Valuetainment - August 09, 2025


＂This Is DANGEROUS!＂ - Will ESPN's BILLION DOLLAR Deal SILENCE NFL Critics？


Episode Stats


Length

14 minutes

Words per minute

196.90193

Word count

2,788

Sentence count

249

Harmful content

Misogyny

4

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

ESPN inks deal with NFL to acquire NFL Network and Red Zone Channel, which has a lot people talking. What does this really mean for the future of NFL Network? And what does this mean for Red Zone and NFL Fantasy?

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
00:00:00.000 NFL.
00:00:00.920 Here's what NFL just decided to do.
00:00:02.600 Let me go to the story on time.
00:00:03.640 I'm coming to you with this one as well.
00:00:04.900 Ready.
00:00:06.020 ESPN inks deal with NFL to acquire NFL Network and Red Zone Channel,
00:00:09.780 which has a lot of people talking.
00:00:13.180 So what does this really mean?
00:00:15.760 Okay, so ESPN, a Disney-owned sports media company,
00:00:18.800 has reached a deal with NFL to acquire NFL Network
00:00:21.120 and certain other media assets,
00:00:22.960 including NFL's linear Red Zone Channel and NFL Fantasy,
00:00:26.140 in exchange for 10% equity stake in ESPN.
00:00:28.560 10% equity in ESPN.
00:00:30.200 Yes, 10% equity in ESPN.
00:00:31.960 Rob, go ahead and play this clip on a reaction on this decision.
00:00:34.520 The NFL has had essentially a struggling media property in NFL Network.
00:00:40.320 It's never become what they thought it was going to be.
00:00:43.120 They created Thursday Night Football as a way to prop up NFL Network.
00:00:46.660 It debuted in 2006 as a back half of the season Thursday night package
00:00:52.140 to give NFL Network something that would make cable providers want it.
00:00:56.600 It still never really took off.
00:00:58.840 And they've been trying for years to unload it, Dan.
00:01:02.580 I mean, like 10 years they've been trying to get rid of this,
00:01:06.080 and they've tied it to different things.
00:01:07.380 NBC was in the conversation at one point.
00:01:09.700 And now they get 10% equity in ESPN for these failing properties.
00:01:16.380 And, yeah, I don't know that the consumer was the main reason for this.
00:01:21.980 And now the question becomes, how do we make this seamless for the consumer?
00:01:25.980 You know, for example, ESPN did a deal as part of this
00:01:28.640 to continue to televise the draft for the next five years.
00:01:31.160 Well, when you turn on NFL Network for the draft, are you going to see Rich Eisen now?
00:01:35.780 Are you going to see Mike Greenberg?
00:01:37.400 Who's it going to be?
00:01:38.300 And I think it's important for them to keep things normal from the perspective of the consumer
00:01:43.840 because I think most people are afraid, number one, things are going to change,
00:01:48.840 and number two, we're going to get screwed.
00:01:51.220 I just think that's the natural reaction to this news that these two behemoths have come together.
00:01:56.140 So Mike Florio has hit something on the head.
00:02:00.500 Where is Red Zone and NFL Fantasy?
00:02:04.520 And, by the way, it's interesting.
00:02:06.880 These have been out there for 10 years, and they have been like the short clips of the NFL.
00:02:11.300 If you tuned in, NFL Fantasy would quickly take you through wide receivers and quarterbacks
00:02:15.760 and plays that scored.
00:02:17.240 Oh, you know, Chase, 22-yard pass, two points for Chase on Fantasy, NFL Fantasy,
00:02:22.780 and they bounced around.
00:02:23.620 And then Red Zone was really great because Andrew Siciliano, you know, the guy with the big ears,
00:02:28.380 really knowledgeable guy, fun guy to watch, a really great commentator, a lot of respect.
00:02:33.780 I loved watching him because you could sit there, if the Raiders really stunk and you were a Raider fan,
00:02:39.400 like me, you would sit there and tune into Red Zone.
00:02:43.440 So every time somebody's across the 20-yard line, boom, you get to watch scoring plays
