The NFL and ESPN have some significant distance between them as they negotiate a new television rights deal.
Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand reported the gap started at roughly $1 billion annually. He added that neither side seems to be willing to give any ground at the moment.
ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio added that the NFL was initially seeking $3.5 billion per year, while ESPN offered $2.4 billion per year.
The NFL signed a $15.2 billion deal with ESPN through the 2021 season to keep Monday Night Football on the network.
CNBC’s Alex Sherman reported the NFL was looking to double the money it’s receiving from its broadcasting contracts across the board.
“NBC, CBS and Fox are likely to accept increases closer to 100% than Disney, which is currently paying much more than the three broadcast networks for its Monday Night Football package, said the people, who asked not to be named because the negotiations are private.
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“… Disney has already rejected paying anywhere close to $3.8 billion per year for its new deal, said two of the people. Disney CEO Bob Chapek alluded to pushing back on the NFL’s asking price during his company’s earnings conference call last week.”
