ESPN reportedly nearing deal to potentially acquire NFL Network, Red Zone

With the 2025 NFL season and the launch of ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming service both approaching, the two entities find themselves on the verge of a major deal.

According to The Atheltic’s Andrew Marchand, ESPN and the NFL are “inside the five-yard line” in their ongoing negotiations, which would see the Worldwide Leader acquire a significant portion of NFL Media. While the details of the potential deal that was first reported on in January 2024 have yet to be finalized, Marchand notes that it could see ESPN acquire properties including the NFL Network, Red Zone Channel and the seven regular-season NFL games that currently air on the league-owned network.

Plenty can still change as nothing has been finalized, but Marchand added that talks have advanced to the point that the league has informed its owners that they may need to vote on a deal early next month, which Sports Business Journal also reported last week. At this point, it’s unclear how much money or equity would be exchanged in the deal, although recent reports have valued NFL Media at approximately $2 billion.

“It will be enormous,” Marchand reports regarding the potential payday.

Even if a deal is agreed upon and approved by the NFL owners in the coming weeks, it may take a while to fully go into effect. As Marchand notes, such a deal would presumably require regulatory approval, with the entire process expected to take an estimated nine months.

Still, if/when an agreement is ultimately finalized, it would obviously be a massive deal for both sides.

For the NFL, it would mark the culmination of a journey that first began in 2003 when it launched the NFL Network. Selling its media properties at a $2 billion valuation would have obvious financial benefits for the league and add even more exposure byway of a (somehow) stronger presence on ESPN airwaves.

As for ESPN, the acquisition of high profile assets such as the NFL Network, Red Zone Channel and regular-season games would arm the Disney property with more NFL-related inventory with the debut of its DTC streaming service expected this fall. While an official launch date has yet to be revealed, we now know that it will cost $29.99 per month and merely be referred to as “ESPN.”

Considering that these negotiations were first publicly reported about more than 18 months ago, it’s worth reiterating that nothing here is official until the deal is both agreed upon and approved. But all indications appear to be that a deal is, in fact, on the horizon, and would have significant implications for both the network and the league.