517. Sports Media: ESPN-NFL & the Return of the Bundle

The week of this episode’s release is the same week that ESPN is launching its long-awaited streaming app, which is a direct-to-consumer product that does not require a cable subscription. Still, how many customers will pay for ESPN without bundling it with other streaming service options? On August 5th, 2025, ESPN acquired the NFL Network and other NFL media assets, including the linear rights to the league’s popular RedZone channel, in a deal that will see the NFL get a 10% equity stake in the all-sports network.

Those titanic stories are the backdrop for Michael McCarthy’s return to the show. McCarthy is an award-winning Senior Writer for Front Office Sports.

McCarthy has won both Best News Story and Best Project reporting from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE). His stories have appeared in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, USA TODAY, Sporting News, Newsday, and Adweek. He’s also written for the official publications of the NFL and Major League Baseball. McCarthy has appeared on everything from CBS This Morning, NBC’s Today show, Fox & Friends, and Access Hollywood to CNBC, CNN, NPR, and the BBC. McCarthy has also served as a journalism professor at Rutgers University since 2015. He’s based in New Jersey.

In this episode, McCarthy discusses the ESPN NFL deal, the streaming app, and the network’s dropping of Major League Baseball. He also covers the NBA, NHL, and NCAA in this episode.

Front Office Sports is having its 2nd annual “Tuned In” seminar in Midtown Manhattan. On September 16th, 2025, leaders within the sports media space—ranging from athletes and on-air talent to media moguls and league executives who are instrumental in shaping the future of how fans view sports. Registration includes a full day of programming with leading names in sports media.

For more information: https://events.frontofficesports.com/tunedin2025.