00:02:47.060 or the drive stalling or whatever it is.
00:02:50.020 So this was a short clip that I think was before its time because now we know how powerful short clips are
00:02:57.340 to the podcast and the media world.
00:02:59.560 Well, now let's talk about exclusivity.
00:03:02.400 ESPN is now getting an asset.
00:03:06.780 Remember, the NFL bet on exclusivity when they did the DirecTV deal back at the dawn of DirecTV in 1994.
00:03:15.100 I was there.
00:03:15.920 I was part of a company that made components for DirecTV, for the outdoor dish.
00:03:20.780 And what was very interesting there, everybody said, what are they doing?
00:03:23.980 DirecTV was getting sales just on Green Bay Packer fans that lived in New Orleans,
00:03:28.400 just on Raider fans that lived in Florida or Dallas, like me.
00:03:34.540 And so that really worked.
00:03:36.240 That exclusivity worked.
00:03:38.560 Now ESPN says, listen, cable is dying, and I'm having trouble getting a take rate on my channels.
00:03:44.760 But, Tom, this is a desperate deal, though.
00:03:46.360 This is not like a – if I'm an outsider and wanted to compete, Rob, you okay with posting that guy's picture?
00:03:52.980 I mean, we know who he is.
00:03:54.440 Every time you post his picture, it's like, no, no, the audience needs to see what we just looked at.
00:03:58.220 He can't do that to you.
00:03:59.540 It wasn't a nude photo.
00:04:00.680 It's the goat.
00:04:01.640 He uses nine Q-tips.
00:04:02.360 But let me go back to this.
00:04:03.840 So when I look at a deal like this from an outsider, all I see is desperation.
00:04:08.360 I see worry.
00:04:08.940 I see what's going to be happening.
00:04:10.400 I see a – let's try to find a way to protect ourselves.
00:04:12.840 Giving up 10%, Tom.
00:04:14.340 That's a lot.
00:04:15.080 Both of them are desperate.
00:04:16.260 The NFL wanted to get it off cable and satellite because cable and satellite are dying.
00:04:20.420 Dish Network, where's Dish Network?
00:04:22.060 DirecTV, where's DirecTV?
00:04:23.260 Who won here, though?
00:04:24.120 Who won here?
00:04:24.780 Who won here?
00:04:25.500 I believe the NFL won here because they were able to get the assets that they were having trouble getting viewership on cable and satellite.
00:04:32.380 They get 10% of ESPN.
00:04:34.140 But ESPN was equally desperate.
00:04:36.020 They've been cutting salaries of commentators.
00:04:38.180 They've been trying to hone their message.
00:04:40.580 And they've been – look at all the big contracts that they've been doing for sports, like college conferences, and the big contracts they're not doing for commentators.
00:04:50.720 Look at all the retired jocks.
00:04:51.940 How many retired jocks have we seen not renewed on ESPN?
00:04:55.480 A ton of them.
00:04:56.720 Stephen A is the exception contract.
00:04:58.460 They did the Stephen A contract.
00:04:59.500 However, everybody else are trying to reduce the cost of the commentators and spend big on the sports property.
00:05:06.380 And this is ESPN saying, I will take this for NFL.
00:05:09.400 That gives me another something to show the viewer, and I'll give up 10% of ESPN.
00:05:14.460 That shows you how desperate ESPN is for content.
00:05:18.000 So the NFL won in something – I love that word, Pat.
00:05:21.600 Both sides were desperate, but the NFL won.
00:05:24.140 Yeah, and to me – so did ESPN give 10% to the NFL?
00:05:29.780 Yeah, NFL now has 10% of what it's not worth.
00:05:32.600 This isn't – okay, so it looks like you might be referencing to the recent deal, but to clarify, this isn't a 10% financial return like dividends or investment yields.
00:05:39.540 Instead, it's just about ownership exchange.
00:05:41.600 The NFL entered into an agreement to acquire 10% equity in investment, meaning they now own 10% in exchange for media assets.
00:05:47.320 Okay, so let me tell you what I'm very uncomfortable with.
00:05:50.180 Let me tell you what I'm very uncomfortable with.
00:05:52.100 I'm very uncomfortable with the government owning 20% of CNN.
