ESPN Reaches Multi-year Extension To Air NFL Draft In Addition To

ESPN will continue to transmit the NFL Draft as well as acquiring new digital rights for its upcoming direct-to-consumer service.


The two arrangements were revealed Wednesday morning, two hours before the Walt Disney Company announced its third-quarter earnings.


It also followed the NFL and ESPN revealed a nonbinding contract Tuesday night in which ESPN will obtain the NFL Network and other league media assets while the NFL gets a 10% equity stake in ESPN.


ESPN has actually aired the NFL Draft considering that 1980, when the league's annual choice conference occurred at the New York Sheraton Hotel. Back then, the draft was two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) and took 12 rounds.


Next year's draft will be in Pittsburgh and is expected to draw in massive crowds over the 3 days. The first round has actually had its own night because 2010.


ESPN and ABC will each have their own telecasts of the first 3 rounds on Thursday and Friday. ABC will simulcast ESPN's coverage of the final 4 rounds on Saturday.


FILE - ESPN Monday Night Football TV camera is seen throughout the 2nd half of an NFL football game between the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski, File)


Besides ESPN's direct-to-consumer service, Disney+ and Hulu will likewise stream the ESPN, ABC, and ESPN Deportes ´ feeds under the multi-year contract. The draft will likewise continue to be aired on NFL Network.


"We ´ ve been talking about the draft given that last year and how we continue to develop on that. ESPN has actually been a partner because from the first day, bringing, the fans closer to that occasion and structure that occasion into among the most popular events on the sporting calendar, which is incredible if you think back a couple of years," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told The Associated Press. "We understand that relationship works, and we ´ re happy that ESPN is going to continue to be a partner."


ESPN will also produce a day-to-day program leading up to the NFL Draft that will begin the day after the Super Bowl. That program will air most days on ESPN2, as well as being offered on the .


ESPN has actually also reached a licensing arrangement that permits additional NFL content and interactive features, including stats, fantasy football team performance and legalized sports wagering info and tracking. It also allows ESPN to offer and bundle NFL+ Premium, the league's direct-to-consumer item that includes out-of-market preseason games and replays of full games.


There will likewise be broadened emphasize rights for the ESPN direct-to-consumer service and Disney+.


"This will make the fan experience much stronger. The objective for ESPN when they launch the services is to produce something that doesn ´ t exist on linear (television) since the technology allows it," Disney CEO Bob Iger said to AP. "We ´ ve discussed personalization and personalized SportsCenter and the ability to basically develop stats and to tie betting to a few of the shows."