The NFL has not yet approached NBCUniversal as it is widely expected to try and renegotiate media rights deals; several companies have issued new comments to the FCC about sports broadcasting; and Minnesota Lynx games are headed to Victory+. Plus news on NESN, Peacock, Warner Bros. Discovery and ESPN.
Miller: NFL yet to approach NBCUniversal
The NFL is widely expected to attempt renegotiating its media rights deals by the start of next season, but it has yet to initiate conversations with NBCUniversal, NBC Sports president of acquisitions and partnerships Jon Miller told John Ourand of Puck in a podcast published Wednesday. Miller stressed the importance of the NFL in the company’s ecosystem but said he does not “have a crystal ball” as to when those conversations will begin.
“I don’t know when the NFL is going to come to us,” Miller said. “Yes, they are reportedly in conversations with CBS, which was instigated by the change of control with their new ownership, so we kind of sit back and watch that. But somewhere down the road, I’m sure that our leadership will have conversations, and we’ll see how it plays out.”
NBC is entering the fourth season of its 10-year deal with the NFL worth $2 billion/year. In an interview on the “Sports Media Watch Podcast” last year, NBC Sports president Rick Cordella said that NBC is contractually guaranteed to air the 2030 Super Bowl no matter what happens.
NBC Sports also has new media rights deals with the NBA and MLB reportedly worth a collective $2.65 billion. The company recently sold rights to next year’s Big Ten Championship to Fox Sports, reportedly for between $45 million and $55 million plus an additional regular-season matchup. The company sought to keep the game on broadcast television despite interest from streamers. Miller: “One Big Ten Championship over seven years wasn’t going to drive an enormous amount of distribution value or retransmission value as much as just having a regular pattern of good Big Ten products.”
Local network affiliates, owners issue comments to FCC
Associations representing local ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC affiliates argued in a public comment to the Federal Communications Commission that the cost of having to compete with streaming platforms for sports rights will cause networks to raise their affiliation fees to “spiraling and unsustainable” levels, resulting in stations having to modify operations with layoffs and reduced news coverage. The affiliates echoed previous comments from Fox Corporation and Sinclair.
The affiliates are also looking for the FCC to clearly state that the affiliates can preempt network programming to air “local and regional sports content.” The E.W. Scripps Company wrote in a public comment that the FCC could use part of the SBA to ensure networks use affiliates to provide access to major sporting events. Scripps and Cox Media Group argued that modifying current media ownership limits can aid local broadcasters in competing for sports rights.
The affiliates criticized media conglomerates for placing some of their sports inventory exclusive on streaming services, resulting in over-the-air sportscasts being functionally non-exclusive to broadcast TV. “Affiliates simply can no longer absorb both the costs of Network sports rights and this erosion of exclusivity indefinitely without seriously compromising local news, information services, and jobs,” the group wrote. “And the pricing pressure from streaming giants like Google, Amazon, and Netflix that have essentially unlimited budgets and no commitment to local communities is making this situation untenable for local Affiliates, consumers, and the public interest.”
The Southeastern Conference also submitted a public comment, but in support of the status quo — describing media fragmentation as a “predictable outcome of competitive bidding by distributors seeking differentiated content.”
Lynx bringing games to Victory+
Minnesota Lynx games will stream on Victory+ next season under a multiyear deal, marking the first pro basketball deal for the free streaming service. Lynx games had previously aired on FanDuel Sports Network North, which is owned by Main Street Sports Group and preparing to shutter following the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Victory+ already functions as a streaming home for the Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Like those three teams, the Lynx are expected to have some games simulcast on a linear channel in Minneapolis, according to a report by Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal. Friend also reported that Victory+ is in talks with other WNBA teams and at least three in the NBA, one of which is the Minnesota Timberwolves.
As part of the deal, Victory+ is also going to launch a team hub through which users can access content surrounding the Lynx. Users will be able to stream games on mobile devices and smart television interfaces, some of which include Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV. The broadcast team for the forthcoming season has yet to be revealed. Play-by-play announcer Marney Gellner and analyst Lea B. Olsen have called Lynx games for the last 15 years.
“As the WNBA enters a new era of growth following the CBA, access matters more than ever,” Matt Caldwell, CEO of the Minnesota Lynx and Minnesota Timberwolves, said in a statement. “We heard clearly from fans about how and where they watch, and Victory+ allows us to remove barriers and make Lynx basketball more accessible than ever before.”
Plus: NESN, Peacock, Warner Bros. Discovery, ESPN
- NESN president David Wisnia told Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal that the company is “active” in discussions about operating or purchasing teams’ local media operations. In addition to televising Red Sox and Bruins games on its flagship channel, NESN also operates SportsNet Pittsburgh, the regional sports network that airs Pirates baseball and Penguins hockey.
- Comcast said this week that Peacock registered a $432 million loss in Q1 2026, an increase of just over 100% from the previous year. This metric comes one quarter after Peacock lost $552 million, which it partially attributed to sports programming costs. The streaming platform, which showcased Super Bowl LX, the Milan Cortina Olympic Games and various NBA contests, added 2 million subscribers during the quarter to bring its total to 46 million (+12.2% YoY), and reached over $2 billion in revenue for the first time. Media segment revenue came in at $7.28 billion, up 60.8% year-over-year, but adjusted EBITDA finished in the red with a $426 million loss.
- Warner Bros. Discovery stockholders voted in favor of its $110 billion merger transaction with Paramount, a deal that would grant them $31/share and $0.25/share “ticking fee” payable for every quarter the deal has not closed after September 30, 2026. Stockholders did not approve the executive compensation package, which could have resulted in a “golden parachute” for WBD president/CEO David Zaslav worth as much as $886 million, per numerous reports, although the vote was nonbinding.
- ESPN “Monday Night Football” play-by-play announcer Joe Buck has been named the host of “ESPN Jeopardy!,” a spinoff of the television quiz show that will be available on Disney+ and Hulu, it was announced Tuesday. Buck previously guest hosted the game show following the passing of Alex Trebek. Crackle aired a sports spinoff of “Jeopardy!” from 2014 to 2016 featuring host Dan Patrick and clue writer Howie Schwab.