00:05:58.620 I'm very uncomfortable if the government bought 20% of Fox.
00:06:02.000 I'm very uncomfortable with anything owning a percentage of a company that's going to be forced to say good things about them when it comes down to an institution.
00:06:12.240 Because NFL is essentially a form of a government, you know, for the sport.
00:06:18.580 They own the NFL.
00:06:19.940 So I just looked up right now what assets does NFL own?
00:06:22.940 Rob, if you can ask this question, what companies does the NFL own?
00:06:25.920 They own NFL Films, NFL Network, NFL.com, NFL Mobile, Red Zone, NFL Plus, NFL Films.
00:06:30.640 All these things that they own, NFL Ventures, right, and now you own ESPN 10%, isn't that an arm in a way where ESPN can no longer do a negative story on concussions?
00:06:43.140 Isn't that a – I actually don't like the deal.
00:06:45.800 It makes me feel very uncomfortable because the ESPN officially is not going to be criticizing the NFL because it's a product of theirs.
00:06:54.800 I am very uncomfortable with the NFL owning 10% of ESPN.
00:06:58.620 I'm just extremely uncomfortable.
00:06:59.700 I'm not uncomfortable with an owner owning it because still the regulatory arm would be who?
00:07:06.040 The NFL coming and saying, hey, you can't just say good things about the Washington Redskins.
00:07:10.760 I'm still going to call them Redskins.
00:07:12.100 You can't say anything good about the Miami Dolphins.
00:07:14.960 You can't – hey, why are you doing that?
00:07:16.100 No, no, you can't do that.
00:07:17.600 You can't.
00:07:18.260 So, but NFL owns 10% of ESPN.
00:07:20.540 I am super uncomfortable with it.
00:07:22.280 I think you've hit something there because I'll take you to some reality.
00:07:25.900 ESPN ended up with, through ABC, Monday Night Football.
00:07:29.460 Yeah.
00:07:29.780 And they – and when they said things that were a little off, they got hit for it.
00:07:36.420 They absolutely got hit for it.
00:07:38.640 And they got pulled back.
00:07:39.640 Hey, if you're going to do this, you can't do that.
00:07:41.880 Lay off the refs.
00:07:42.880 Remember, the refs work for the NFL. 0.99
00:07:44.740 Oh, the refs are terrible. 1.00
00:07:45.740 This sucks.
00:07:46.180 The NFL is not even ensuring that its games are fair because the refs are so bad. 1.00
00:07:50.360 Joe Burrow got screwed on that.
00:07:51.680 They're like, hey, can you knock that off, please?
00:07:54.300 That's already been happening.
00:07:55.520 This takes that up a notch.
00:07:57.040 And I also think ESPN Plus and Disney Plus are the streaming side of it.
00:08:02.460 But I bet you watch there's going to be an NFL package only available on ESPN Plus, and they're going to attach part of ESPN Plus to Hulu.
00:08:10.600 So you have to buy Hulu and ESPN Plus.
00:08:13.120 There's also a corporate side of it there.
00:08:14.760 So you're absolutely correct.
00:08:16.220 The reporting side of ESPN suddenly has to fall in line behind the storylines of the NFL.
00:08:21.060 I don't at all like it.
00:08:22.460 I don't at all want the NFL owning the ESPN.
00:08:25.560 So let me ask you guys your question.
00:08:27.280 So if the NFL owns 10% of ESPN and the NFL, let's just say, listen, we're going to go with this woke, kneeling for the anthem, end racism and all that stuff.
00:08:36.060 You guys have to talk positive about it?
00:08:38.340 Hell no.
00:08:39.020 Yes.
00:08:39.480 Hell no.
00:08:40.060 You know why?
00:08:40.360 Why would you say anything negative?
00:08:42.060 That's what I'm saying.
00:08:42.660 Why would you say anything negative?
00:08:44.040 You own like this.
00:08:45.240 Nope.
00:08:46.000 So it's kind of like, you know how, what is the whole thing that AOC is trying to get the insider trading with and Nancy Pelosi and all these guys that both of them are.
00:08:52.460 They're doing it.
00:08:53.180 Last year, Pelosi made 78% return or whatever the number was documented.
00:08:56.960 She's killing it. 1.00
00:08:57.500 Network between $200 million to $430 million that we keep reading about.
