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Mar 13, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft discusses the teamís recent free agent additions with the media at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Patriots Owner Explains NFL's Mega-Deal With ESPN

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Ethan Hurwitz | Last updated Aug 7, 2025 5:00 PM ET

FOXBORO, MA. — Prior to the 2025 season, the NFL and ESPN have come to an agreement on a mega-deal that will have the league's official network fantasy platform and ever-popular RedZone channel transfer over to the ESPN offices. It's a massive merger that drastically changes how the fans can watch professional football and expand the network's reach.

"I think we've hooked up with the best partners we can have," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in an interview with NFL senior national columnist Judy Battista. "That will help expose us to more homes, more of an international audience. Strategically, we have to grow our salary cap and can only do that by -- if we want to keep labor peace, we have to grow our audience. This transaction helps us to do that."

As part of the deal, the NFL will acquire a 10 percent equity stake of ESPN.

Kraft, who's also the chairman of the league's media committee, has been vocal about growing the sport within the continental United States and abroad. The Patriots currently have a foothold in Germany and the league has continued to expand regular season play globally. With ESPN acquiring part of the NFL's media empire, Kraft says it's because of the ever-growing popularity of the sport.

"They're people we have confidence in," Kraft said. "This is a way for us to broaden our audience. We've done so much. I don't think there's any company like Disney and ESPN in doing sports, all sports. We need to expose our product to more people and a greater variety of people."

According to Battista, the complex deal will now include the following:

"ESPN's platforms will license three additional NFL games per season, which will air on NFL Network. And ESPN will also adjust its overall NFL game schedule, with four games -- three that currently air on ABC during Monday double-headers and one game that appears on ESPN+ -- shifting to NFL Network. That means NFL Network will continue to show seven regular-season games per season."

"NFL Network will be fully integrated into ESPN's new direct-to-consumer streaming service while still having traditional pay-television distribution, with the expectation that ESPN will use its vast resources to add to and enhance programming on NFL Network."

"ESPN will distribute NFL RedZone for pay-TV operators, while RedZone will still be available digitally on NFL+, a plan that should give even wider exposure to the broad-view broadcast that Kraft called 'an amazing product.' NFL RedZone was seen as a key element of the deal for both parties."

"NFL Fantasy Football and ESPN Fantasy Football will merge into one product designed to serve a growing global demand."

"The NFL will continue to own and operate NFL Films, NFL+, NFL.com, the NFL Podcast Network, the NFL FAST Channel and the official sites for the league's 32 clubs."

The Patriots Chairman and CEO will be at the helm of the organization for his 31st season in New England. Since then, Kraft has seen his team win a record-six Super Bowl titles, as well as grow the Patriots brand into a massive identity. Now, ESPN will have access to part of the league that the Patriots play in.

"We're hooking up with the strongest sports amalgamation of sports product," Kraft said. "We're giving them what I believe is the best content, and they're giving us the greatest operational company to grow our audience globally."

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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