Report: Government Regulators Approve ESPN Acquisition of NFL Media

ESPN and NFL Media closed the billion-dollar acquisition on Saturday night, according to a report from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.

ESPN closed their deal to acquire NFL Media on Saturday night. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Government regulators have approved ESPN's acquisition of NFL Media, and the two sides closed their billion-dollar deal on Saturday night, according to a report from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.

The NFL will take a 10 percent ownership stake in ESPN, valued in the "billions," per Marchand's report. As part of the deal, ESPN will own and operate NFL Network, which will include linear rights to the popular NFL RedZone channel - a Sunday viewing staple for millions of football fans every fall.

The NFL and ESPN will no longer have doubleheaders for Monday Night Football and four games will now be broadcast on NFL Network. ESPN is set to televise 28 games per season for the foreseeable future, which will be the most ever.

"The NFL and ESPN are pleased to announce the official closing of the sale of NFL Network and other NFL Media assets to ESPN," the NFL and ESPN said in a joint statement to Marchand. "With the closing, we will begin integrating NFL employees into ESPN in the months ahead. As we look into the future, NFL fans can look forward to expanded NFL programming, greater access to NFL Network, innovative Fantasy experiences and unparalleled coverage of America's most popular sport."

As part of the new agreement, the NFL will operate NFL+, NFL.com and other NFL Media assets, including RedZone, which will be included as part of ESPN Unlimited. ESPN Unlimited is the network's direct-to-consumer platform that it began selling this past fall, which costs consumers $29.99 per month.

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