ESPN formally acquired NFL Network on April 1 as part of an equity deal with the NFL, which was approved earlier this year.
As a result, NFL Network was expected to be included in ESPN’s direct-to-consumer offering, ESPN Unlimited. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro confirmed as much in an interview with CNBC in February.
“One of the things that we are very focused on is taking friction out of the sports fan experience,” Pitaro said. “NFL Network will be included in the ESPN app and will be included as a part of the ESPN Unlimited tier, which is available for $29.99 per month. In other words, there will not be an upsell for NFL Network.”
That was good news for fans, who would be able to access all of the ESPN networks and NFL Network in one place at no additional cost.
However, two weeks in, ESPN Unlimited subscribers still don’t currently have access to NFLN.
Turns out, it’s just gonna take a little bit longer to integrate.
That’s according to Puck’s John Ourand, via The Varsity newsletter, who reports that ESPN “expects it to be in place for the start of the 2026 season.”
“Expects” isn’t as good as “definitely will be,” but it’s something.
ESPN Unlimited gives subscribers access to everything ESPN offers, including its linear channels, live content formerly available on ESPN+, and a vast library of on-demand content. It is currently priced at $29.99 per month, and will stay that way once NFL Network becomes part of the offering by the start of next football season.
That said, as our Drew Lerner noted in February, “it’s likely ESPN will leverage NFL Network to extract more money from pay TV operators down the line. The channel is contractually obligated to air seven games per season, and ESPN should be able to leverage that inventory, in conjunction with every other Disney-owned cable channel, to demand higher rates.”
Drew also noted that while adding NFL Network won’t directly lead to a price increase, it seems likely that it will be factored in when ESPN Unlimited’s monthly price eventually rises, as all things must.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.