FOX and NBC Land Former ESPN NFL Games Amid Major Media Rights Shake-Up
National Football League is reshaping its media rights structure once again, with FOX and NBC securing two of the broadcast windows previously tied to ESPN.
According to reports, the NFL reassigned one game each to FOX and NBC from the four windows ESPN relinquished as part of its agreement to acquire NFL Network assets. The league is also expected to convert one regional game each from FOX and CBS into nationally televised broadcasts.
The move will ultimately create four additional national broadcast windows for the upcoming NFL season, increasing free-to-air exposure and reducing reliance on cable-exclusive inventory.
The former ESPN windows had originally been attached to overlapping “Monday Night Football” doubleheaders carried by ABC and ESPN+. However, ABC is now expected to simulcast ESPN’s primary Monday Night Football broadcasts instead, effectively eliminating four ESPN-exclusive games.
FOX chief executive Lachlan Murdoch confirmed that one of the network’s new windows will feature the Week 10 International Series game in Munich. The matchup is expected to air in an early-morning slot as part of a FOX tripleheader — the first NFL tripleheader on a single broadcast network since 2016.
FOX is also set to air an additional Saturday game in Week 15, though it remains unclear which contest originated from the former ESPN inventory and which was elevated from FOX’s regional schedule.
Meanwhile, NBC announced that it secured a Saturday game in Week 17 leading into its annual Peacock-exclusive NFL game. That arrangement gives NBC three exclusive NFL windows during that week.
The changes come amid broader uncertainty surrounding the NFL’s future media rights strategy and increased scrutiny over streaming partnerships. The league is currently facing a federal investigation into its agreements with streaming companies, with reports suggesting Fox Corporation has supported the inquiry.
At one stage, the NFL reportedly intended to package the four former ESPN windows together with a new International Series game in Australia as a five-game rights package potentially aimed at YouTube and Netflix.
However, reports indicate YouTube declined the proposed arrangement, prompting the NFL to redirect two games back to traditional broadcast television.
The remaining contests are expected to go to Netflix, potentially forming a new five-game package built around two regular-season matchups, the Australia game, and Netflix’s existing Christmas Day NFL inventory.
The latest moves underline the NFL’s increasingly hybrid distribution strategy as the league balances traditional television reach with the growing influence of streaming platforms.