With the playoffs underway and the Super Bowl approaching, the NFL finds itself with a new media partner in Bleacher Report.
As first reported by CNBC’s Alex Sherman, the NFL has reached a three-year deal with the Warner Bros. Discovery digital property. The agreement will give Bleacher Report access to NFL footage, including from games, as well as events like the Super Bowl, NFL Draft and Scouting Combine.
In addition to being able to use the footage on its platforms, including House of Highlights, Bleacher Report will also be afforded access to players, coaches and events for its own original content as a part of the agreement.
“The NFL highlights effectively round out our digital rights portfolio for Bleacher Report,” Bleacher Report GM Bennett Spector told Sports Business Journal of the agreement. “We’ve had the big core four in the United States for some time, but with the NFL it’s comprehensive. There are very few pure-play sports media outlets in the U.S. that have access to all highlights.”
Bleacher Report also has access to footage from the NBA, NHL, MLB, NCAA, NASCAR and U.S. Soccer via various agreements.
“If you’re an advertiser and you’re looking to spend money to connect with a specific subset of young sports fan, we’re able to attach our official partnerships to those deals,” Spector added.
While it wasn’t publicly announced until Thursday, the NFL’s deal with Bleacher Report officially went into effect during last weekend’s Wild Card Round, with Spector stating that NFL highlights from the weekend overperformed their initial expectations. The deal will be showcased in the lead up to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, with Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher Micah Parsons and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel — each of whom have preexisting deals with Bleacher Report — providing live content from Radio Row.
On the surface, the deal seemingly makes for both sides.
Aside from adding another revenue stream, the agreement provides the NFL with an increased presence on one of sports’ biggest digital platforms, which could prove particularly relevant in light on the looming TikTok ban in the United States. Meanwhile, Bleacher Report is adding perhaps the biggest missing piece from its portfolio, with the TNT Sports property now having access to highlights from all of the major U.S.-based sports leagues.
Moving forward, it will be interesting to see whether this proves to be a one-off or the start of a newfound relationship between the NFL and WBD. After losing its piece of the NBA media rights deal, the media conglomerate has signaled that it’s leaning heavily into football, including sublicensing games from ESPN for the College Football Playoff and receiving a portion of the network’s Big 12 package as a part of its settlement with the NBA.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.