The news: Disney and the NFL struck a landmark deal late last week that gives the entertainment giant access to a suite of high-profile NFL content in exchange for an undisclosed equity stake in ESPN that is “potentially worth billions,” per The Athletic.
ESPN, whose direct-to-consumer streaming service launches this fall, will stream seven more regular season NFL games in addition to NFL-related broadcasts like Redzone and The NFL Network. Disney will also gain access to the NFL’s fantasy football league and could integrate gambling through the ESPN BET sportsbook.