The US National Football League has struck a landmark deal with ESPN that will see the broadcaster acquire the NFL Network and other NFL media assets, in exchange for a 10% stake in the sports network. The unusual meeting of a major sports rights holder and media company may be a taste of things to come in medialand.

ESPN is 80% owned by Disney, with the remaining 20% being owned by Hearst.

ESPN will also acquire NFL Fantasy, the league’s fantasy football platform, and wrap it into its existing ESPN Fantasy Football product, which will become the official NFL fantasy league.

A separate deal also sees the NFL license other league content and intellectual property to ESPN, for use on the NFL Network, which will be owned and operated by ESPN.

The NFL Network will be included in ESPN’s forthcoming direct-to-consumer streaming platform, which launches in the US on August 21. ESPN will also license the linear and digital rights for the channel to other traditional cable operators.

In addition, ESPN will license three additional NFL games per season, bringing its total to 28 matches per season, which will be broadcast across the NFL Network, plus on ESPN’s linear and streaming services.

To complicate the deal further, ESPN will own “broad rights” to RedZone — an ad-free channel which broadcasts a live seven-hour feed each Sunday, bouncing between the various matches around the country — meaning it will distribute the product to various pay TV operators. However, the NFL will continue to own, operate, and produce the channel’s content, as well as owning the digital distribution rights.

The NFL will also retain its NFL Films division, as well as NFL.com.

No monetary value has been placed on the deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, as well as the green light from NFL team owners.

“By combining these NFL media assets with ESPN’s reach and innovation, we’re creating a premier destination for football fans,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement.

“Together, ESPN and the NFL are redefining how fans engage with the game — anytime, anywhere. This deal helps fuel ESPN’s digital future, laying the foundation for an even more robust offering as we prepare to launch our new direct-to-consumer........

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