With the NFL Draft taking place later this week being broadcast live on ESPN platforms, the network reportedly “appears likely to renew” the broadcast rights for the offseason event, which are said to expire after this year’s iteration. ESPN has presented the NFL Draft since 1980, becoming the first network to air the event live on television at the time.
ESPN currently produces various feeds of the event, broadcasting the proceedings on its primary cable channel and the ABC over-the-air network, along with additional coverage on ESPN2, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes and the company social media platforms. This will mark the 46th year in which ESPN will present the NFL Draft, and the coverage will be accompanied by several studio programs broadcasting live from Green Bay, Wis.
According to a report from John Ourand of Puck, the league is planning to sell international rights for the event to a streaming platform based in the United States. The deal would allow the rightsholder to air the NFL Draft concurrently with ESPN and ABC, and companies that have reportedly “kicked the tires” include YouTube, Netflix and Amazon. All three companies have entered into previous agreements with the NFL over the years across a variety of properties.
Netflix signed a three-year global rights deal to televise at least one Christmas Day game on its platform. The holiday doubleheader garnered an average minute audience of more than 30 million global viewers and attained significant social media engagement. YouTube is in the midst of a reported seven-year deal worth approximately $2 billion per annum for the distribution rights for NFL Sunday Ticket, the premium, out-of-market package to access regional NFL games. The company had a reported 1.3 million sign-ups for the service according to information from Antenna in October 2023, which is shortly after it made its season debut on the platform.
Conversely, Amazon’s Prime Video was in the midst of its second season as the home Thursday Night Football and unveiled a special Black Friday holiday broadcast as well. The streaming platform has reportedly been granted rights to a Wild Card game every year for the remainder of its media rights deal unless the league opts out. Amazon will also begin broadcasting the National Basketball Association under an 11-year media rights agreement set to commence in the fall.
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