NFL to Reportedly Take an Equity Stake in ESPN

The New York Post is reporting that the NFL could potentially be taking an equity stake in ESPN.

What’s Happening:

  • 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.
  • The owners and players need to be involved in the equity agreement because of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the two sides that calls for them to share revenues.
  • It is unclear how an equity stake in ESPN would be accounted for in the CBA.
  • The NFL has been trying to sell off its network for some time now, including recent talks with ESPN, Amazon, CBS, Fox, NBC and YouTube.
  • NFL Media consists of NFL Network, NFL.com, Red Zone, NFL Films and NFL+.

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Luke Manning
Luke is a fan of all things theme parks and self-proclaimed #1 fan of Joffrey’s Coffee, who lives in Kissimmee, FL