ESPN Acquires NFL Network in Major Equity Stake Deal

ESPN and the National Football League (NFL) reached a deal on Aug. 5 to acquire NFL Network and certain other media assets owned by the league in exchange for a 10 percent equity stake.

Among the media assets included in the deal are the NFL’s linear RedZone Channel and NFL Fantasy. The two parties did not disclose any specific financial terms of the non-binding agreement. The Wall Street Journal reported that analysts estimated ESPN’s valuation between $25 billion and $30 billion, putting the worth of that stake between $2.5 billion and $3 billion.

The NFL stated that it had also agreed to license to the Walt Disney-owned ESPN certain content and other intellectual property to be used by NFL Network and other assets.

“Today’s announcement paves the way for the world’s leading sports media brand and America’s most popular sport to deliver an even more compelling experience for NFL fans, in a way that only ESPN and Disney can,” Robert A. Iger, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement.
Iger stated that the acquisition will “add to consumer choice, provide viewers with even greater convenience and quality, and expand the breadth and value proposition of Disney’s streaming ecosystem.”
This story will be updated with additional details.

But with the deal, some fans and commentators are raising continuing concerns about ESPN’s track record when it comes to on-air speech. The network has gotten heat before for sidelining or letting go of conservative voices, and there have been plenty of moments where remarks on the network about Christian players expressing their faith have sparked outrage on social media. People who follow sports media closely say it’s become a pattern—one that’s left a chunk of the audience feeling like their views don’t get a fair shake.

Jim Brady, and ESPN Public Editor, has stated the work environment at the network is not welcoming for Christians, or even Republican or conservative-leaning on-air personalities or staff. One Republican ESPN staffer told Brady that ‘If you’re a Republican or conservative, you feel the need to talk in whispers.”

As ESPN tightens its relationship with the NFL and pulls even more of football’s coverage under its umbrella, a lot of folks are left wondering if the company will change course, or if these controversies will just keep simmering.

–By Aldgra Fredly | The Epoch Times and Metro Voice