ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro signaled that he is interested in the possibility of adding on to the network’s recent NFL equity deal with other sports leagues.
“We’re always interested in ways to advance the business and, just as importantly, ways to serve the sports fan,” Pitaro said at an investor conference on Thursday when asked about the Worldwide Leader’s appetite for additional league tie-ups according to The Wrap. “So if someone comes to us and presents a compelling opportunity, we’re of course going to listen.”
Pitaro went on to say that there is “a ton of excitement” from the NFL side about the new agreement, which will see ESPN take control of the NFL Network, its RedZone Channel and NFL Fantasy in exchange for the league taking a 10% stake in the Disney-owned network.
But given that the still not-yet-finalized deal is shaping up to bring untold programming changes with it, the sports fan masses — already fatigued from constant rights and bundle-shuffling — may not be as excited to see an NFL-like arrangement happen with other leagues.
Plus, while similar deals would likely be a financial boon for ESPN, there are some downsides for the network to consider before going all-in on league content ownership. Case in point: ESPN has been taking unwarranted heat this week for the NFL’s decision to include permanent advertisements in its RedZone broadcast. Fans were quick to blame the channel’s departure from its famous ethos—seven hours of commercial-free football!—on ESPN, even though the network’s deal with the NFL isn’t expected to become official until next year.
That said, entrenchments between the Worldwide Leader and additional professional leagues are likely all but inevitable at this point, as is a further deepening of its relationship with the NFL — at least if some of Pitaro’s other comments at the investor conference are any indication.
About the NFL’s ambitions to expand internationally, the ESPN chairman said the following: “From our perspective, we’re, we’re always interested in growing our business. So if they were to put together an international package, we would, of course, be interested in having the conversation.”
He also took a shot at the big tech platforms coming for sports rights at an increasing clip: “If you’re a league and you sit down with big tech, you have to ask yourself, how committed are they to sports and or said a different way, how distracted are they going to be? Whereas when we sit down with ESPN, this is what they do. They breathe this 24/7,” he said. “So I think we’re in good shape from that perspective.”
About Ellyn Briggs
Ellyn Briggs is a writer, reporter and researcher based in Columbus, Ohio. Her work and commentary are regularly featured by dozens of outlets, including NBC News, Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Business Insider and Fast Company.