ESPN agrees to buy NFL Network and Red Zone; league takes 10 percent stake in Worldwide Leader

ESPN will likely take over in 2026

[Editor’s Note: This post was updated on August 6.] 

After months of talks and speculation, The Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN has agreed to acquire NFL Network in exchange for a ten percent stake in the cable network. The agreement is non-binding, as each partner could walk away from the deal at any time.

ESPN will own and operate the NFL Network, which is based in Inglewood, Calif., next to SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers. ESPN will also distribute NFL Red Zone to linear outlets (cable and satellite providers), but the NFL will continue to produce RedZone and retain digital rights to virtual providers and NFL Plus, which the league is also retaining. Additionally, the NFL’s Fantasy Football product will merge with ESPN’s. NFL Network and RedZone will be offered in ESPN’s direct-to-consumer app, which launches August 21. 

Scott Hanson continues as RedZone host. 

ESPN also plans to add three more games to the NFL Network, with four existing ESPN games shifting there. It is not immediately known if these will be Monday Night Football games. 

In addition to NFL Plus and RedZone’s digital rights, the league will retain NFL Films, NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL.com, the league’s team websites, the NFL Podcast Network, and the NFL FAST Channel.

“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,” said Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “Commissioner Goodell and the NFL have built outstanding media assets, and these transactions will add to consumer choice, provide viewers with even greater convenience and quality, and expand the breadth and value proposition of Disney’s streaming ecosystem.”

“This is an exciting day for sports fans,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman of ESPN. “By combining these NFL media assets with ESPN’s reach and innovation, we’re creating a premier destination for football fans. Together, ESPN and the NFL are redefining how fans engage with the game—anytime, anywhere. This deal helps fuel ESPN’s digital future, laying the foundation for an even more robust offering as we prepare to launch our new direct-to-consumer service.”

It’s unclear if the league will continue its partnership with Sony Pictures Television to syndicate GMFB: Overtime to local stations and the Roku Channel. The show begins its second season on September 1, with Fox serving as the lead station group. In Chicago, GMFB: OT airs on Fox Chicago Plus (WPWR) weekdays at 11 a.m. 

The NFL’s purchase of a 10 percent stake in ESPN raises journalistic questions, given that it is home to SportsCenter, which has a history of producing investigative stories. But one could argue that SportsCenter and ESPN have not conducted any significant investigative stories in quite some time: ESPN discontinued Outside the Lines years ago, and in recent years, SportsCenter has become nothing but crass commercialism, featuring product placements and celebrity interviews—particularly in the now-canceled Los Angeles edition.

ESPN has had tense relationships with the league before. In 2003, the NFL was unhappy with Playmakers, a drama about a fictional professional football team, which turned out to be ESPN’s only scripted series, lasting only a year. ESPN began airing NFL football on Sunday nights in 1987 and became the home of Monday Night Football in 2006. 

The deal requires approval from the league’s 32 owners and government regulators. Currently, Disney owns 80 percent of ESPN, but with the NFL taking ten percent, it would decrease to 70 percent once the deal is finalized. Hearst holds a 20 percent stake in ESPN, and both companies also own broadcast television stations. No specific timeline is established for ESPN’s takeover, but it is anticipated to occur before the start of the 2026 NFL season.