ESPN and the NFL have agreed to a billion-dollar deal that will see the sports network acquire top media properties such as the RedZone channel in exchange for equity in ESPN, per Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. An official announcement is expected next week.
In addition to RedZone, ESPN is expected to have access to NFL Network, seven regular season games, the league’s fantasy football business, potential to integrate special features like betting and potentially more assets, Marchand reported. The deal comes as ESPN is soon to make its programming available in a direct-to-customer product. ESPN has coined it as the “Next Era.” It is set to cost $29.99 a month.
“The ESPN-NFL deal will require regulatory approval, which could take nine months to a year,” Marchand wrote. “If it goes into effect next season, it would be part of a big year for ESPN as the 2026-27 year ends with ESPN’s first Super Bowl. The game will also be on ABC.”
NFL Network, which started in 2003, has been looking to unload many of its NFL Media properties. While the league is a multi-billion-dollar juggernaut, NFL Network has been plagued by cutbacks for years. “ESPN is expected to invest in improving NFL Network programming,” according to Marchand.
RedZone channel moving to a new home in the future
RedZone launched in 2009 and shows every touchdown and every key play from every game around the league. Scott Hanson has hosted the show since its inception. Amid speculation that he could be moving into a different role or with a new company, Hanson announced in May that he is returning to RedZone in 2025.
“100 days from now = NFL RedZone,” Hanson posted on X. “For those wondering: Yes, I *will* be there. We have A LOT of Touchdowns to watch together!”
Brian Jones of On3 spoke to Hanson before the NFL Draft in April. He teased what fans can expect from the show this upcoming season.
“I always say this about RedZone, I and the NFL RedZone staff are like professional golfers,” Hanson told On3. “We are on the PGA Tour, but if we want to be excellent, if we want to be Tiger Woods, we got to shave a few strokes off of our game, minor little adjustments. We’re not trying to reinvent our swing.
“People love the show, we love doing the show. We are good at doing the show, but we want to be excellent. Let’s find the little things we can tweak in our production to make it a better experience for the audience. While I can’t name specifics for you right now, we’ll find those things and get a little bit better to make sure that what people have called the greatest football show on TV stays that way.”
