ESPN agrees deal to expand NFL streaming rights package
December 21, 2017
ESPN has agreed a deal to expand its partnership with the National Football League (NFL) to live stream Monday Night Football (MNF) for ESPN subscribers to mobile phones.
The expanded mobile rights also include NFL highlights and extend through the duration of ESPN’s existing NFL agreement (which ends at the conclusion of the 2021 NFL season).
The partnership kicks off during NFL’s Wild Card weekend and Pro Bowl where ESPN can deliver NFL highlights and stream MNF to fans on ESPN-branded digital properties across all devices and platforms.
Burke Magnus, ESPN executive vice president, programming and scheduling said: “Every day, tens of millions of fans turn to ESPN to stream events, view highlights and connect with the latest sports news and stories, so we’re thrilled that they will now be able to enjoy Monday Night Football and the latest NFL highlights as part of their experience on mobile phones as well.”
Across all sports and shows, ESPN’s streaming on computers, smartphones, tablets and OTT devices has averaged 9.6 million unique devices and 2.1 billion minutes per month, up 18 percent and 33 percent, respectively, over the same period last year.