The next major shakeup in the sports media landscape may not wait for the NFL to make its move. With the NFL expected to reenter rights negotiations much sooner than anticipated, several professional leagues are exploring whether it makes sense to accelerate their own talks.
According to reporting by John Ourand of Puck, multiple leagues with deals expiring later this decade have expressed concern that an aggressive NFL negotiation window could absorb available capital across the media ecosystem.
That anxiety has prompted early conversations about reopening contracts well ahead of schedule.
Among those signaling flexibility is the PGA Tour, where new CEO Brian Rolapp has reportedly told current partners that the tour remains open to discussions as early as the next one to two years. Rolapp’s perspective carries weight, given his long tenure inside the NFL.
MLB and the NHL both have national deals expiring within the next five years, placing them squarely in the window where timing could influence leverage. MLB currently maintains relationships with several NFL partners, including FOX Sports, NBC Sports, ESPN , and Netflix. The NHL’s primary U.S. partner remains ESPN, but also carries a rights agreement with TNT Sports.
With the amount of money flowing to rights deals in 2024 and 2025, many expect the NFL to pursue significant rights fee increases when it returns to market. The NFL has hinted they are open to the process that could begin as soon as this fall. Given the NFL’s unmatched audience dominance, expectations say the league could seek fees that exceed current NBA benchmarks by a wide margin.
The market has already shown signs of strain. After the NBA finalized its $77 billion rights package in 2024, several properties encountered resistance, including Formula 1, which ultimately secured a deal only after intervention from Apple.
For leagues outside the NFL orbit, the outlook appears clear. Waiting too long could mean negotiating in a market already depleted by the NFL’s gravitational pull, while acting early may offer a rare chance to lock in stability before the next financial reset arrives.
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