‘Nobody wants this’ – ESPN plot $2bn takeover of beloved NFL staple but fans worry over major change
Talks between ESPN and the NFL over the potential acquisition of NFL Media appear to be heating up once again.
Any deal would have a seismic impact on the landscape of sports media, and could lead to massive wins for the broadcaster amid a seemingly inevitable shift to streaming from linear cable in the years to come.
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By taking ownership of NFL Media and its assets, ESPN would be able to offer more to prospective subscribers, including eight games that have exclusively been screened on NFL Network under the current broadcasting arrangement.
Original programming and NFL Media talent would also become part of the ESPN family, and the network could gain exclusive rights to broadcast the draft down the line.
That could deliver a significant boost for ESPN in their competition against other direct-to-consumer streaming providers.
According to the Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, after a period of stagnation, talks between the two parties have heated up once again.
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In his podcast, Marchand Sports Media, the insider reported that ESPN’s acquisition of NFL Media could be for as much as $2billion.
He also suggested the move could possibly see the league take an ownership stake in the network.
"When we look back in 10, 15 years if this deal goes down, this could be a very significant point for ESPN’s growth when you’re adding it all up, and we’re really in a full streaming world,” Marchand explained.
“I think it’s pretty significant whether it happens in the next few months or not.”
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As part of any acquisition, ESPN would also take ownership of the hugely popular NFL RedZone show.
The game-day exclusive broadcasts on Sundays during the NFL regular season from 1:00pm to 8:00pm Eastern, and provides 'whip around' simulcast coverage of all afternoon games airing on CBS and Fox.
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It is hosted by Scott Hanson, who opens the show with his iconic 'seven hours of commercial-free football' line, referencing the fact there are no advertisement breaks.
However, with suggestion of RedZone one day moving to ESPN, some fans shared worries over ads becoming part of the show.
"Guess we’ll be watching more commercials than touchdowns now," one person wrote on X.
"I won’t pay for RedZone if that happens," another said, while a third wrote: "They do adds and I’m cancelling."
"Nobody wants this at all," a fourth added, responding to news of the potential acquisition.
Discussing the situation in more detail, Marchand suggested that a deal between ESPN and the NFL would be a potential 'game-changer' for the network, which 'needs' the league more than the likes of Amazon and Netflix.
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"When you look at Netflix and Amazon, they don’t necessarily need the NFL. Those businesses aren’t based off the NFL,” he said.
"So if you’re ESPN, you get that relationship even deeper for the long-term with the NFL.
"I think it makes some sense, and it could be a game-changer."
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