FOX Sports is staying put. The NFL will have to wait for a new media rights deal according to Fox Corp CEO Lachlan Murdoch.
What We Know: Murdoch delivered the news Thursday on the company’s earnings call. He says Fox won’t amend its NFL media rights deal before the 2029-30 opt-out. Murdoch credited direct talks with the league for the decision. However, the NFL had been open to renegotiating all its broadcast deals early this offseason, seeking a bigger payday.
What They Said: Lachlan Murdoch: “We don’t see any changes to our contractual terms until the 2030 season. Our relationship with the NFL is an incredibly positive one. We engage with them all the time.”
What Remains Unclear: Murdoch shared little about why Fox settled on this timing. Meanwhile, whether NBC, ESPN, and Prime Video will follow suit is unclear. CBS faces a different situation, tied to a change-of-control clause from Skydance’s Paramount purchase. The full scope of Fox’s talks with the NFL is unknown.
What It Means: Fox’s move will stall the NFL’s push for early deals. From a business standpoint, what the NFL could be looking for in terms of price today may be very different than in 2029-2030. Waiting may or may not be the best strategy, but it allows Fox to prepare and build systems to continue their relations with the league. Other partners may now wait rather than pay more sooner as a result. If so, this also allows a window of opportunity for the NFL to engage more streaming platforms who have become interested in live sports events.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.