NFL in advanced talks with ESPN to acquire equity stake in network: Sources

By Dianna Russini, Mark Puleo and Richard Deitsch

The partnership between the NFL and ESPN could soon grow more intertwined with the league in advanced talks with ESPN to acquire an equity stake in the sports network, sources briefed on the matter confirmed to The Athletic. The cable giant would gain control of NFL Media, including NFL Network in return, sources said.

News of the advanced talks between the NFL and ESPN was first reported by The New York Post. The report said discussions between the two entities are far enough along for the league to have notified owners and the Players Association.

In an email to NFL Network employees on Jan. 9 that was reviewed by The Athletic, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league “has worked to adapt to the changing business environment, aligning resources with key investment opportunities.” The memo did not mention a potential deal with ESPN but did announce what Goodell described as a voluntary program to help some employees transition from the NFL to their next job.

“Additional steps to ensure that our workforce is aligned with the League’s priorities will follow in the months ahead,” Goodell said in the email. “Change is often difficult but it is undeniably an important part of a healthy organization.”

ESPN and the league already have a working relationship, with the network purchasing the rights to 25 NFL games, which includes “Monday Night Football,” for about $2.6 billion per year.

ESPN declined to comment for this story.

ESPN-NFL partnership makes sense but some potential pitfalls

Disney chief Bob Iger has been very public about finding strategic partners for ESPN as the company runs its parallel path on balancing declines in cable subs with big increases to ESPN+ and a growing direct-to-consumer business. Adding NFL Media properties such as the NFL Network and NFL RedZone into the Disney universe would provide significant additive value for Disney/ESPN subscribers and users.

The NFL has been clear it wants to unload NFL Media, so you can certainly understand the marriage. Now, there would be obvious massive questions heading forward, including how such a deal would impact ESPN’s editorial arm and coverage of the NFL. Can you impartially cover the NFL with this kind of relationship? How would ESPN Bet, the network’s betting venture with casino group Penn Entertainment, factor into such an arrangement? Would such an agreement perturb the NFL’s other media partners who pay a boatload of money to the league? Plenty of questions. Let’s see where this goes. — Richard Deitsch, senior media reporter

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