ESPN acquires NFL properties for league equity; what of coverage? … ESPN reportedly is acquiring the NFL Network and other league assets, including the RedZone channel and the NFL’s fantasy product. In exchange, the NFL will reportedly receive a 10% equity stake in ESPN. For our purposes the one major question is what happens to draft coverage down the road. Both ESPN and the NFL Network have been running gavel-to-gavel coverage of the draft for years and it isn’t clear if ESPN would want the competition for their coverage, although they could simply simulcast Mel Kiper and company on the NFL Network. While in the end it likely won’t be that big a deal in the U.S., it could be a tad problematic in Canada as ESPN is not available north of the border. Time will tell.
