The on-field future of the NFL is on full display later this week as the 2025 NFL Draft takes place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but the league’s annual player selection could be looking for a new broadcast home next season, according to a report from Sports Business Journal.
Since 1980, ESPN has been the primary broadcaster of the NFL Draft, transforming it into a marquee event that captivates millions annually. However, as the 2026 draft approaches, ESPN’s long-standing hold on these rights faces significant challenges from emerging competitors, including Fox, Amazon, and Google, per the SBJ report.
ESPN has had a 44-year history with the draft and is “optimistic” that it will retain the rights, per sources that SBJ spoke to. The network’s rights to the event are set to expire this year, but talks with the league have “progressed nicely,” according to the report.
Reports have indicated that ESPN has looked to expand its relationship with the league by acquiring NFL Media, which could be worth as much as $2 billion. That deal would strengthen ESPN’s portfolio with the additions of NFL Network, NFL+, and NFL RedZone and possibly add them to ESPN’s new standalone streaming service.
As far as the other bidders go, it should be noted that Fox, Amazon, and Google each have a relationship with the NFL. For Fox, its relationship with the league dates back to the 1994 NFL season, which helped solidify it as a true fourth national broadcast network. Like ESPN, Fox is launching a standalone streaming service later this year, and adding more NFL content to it would be a great way to drive growth.
Tech giants Amazon and Google have had NFL rights since 2017 and 2023, respectively. Amazon’s Prime Video has aired Thursday Night Football since 2017 and became its exclusive home in 2023. During that year, Google’s YouTube TV became the home of the NFL’s out-of-market games package, Sunday Ticket. In addition to the NFL Draft, YouTube TV and Amazon are reportedly in talks to be the exclusive home of Week 1 action.
SBJ’s sources said that it “would be a shocker” if this year’s draft were the final one to air on ESPN. With the network launching its flagship app later this year, tackling the NFL Draft rights would be a touchdown for the platform.
Credit: Sports Business Journal