ESPN has reportedly resumed talks with the NFL to acquire a chunk of the league’s media assets. Reports of a deal between them were also flying rampant last year, with one industry insider saying the agreement was “all but signed” before negotiations stopped in the middle of the year.
NFL has been trying to sell NFLN, RedZone, NFL.com, and its fantasy football operations for four years now, and it looks like they may be close to reaching an agreement with ESPN this year.
ESPN Resumes Talks To Take Control of NFL Network and NFL RedZone
NFL’s efforts to offload its decaying cable TV business are in their fifth year, and after months of pause in the negotiations, John Ourand of Puck reports that the talks have resumed between the two parties.
Ourand reports that ESPN’s renewed interest in the deal comes amid the looming launch of a direct-to-consumer product named “Flagship.”
While the deal would have originally seen the media company acquire NFL Media (which includes NFL Network), league-owned fantasy football properties, and digital content like its podcast partnership with iHeartMedia or insider Ian Rapoport’s YouTube channel, it’s now discussing taking over NFL Network and NFL RedZone.
“It’s too early to predict whether a deal will be struck, of course, but ESPN’s plan to launch its D.T.C. product, code-named Flagship, has provided some renewed momentum. The two sides have discussed the parameters of a deal that would have ESPN take control of NFL Network and NFL RedZone,” he wrote in his newsletter.
“On some level, this makes sense for ESPN, which already programs a host of 24/7 channels, and would be able to synergize the additional programming and related costs. NFL Network and NFL RedZone could also help the brand’s negotiations with cable and satellite distributors and elevate ESPN’s status as a preferred partner with the league.”
In addition to getting a stake in ESPN for giving up its media network, the NFL would be relieved from the dependence on traditional distributors like Comcast and DirectTV. The deal would also allow the league to offload “a rare declining asset on its balance sheet,” its fantasy football offerings.
Ourand also reported that the talks regarding the NFL Draft had also started, with ESPN, Fox, and Google/YouTube having already submitted bids.
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