The skirmish between Disney and the NFL appears to have ended quickly, with multiple reports Friday saying that the sides have reached a deal that puts the Super Bowl back on ABC.
Sports Business Journal reported Friday that Disney has agreed to pay a 30% increase in rights fees to around $2.6 billion per year to retain ESPN’s Monday Night Football rights. Under the new deal, ABC would simulcast a number of regular season games and return to the Super Bowl rotation for the first time since 2006.
The NFL in response said that the Sports Business Journal report is “incorrect” and that the league does not “negotiate through the media.”
Variety separately reported Friday that Disney and the NFL have reached a tentative agreement, but that the deal could still “fall apart.”
Friday’s news comes within a week of reports that Disney and the NFL were far apart on a deal. The NFL has reportedly been seeking increases of 50-100 percent from its existing broadcast partners, which would have put Disney — currently paying $1.9 billion/year — in the range of $3-4 billion annually.
Per Sports Business Journal, the NFL could announce its media rights deals within the next week. The league has reportedly reached broad agreements with CBS, FOX and NBC on deals in the $2 billion/year range. As had been rumored, Thursday Night Football simulcasts will no longer air on a traditional linear network, with Amazon replacing FOX as NFL Network’s primary partner.
