Does ESPN Have the NFL?

ESPN is the biggest name in sports broadcasting, but does it have the NFL? We take a look at the network’s history with the league and whether or not it’s likely to air games in the future.

ESPN’s History with the NFL

ESPN has had a complicated relationship with the NFL. They’ve had some great partnerships that have led to some amazing broadcasts, but they’ve also had some major conflicts. Let’s take a look at the history of ESPN and the NFL.

ESPN’s first NFL broadcast

ESPN’s first NFL broadcast was on September 7th, 1987, when they aired a game between the New York Jets and New England Patriots. The game was seen by an estimated 15 million people. The following year, ESPN obtained the rights to broadcast games from the NFL’s newly created Sunday Night Football package. ESPN has broadcast NFL games ever since.

In 1998, ESPN entered into a $2 billion contract with the NFL to televise Monday Night Football games. This was the richest contract ever signed between a network and a sports league at the time. In 2005, ESPN signed an 8-year extension of this contract worth $1.1 billion per year. The current Monday Night Football contract runs through 2021.

In 2011, ESPN signed a new contract with the NFL worth $15.2 billion to retain the rights to Monday Night Football and expand their coverage of the NFL Draft and NFL playoffs. This contract runs through 2022.

ESPN’s current NFL programming

ESPN airs a Sunday Night Football game every week during the NFL season. In addition, they also show Monday Night Football, Thursday Night Football, and NFL Playoff games. They also have a new NFL related show called “Get Up” that airs weekday mornings.

The NFL’s Relationship with ESPN

ESPN is the current home of the NFL. They have had the rights to the NFL since August of 2006. ESPN airs games on Monday nights, Thursday nights, and Sunday nights. They also have pregame and postgame coverage, as well as the NFL draft. However, there have been rumors that the NFL could be leaving ESPN.

The NFL’s first broadcast on ESPN

On September 7, 1987, the NFL made its debut on ESPN with a pre-season game between the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles. The game was shown on a tape-delayed basis in order to accommodate ESPN’s nightly highlights show, SportsCenter. TV rights to NFL games were something of a Holy Grail for the fledgling cable network, which was eager to find programming that would attract subscribers and justify the monthly fee charged by cable operators.

In order to win the rights to NFL games, ESPN had to agree to a number of conditions set by the league. First and foremost among these was a clause that prohibited ESPN from televising any games that conflicted with NFL broadcasts on NBC and CBS. This meant that ESPN could not show games on Sunday nights or Monday nights during the NFL season. In addition, ESPN was not allowed to televise any playoffs games or the Super Bowl.

Despite these restrictions, ESPN’s broadcast of NFL games was a major coup for the network. It helped to boost ESPN’s profile and cement its position as a major player in the world of sports broadcasting. In the years since, ESPN has become synonymous with the NFL, thanks in part to its large portfolio of rights agreements with the league.

The NFL’s current relationship with ESPN

ESPN broadcasts NFL games on Monday nights during the regular season, as well as some Sunday night games and a Saturday night game during the NFL playoffs. ESPN also holds the rights to air the NFL Draft every year. In addition, ESPN airs “NFL Countdown” and “Monday Night Countdown” before each Monday Night Football game, as well as other NFL-related programming throughout the week.

The NFL has had a contract with ESPN since 1987. The current contract runs through 2021. Under the terms of the contract, ESPN pays the NFL $1.9 billion per year for Monday Night Football and $600 million per year for the NFL Draft. In addition, ESPN pays an annual fee of $100 million for “NFL Countdown” and “Monday Night Countdown.”

Does ESPN Have the NFL?

ESPN has been the home of NFL football for many years. They have the Monday Night Football games, as well as NFL games on Thursday nights and Sundays. ESPN also has the NFL Draft, NFL Playoffs, and the Super Bowl. So, does ESPN have the NFL?

ESPN’s current NFL programming

ESPN’s current NFL programming includes NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, NFL Live, NFL Primetime, Sunday NFL Countdown, and Monday Night Football.

The NFL’s current relationship with ESPN

ESPN has had the NFL since 1987, and their current deal goes through 2021.
The deal is worth $1.9 billion per year, and gives ESPN the right to televise Monday Night Football games, as well as to broadcast NFL games on their different channels (ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, and Disney XD). In addition, the deal gives ESPN access to NFL highlights, which they can show on SportsCenter and other programs.