ESPN Exploring Unique Partnership With NBA and NFL, New Report Says

Disney is looking for help to bolster ESPN’s coverage, and it’s turning to professional sports leagues as potential partners.

The Walt Disney Co.  (DIS) - Get Free Report CEO Bob Iger told CNBC on June 13 that the company is looking for “strategic partnerships” to boost content and distribution for its sports network.

Disney is now reportedly talking to both the NFL and NBA about coming on as minority investors, according to a Friday, July 21 report by CNBC.

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“We have a longstanding relationship with Disney and look forward to continuing the discussions around the future of our partnership,” a spokesperson for the NBA told CNBC.

Neither ESPN nor the NFL gave a comment.

The partnership talks come at an odd time when the NBA has just two seasons remaining on its media rights deal with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery  (WBD) - Get Free Report. ESPN has the rights to NFL’s “Monday Night Football”.

An ownership deal between ESPN and the professional sports leagues could spark new broadcasting packages that would bolster the content across ESPN platforms.

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CNBC also reported that other major sports leagues like the NHL and MLB may also look to be involved.

However, there are several conflicts of interest that could arise, starting with the relationship of the leagues with other broadcasters like Warner Bros. Discovery, Amazon, and Fox. There’s also the journalistic integrity of the hundreds of reporters housed under ESPN if the professional leagues they cover have an ownership stake in their employer.