ESPN and NFL closing in on ‘Next Era’-defining media deal

[raleigh-panther]

As a fan the amount being paid to streaming services to watch the nfl and other sports is expensive and exhausting   I mean, the NFL Is on multiple platforms now  Youtube, Amazon Prime, NFL Network  ESPN etc etc   

Below  Are some excerpted sections from long Athletic article

‘ ….according to sources briefed on negotiations, ESPN and the NFL are inside the 5-yard line on another ground-breaking deal for ESPN to acquire NFL Media, the arm of the league that focuses on content and runs the NFL Network.

The deal, though different from the way the league and the all-sports network deepened their ties in 1987, comes as ESPN makes its programming available in a direct-to-consumer product this fall. ESPN is hyping this upcoming iteration as “The Next Era,” at a price of $29.99 per month.

‘Today, still strong, but diminished, ESPN charges more than $10 per month for its services, but with the digital revolution, the rise of Netflix and other streaming options has resulted in just 65.3 million homes receiving ESPN through cable, satellite and services like YouTube TV and Fubo, according to Nielsen.’
 

ESPN wants to maintain as many of those viewers as it can. Those subscribers will be able to have access to ESPN in its traditional format, while adding the ability to log on to the new and improved direct-to-consumer app, launching soon.
 

What could be in the deal is the Red Zone Channel, NFL Network, seven regular-season games that appear on NFL Network, enhanced betting and fantasy league possibilities. There may be more.

Red Zone is the Sunday afternoon show that takes viewers inside all the stadiums when teams are threatening to score. This could be a boon for ESPN’s app, as well as in its future negotiations with cable and operators for its slew of networks. It could upsell Red Zone in the app, as well as demand more from operators (like YouTube TV, Fubo or cable systems) to continue to offer the service on its platform every Sunday in the fall.

The NFL Network, under ESPN, would likely be enhanced. ESPN’s main channels would still feature the NFL a lot of the time, but the devoted network would be on 24/7.
 

With sports betting and fantasy becoming an increasing part of the fan experience, ESPN can be expected to use its potentially enlarged user base integration into its new direct-to-consumer app for what it will likely hope is a transformative experience and increased subscriber growth.

In 2024, of the 100 highest-rated programs on television, 72 were NFL games. This does not appear to be changing anytime soon.

With increased NFL competition from Amazon Prime Video on Thursday nights, Netflix on Christmas and now, for the first time, YouTube, for the second game of the 2025 season from Brazil, to go along with fellow traditional players such as Fox, NBC and CBS, a closer relationship for ESPN with the league would seem to make sense.

[PanthersATL]

Thx for the excerpt  (hadn't been posted over at this thread)

From a pricing perspective, ESPN needs to charge more than the ~$13/subscriber they're currently getting from cable companies for their standalone streaming service.

Because for a sports-minded person with a cable subscription, it would end up costing more to go streaming only than it would to just keep the cable



 

[TD alt]