DIS Partnership

ESPN and the NFL Reach New Agreements To Extend NFL Draft Rights and Add NFL Content and Features to ESPN’s Upcoming Direct-to-Consumer Service

Published August 06, 2025 at 10:30 AM

NEW YORK & BRISTOL, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ESPN and the NFL have reached new licensing agreements, extending ESPN’s NFL Draft rights and, separately, adding NFL programming and content to ESPN’s upcoming Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) service, as well as to Disney+. The agreement also includes the opportunity for fans to bundle ESPN’s DTC service with NFL+ Premium. ESPN and NFL Reach Multi-Year Extension on NFL Draft The multi-year NFL Draft licensing agreement builds upon ESPN’s rich history surrou

Related Questions

Will the multi‑year extension of NFL Draft rights provide ESPN with a competitive edge in sports media and help defend market share against rivals like Fox Sports and CBS Sports? How might the partnership affect Disney’s overall valuation and the DIS stock’s valuation multiples? How might this agreement influence ESPN's negotiating power and future licensing negotiations with other sports leagues (e.g., MLB, NBA)? What are the potential risks if the DTC service fails to attract sufficient subscribers despite the added NFL content? How will the extension of NFL Draft rights and added NFL content affect ESPN's revenue and profitability projections? What impact will the inclusion of NFL content in ESPN's upcoming DTC service have on subscriber growth and churn rates for both ESPN and Disney+? How does this partnership compare to similar content deals by competitors like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Apple TV in terms of content exclusivity and subscriber appeal? Are there any regulatory or antitrust considerations associated with bundling ESPN’s DTC service with NFL+ Premium? What is the expected impact on advertising revenue for ESPN with the increased NFL content and increased viewership? What is the anticipated timeline for the launch of ESPN’s Direct‑to‑Consumer service and integration of NFL content, and how could that affect short‑term earnings guidance? How will the potential bundling of ESPN’s DTC service with NFL+ Premium influence average revenue per user (ARPU) and cross‑sell opportunities? What are the expected cost and margin implications of the new licensing agreements for ESPN and Disney?