In a development that echoes past carriage battles, Comcast’s Xfinity cable and television service has dropped the NFL Network from its lineup, leaving millions of subscribers without access to the league’s dedicated 24-hour channel. The blackout, which began late Thursday night following the expiration of prior distribution agreements, comes just months after ESPN officially completed its acquisition of NFL Network and related assets from the National Football League.
In a statement to Cord Cutters News Comcast said: ””Disney/ESPN acquired NFL Network and Red Zone just months ago and are already demanding double the fees for the same content. Their distribution demands would also make millions more pay for a channel they don’t watch. We remain open to continuing to talk and reach a fair deal for our customers.”
Disney sent Cord Cutters News this statement about the blackout: “We understand how disappointing and disruptive this is for football fans who have lost access to NFL Network and RedZone Channel as part of their Xfinity TV lineup. We proposed keeping these channels available while we continued good-faith negotiations, but unfortunately, Comcast declined and took them down. Despite this, we remain fully committed to reaching a fair agreement and restoring access to our best-in-class NFL programming as quickly as possible.”
This marks the second major NFL Network blackout for Comcast subscribers in recent memory. In May 2023, a similar pricing dispute briefly took the channel off air for less than 24 hours before NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell personally intervened and a short-term deal was reached. That episode followed an even longer standoff in 2009, when Comcast initially refused to carry NFL Network on its widely available basic tiers, eventually settling on a 10-year agreement after months of fan backlash and regulatory scrutiny.
The current situation, however, carries added complexity. ESPN finalized its blockbuster purchase of NFL Network, NFL RedZone, and NFL Fantasy game in February 2026 after securing regulatory approval. Under the terms of that transaction, the NFL received a 10 percent equity stake in ESPN, in exchange for handing over control of the NFL Network and NFL Redzone. ESPN now owns and operates the linear channel, its digital platforms, and related fantasy and analysis content.
Comcast has confirmed that ESPN has now assumed the lead role in negotiating the NFL Network’s next media rights package when current deals expire in the future, with YouTube TV, Spectrum, and other providers.
For now, though, the immediate impact falls squarely on Comcast customers. NFL Network, post draft coverage, training camp reports, and signature shows like “Good Morning Football” and “NFL Total Access,” is no longer available on Xfinity cable boxes or its traditional linear service. Subscribers attempting to tune in are greeted with a message stating that the programming agreement has expired.
As the NFL offseason heats up with organized team activities, minicamps, and free-agency rumors, the absence of NFL Network on one of the nation’s largest cable providers leaves a noticeable void. Whether the dispute drags into the summer or is resolved before training camp remains to be seen. For the time being, millions of Comcast customers are left watching from the sidelines—literally missing the inside access and analysis they have come to expect.
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Update: We updated the story to correctly list when the blackout started, the NFL ownership stake in ESPN, and other clarifications.