ESPN has agreed a new blockbuster deal with the NFL that will see the network air seven more regular-season games, and have access to NFL Network and RedZone.
The shock announcement was first reported by The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand and left football fans stunned, with the league’s top broadcaster wrestling yet more control over the football universe.
In return, it is reported that the NFL will receive equity in ESPN in a move which is expected to be worth billions.
The ‘complicated agreement’ is yet to be formally announced and specific details aren’t clear, but fans are fearing for the future of RedZone – fronted by Scott Hanson.
‘Commercial free football might be gone,’ one fan wrote on X, while another added: ‘ESPN will destroy RedZone. RIP Scott Hanson.’
ESPN’s parent company Disney has its earnings call on Wednesday and an official announcement about the deal is expected at a similar time, per Marchand.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is reported to have agreed a new blockbuster deal with ESPN
Fans are fearing for the future of RedZone, hosted by the popular Scott Hanson (pictured)
It has been reported that talks have been on and off for the past four years, but the two corporations have now finally come to an agreement ahead of the 2025 season.
ESPN is soon to launch a new subscription service – priced at $29.99 a month – which will allow its viewers to bypᴀss cable or satellite providers to watch all ESPN coverage through its app.
The future of NFL Network remains unclear, and there have been plenty of cuts in recent years, with half a dozen employees laid off last year.
ESPN’s star analyst Stephen A. Smith could appear even more on NFL coverage in future
Melissa Stark, Andrew Siciliano, James Palmer and Michael Irvin were among those let go, while popular podcast ‘Around The NFL’ was also canceled at short notice.
It has now been rebranded as ‘Heed the Call’ by Underdog.
ESPN first secured rights to televise the NFL back in 1987, showing eight games per season and beginning a partnership that has since grown exponentially.
In 2011, ESPN was said to be in more than 100 million cable homes, and the network currently broadcasts 25 games a season – 23 in the regular season, plus two playoff match-ups.
