texans.
The Sao Paulo Week One fixture involving the Los Angeles Chargers will this year be broadcast to a global audience for free on YouTube.
“[The] 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,” Walt Disney chief Robert Iger said of the deal, “in a way that only ESPN and Disney can.”
Free-to-air broadcaster Channel 5 is set to join Sky Sports in showing the sport in the United Kingdom with new deals set to be confirmed before the first week of games next month.