ESPN and the NFL have reached a deal that will see the Disney-owned sports media company acquire NFL Network and certain other media assets owned and controlled by the NFL in exchange for a 10 percent equity stake in ESPN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The agreement, which will see NFL media assets including NFL\u2019s linear RedZone Channel, and NFL Fantasy, will allow the NFL to license to ESPN certain content and other intellectual property to be used by NFL Network and other assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cToday\u2019s announcement paves the way for the world\u2019s leading sports media brand and America\u2019s most popular sport to deliver an even more compelling experience for NFL fans, in a way that only ESPN and Disney can,\u201d said Bob Iger,<\/u><\/a> Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, promising the deal would \u201cadd to consumer choice,\u201d and \u201cprovide viewers with even greater convenience and quality,\u201d of ESPN\u2019s coverage of the league.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The deal comes as ESPN prepares to launch a direct-to-consumer streaming service later this year and capitalize on the NFL\u2019s explosive popularity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The league has long awarded lucrative media rights agreements with major legacy media companies like Comcast, Disney and Fox, but has in recent years partnered with a growing number of tech companies like Netflix and Amazon to broadcast games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ESPN\u2019s push toward direct-to-consumer streaming comes amid broader concerns about increased cord-cutting and an increasingly tough market for advertising on linear television channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n