Disney takes over the Nfl media business through ESPN
The Mickey Mouse group ended the third quarter of the fiscal year with a net profit of $5.26 billion and revenues of $23.65 billion
by Mo.D.
3' min read
3' min read
Sport is increasingly tempting streaming platforms and partnerships are becoming more and more frequent. The latest announcement was the agreement between the American National Football League (Nfl) and Walt Disney. The deal involves the league selling off most of its media assets to Disney in exchange for a 10% stake in ESPN, which is now 80% owned by Disney and 20% owned by Hearst Communications. The deal with the Nfl is expected to close next year and will further strengthen ties between America's most-watched sports league and one of its major television partners.
The agreement includes key assets such as Nfl RedZone, the subscription service dedicated to game highlights, and the Nfl Network cable channel. In addition, the agreement includes the broadcast of more NFL games on Disney-owned networks.
The news had pushed Disney's shares up 2.2% in pre-market, but during the session the stock was penalised with a drop of over 1% on Wall Street.
Transaction details
.The deal is part of a broader strategic context for Disney, which is preparing for the launch of its new Espn streaming service, expected to cost $30 per month, offering sports fans access to all of the group's traditional channels. A bundle package with Hulu and Disney+ will also be available for $36 per month ($30 promotion for the first year). Cable or satellite subscribers to Espn will be able to access the new platform at no additional cost.
Despite a slight decline in audiences (-2.2% year-on-year), NflL games averaged more than 17 million viewers last season, confirming it as the most-watched sport in the United States. NFL broadcasts accounted for the vast majority of the 50 most-watched prime-time programmes in 2024.
