I am going to break the usual Traina Thoughts format today to get into ESPN’s purchase of NFL Network, RedZone and other properties, which became official Tuesday night—sort of.
I say “sort of” because while the deal is done between ESPN and the NFL, it has to be approved by government regulators.
So, I’m going to use bullet points to hit on aspects of the deal that may be of interest to football fans. This is a very complicated deal, and there are a ton of financial and business implications, but I’m going to focus on what I think you, the NFL viewer, cares about.
• This entire deal is about ESPN’s direct-to-consumer app that will launch on Aug. 21. ESPN is doing anything and everything it can to acquire as much content as possible in hopes of getting people to subscribe to its unlimited plan for $29.99 monthly, which will include access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPN News, ESPN Deportes, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+ and ACCNX. Eventually, the NFL Network will be part of the app as well.
• The current ESPN+ app/feature will still exist on its own for $11.99 monthly if the direct-to-consumer product doesn't appeal to you.
• Because the deal needs to go through the regulatory process, absolutely nothing will change until next season. Everything about NFL Network and RedZone will remain the same for the 2025 NFL season.
• Once the deal is approved, RedZone will continue to be produced and operated by the NFL, not ESPN. That means Scott Hanson will remain host. (He just signed a new four-year deal.) That means if commercials become part of RedZone, it will be the NFL’s doing, not ESPN. And if there are any changes at all to RedZone (which there won’t be), the NFL will be responsible, not ESPN.
ESPN cannot and will not add any programming to the NFL RedZone channel before RedZone comes on the air at 1 p.m. ET on Sundays. RedZone channel remains controlled by the NFL.
• ESPN will have the rights to the linear version of RedZone, not digital. That means if you cut the cord and don’t have a cable subscription or a YouTubeTV subscription or some base package operator, you will have to get RedZone through the NFL’s Premium Plus app.
• Unlike RedZone, the NFL Network will be operated by ESPN. What this means for all the current shows is unknown at this time.
• The NFL Network and RedZone will remain standalone channels just as they are now on whatever system you have, whether it be DirecTV, Verizon Fios, etc.
• ESPN will acquire the NFL’s fantasy football game and merge it into its existing game, so there will only be one fantasy product between the NFL and ESPN.
.• The NFL Network will continue to air seven games a season. Those games have mainly been international contests. Who will now call those games is totally up in the air since that will be ESPN’s call.
• The deal will signal the end of the Monday Night Football doubleheaders/staggered starts. Those four weeks of games airing simultaneously on ESPN and ABC will be no more.
• In a complicated twist of transactions, the final deal ends with the NFL Network airing seven games, ESPN getting three additional games (going from 25 to 28) and the NFL getting the right to four games.
• You can be sure the NFL will sell those four games to multiple streaming services to make as much money as possible.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Everything Fans Need to Know About the ESPN-NFL Media Deal.