ESPN's deal blitz
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An ESPN camera sits on the sidelines. Photo: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
ESPN announced a slew of new sports rights deals Tuesday and Wednesday, helping to position the network as a must buy for sports fans ahead of the fall 2025 season.
Why it matters: The deals provide a glimpse of ESPN's content priorities ahead of its new streaming service launch this fall.
- On Wednesday, the company said the service will launch August 21 for $29.99 monthly.
State of play: On Tuesday, the network announced a new agreement that gives it ownership and control over the NFL Network and broad licensing rights to NFL RedZone, NFL Films and additional games in exchange for a 10% equity stake in ESPN.
- On Wednesday morning, ESPN also said it reached a deal to extend its rights to carry the NFL Draft. The multi-year agreement extends through 2030, Sports Business Journal reported.
Between the lines: ESPN has been experimenting with equity deals as the streaming era forces it to reconsider how it structures its business partnerships.
- In June, ESPN announced a deal to take a minority stake in the professional Premier Lacrosse League.
Zoom out: Media onlookers and sports fans have been patiently waiting to see where ESPN would be placing its sports rights bets this year.
- On Wednesday, the company announced a new $1.6 billion deal with WWE to distribute its flagship event, Wrestlemania, and other marquee events over the next five years.
- The announcement comes as ESPN has decided to walk away from certain opportunities. In February, it announced that it would no longer distribute Major League Baseball games on Sundays, ending a 35-year long partnership.
- ESPN didn't vie to renew its Formula 1 rights deal that expires at the end of the 2025 season.
