Sale of NFL Media to ESPN could close in April
Sale of NFL Media to ESPN could close in April
New reporting states that both sides are optimistic that the deal could pass regulators before long.
Getting a major business deal past government regulators isn’t the easiest feat to accomplish these days. The Justice Department has a sharp eye out for transactions involving perceived enemies of the president, but Disney and the NFL are hoping that they can tiptoe their recent agreement through the regulatory process without many complications. A new report indicates that both sides are optimistic that the deal to sell NFL Media properties to ESPN can close in the next few months.
Key Details:
- Fingers crossed: Front Office Sports reports Disney and the NFL are optimistic they can close their deal in April.
- Just in time: If the deal does close this spring, it will allow for greater synergy as ESPN prepares to host the Super Bowl in 2027.
- Moving on over: The deal will see the NFL sell NFL Network and other properties to ESPN in exchange for 10% equity.
Front Office Sports reports that Disney and the league are both hoping that their deal could close by April. If that happens, Disney would acquire the NFL Media components included in the deal before the 2026-27 season, allowing it to take over NFL Network and make other moves ahead of the upcoming season. ESPN holds the rights to broadcast the Super Bowl at the end of the 2026-27 season, so closing the deal beforehand, allowing the network plenty of time to maximize broadcast and corporate synergies, would be a boon.
FOS states that Disney and the league have been preparing for two different timelines, based on the potential regulatory approval outcomes. If that hurdle is overcome by April, the two sides have time to move ahead with the deal before the start of the 2026 season. If the approval process takes longer, Disney won’t take over NFL Media until Jan. 1, 2027.
The influence that President Trump’s administration has on the Justice Department has left deals like this in a precarious position during the first year of his second term. It forced Disney to tread very lightly in its handling of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel in the wake of his comments following the murder of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk, lest a misstep lead to complications in getting the NFL deal across the finish line.
The agreement between Disney and the NFL was officially announced in August. It will see the NFL Network fall under the ESPN umbrella, which will also get the rights to distribute the NFL RedZone channel on linear platforms, though the popular whiparound channel will remain under the NFL’s ownership. A bundle of the new ESPN direct-to-consumer service with the NFL+ platform is also on its way to customers.
In exchange, the NFL will get a 10% equity stake in ESPN. It’s a monster deal that will see the most popular sports league in the United States tie itself inexorably to the most popular sports channel in the country, and it could be closed before summer hits.
ESPN Unlimited
ESPN launched its highly anticipated direct-to-consumer streaming service on August 21, 2025. For the first time, this service gives sports fans access to its full lineup of linear channels without a traditional cable or satellite subscription.