Last August, ESPN and the National Football League revealed plans for ESPN to acquire a major bundle of NFL Media assets, a move that required regulatory clearance from U.S. President Donald Trump’s Justice Department. Now, after months of waiting and speculation, government regulators have signed off. As a result, ESPN’s billion-dollar bet on NFL Media is officially moving forward.

“Government regulators have approved ESPN’s billion-dollar blockbuster acquisition of top NFL Media assets, and the two sides closed the agreement late Saturday,” Andrew Marchand wrote in his article.

As per the agreement, the NFL is acquiring a 10 percent stake in the Disney-owned network, which is valued at billions.

“The NFL and ESPN are pleased to announce the official closing of the sale of NFL Network and other NFL Media assets to ESPN,” the NFL and ESPN said in a joint statement to The Athletic.

“With the closing, we will begin integrating NFL employees into ESPN in the months ahead. As we look to the future, NFL fans can look forward to expanded NFL programming, greater access to NFL Network, innovative Fantasy experiences, and unparalleled coverage of America’s most popular sport.”

Meanwhile, the programming slate will look different, as the Monday Night Football doubleheaders will be scrapped. Instead, four games move into the NFL Network window. ESPN will now air 28 games per season, its highest total ever, including seven from NFL Network.

Previously, the network carried 25 games, while NFL Network kept three of its original matchups.

This fall, ESPN Unlimited subscribers will access the entire NFL Network at no additional cost, maintaining their $29.99 monthly subscription or through their current cable/multichannel service.

Taken together, the regulators’ green light reshapes how fans watch football.

The aftermath of the NFL-ESPN deal

Despite the deal, for now, though, viewers should not expect anything dramatic when they flip on NFL Network. Instead, the noticeable changes are lined up for April, once those working under the NFL Media umbrella officially transition into ESPN.

At the same time, NFL Network, which already reaches nearly 50 million subscribers, is set to live inside ESPN’s direct-to-consumer platform. That service quietly launched last August, shortly after the partnership was first revealed, making this move feel more like a delayed handoff than a sudden switch.

Meanwhile, the future of NFL RedZone is coming into clearer focus. ESPN will handle distribution of the channel to cable and satellite providers, yet the league is not letting go of the reins entirely. The NFL will still own, run, and produce RedZone while also keeping digital distribution rights.

On top of that, ESPN is gaining access to the RedZone brand itself, which opens the door for similar channels tied to college football, basketball, or other sports down the line. Along with that shift, NFL Fantasy Football is folding into ESPN Fantasy Football.

However, the league is holding tight to its core platforms. NFL Films, NFL Plus, NFL.com, all 32 team websites, the NFL Podcast Network, and the NFL FAST Channel will remain under league control.

As a result, fans get traditional cable, bundled services, and free streaming options side by side, which means more choice without losing familiarity.