NFL Network is set to continue to air live games for at least another seven years as it changes hands from the league to ESPN.
As part of its acquisition of NFL Network, ESPN negotiated to have the channel’s package of live game inventory extended through the 2032 season with no ability for the league to opt out, according to John Ourand of Puck. The extension ensures that the league-branded channel will continue to meet the requirements of its affiliate deals after it becomes the property of ESPN and parent company Disney.
Per Ourand, other media companies wanted to lock in the NFL Network games for far longer — even 20 or more years — before agreeing to take on ownership of the channel.
Since it began airing live NFL regular season games in 2006, NFL Network has had a certain number of exclusive game windows it has had to carry in order to fulfill its carriage deals — first eight, now seven. As Ourand noted, distributors have “carte blanche” to drop the channel in the event it fails to meet those requirements. Having live games is thus existential for NFL Network, especially in an era of already-declining distribution.
The NFL Network contract means that ESPN is guaranteed at least some NFL inventory beyond the NFL’s widely-anticipated opt out of its media deals in 2029 and 2030.
As previously noted, the seven NFL Network games will consist of four pre-existing ESPN windows — three on ABC that overlapped with games on ESPN, plus one ESPN+ exclusive — and three licensed by the NFL. Per Ourand, ABC will now simulcast three additional “MNF” games in order to make up for the loss of those overlapping windows. The broadcast network can now simulcast a minimum of six, up from the current level of three, though in recent seasons the network has blown past both figures.