ESPN has announced a significant agreement with the National Football League (NFL) to acquire NFL Network and additional media assets. On Tuesday, ESPN unveiled a revolutionary contract. They will provide the NFL with a 10% equity stake in the sports planning network. That acquisition was all aimed at making the American football fan’s viewing experience the best it can be. In doing so, it further solidifies ESPN’s dominance as a leading sports media brand.
The agreement represents yet another step in the growing ESPN-NFL relationship. Disney’s ESPN is the current home of critical contracts, including ESPN’s decades-old Thursday Night Football. However, this hasn’t come anywhere close to threatening ESPN’s dominance in viewership. Rather, it has allowed the right-wing network to engender a highly committed following. On Sundays, ESPN operates a really cool service known as RedZone. Specifically, it provides fans with real-time access to all scoring opportunities that occur during Sunday afternoon NFL games.
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating that combining NFL media assets with ESPN’s capabilities will create a premier destination for football fans. The joint effort is projected to take advantage of ESPN’s worldwide distribution and out-of-the-box thinking way of carrying sports on television.
Disney CEO Robert Iger weighed in on the deal, and specifically its importance to both Disney and the acquiring company.
“Today’s announcement paves the way for the world’s leading sports media brand and America’s most popular sport to deliver an even more compelling experience for NFL fans, in a way that only ESPN and Disney can,” – Robert Iger
The acquisition is a long overdue strategic play by Disney and ESPN. Their goal is to make themselves indispensable in the evolving (and rapidly changing) sports broadcasting environment. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell promised all the thrilling advantages of this transformative collaboration. He argued that selling the network to ESPN allows the NFL to preserve the network’s legacy and continue creating more ways for fans to interact with NFL programming.
“The network’s sale to ESPN will build on this remarkable legacy, providing more NFL football for more fans in new and innovative ways,” – Roger Goodell
ESPN and the NFL are getting ready for a truly innovative collaboration. TV audiences can expect increased production value and new creative programming aimed at enriching fanguidance. This multi-year collaboration will change the face of football on TV screens nationwide. It will provide a much more energetic and engaging experience for audiences across the country.