00:09:01.740 If you're on, why are you uncomfortable with that?
00:09:03.960 Because the U.S. government has access to certain information that other people don't.
00:09:07.260 So they're going to protect it.
00:09:08.640 I'm not comfortable with the NFL, the NBA, the MLB, the NHL owning a percentage of a massive network like ESPN.
00:09:17.120 It's the biggest arm for sports.
00:09:19.060 Criticism is gone.
00:09:20.440 So there is no more criticizing because you can't.
00:09:25.120 What are you going to criticize?
00:09:26.460 The element of criticizing this, that's your job.
00:09:29.220 That's the company that owns you.
00:09:30.820 I don't think it's good for the market.
00:09:32.120 Adam, real quick before we go to the next story.
00:09:33.820 Well, as much as you don't like it, I see this being part of the cultural narrative.
00:09:39.340 America is obsessed with football.
00:09:42.260 So remember, baseball was America's pastime.
00:09:44.780 It's in the past.
00:09:45.560 By far and away, football is the most watched sport.
00:09:48.900 It's not even close.
00:09:50.700 And by the way, if you look at the schedule, Thursday night is college football.
00:09:53.540 Friday night is more college football.
00:09:55.120 Saturday, more college.
00:09:56.080 Sunday, NFL.
00:09:57.020 Sunday night, NFL.
00:09:58.140 Monday, NFL.
00:09:58.980 Tuesday, Wednesday, you get enough.
00:10:00.420 Thursday, you're starting again.
00:10:01.800 By the way, Friday night lights.
00:10:03.580 All of a sudden, fantasy football.
00:10:05.120 It will take over your life.
00:10:07.140 That's not the point.
00:10:07.840 Just pigskin.
00:10:08.520 My point is this.
00:10:09.620 The business model is that they're shoving this down our throat because why?
00:10:14.680 Follow the money.
00:10:15.680 I'm not shocked that they're cutting these side deals to basically engage in more football.
00:10:20.180 If you look at the names of who's running these deals, Bob Iger, Disney, ESPN, NFL Red
00:10:26.700 Zone, 10% equity stake.
00:10:28.660 It's just money, money, money, money, money, money.
00:10:31.520 You missed my entire point.
00:10:32.860 No, I got your point.
00:10:33.920 You missed my entire point.
00:10:34.940 And my point is, and by the way, if I'm NFL and the government body allows me to buy
00:10:39.880 ESPN, I'm buying into ESPN.
00:10:41.540 What do you like?
00:10:42.340 Good.
00:10:42.820 This is a victory for NFL.
00:10:44.860 That's good for them.
00:10:45.780 It's like, you know, the U.S. government just bought CNN.
00:10:49.580 The U.S. government just bought CNN and Fox.
00:10:51.400 Okay, good.
00:10:51.900 You know, hey, listen, you better or else.
00:10:54.280 Yeah, I get it.
00:10:55.320 Well, what would the other way Tommy Lauren on the podcast, right?
00:10:58.280 When I asked the question about Epstein letter and nothing, I can't comment on that.
00:11:01.740 Of course you can.
00:11:02.660 Okay.
00:11:03.220 Hey, you want to comment on concussions?
00:11:04.560 I can't comment on that.
00:11:05.680 Why?
00:11:06.660 Because the NFL owns 10% of us.
00:11:08.480 And we're not going to hear about that.
00:11:09.640 And we're not going to get better at that.
00:11:10.760 No, there's a part of me that's very uncomfortable.
00:11:12.560 It's controlled.
00:11:14.260 It's what it comes down to.
00:11:15.520 Especially of the body.
00:11:16.860 I'm more comfortable owners owning it because the body, which is the NFL, can regulate it.
00:11:21.740 I'm not comfortable with the body, NFL owning 10%.
00:11:24.900 I'm not.
00:11:25.900 There has to be a form of where the NFL is a government, is a body.
00:11:30.100 I understand it's a business, but it's a body.
00:11:32.500 It's a very different way to view it than the rest, Tom.
00:11:36.400 Yeah, and I'll tell you, this has happened before and there's been uproars.
00:11:39.560 In 1994, a commentator named Gary McCord was covering the Masters.
00:11:44.720 And he was on, I think, the 17th green.
00:11:47.220 And he said, wow, these greens are so smooth and so fast.
00:11:51.100 It's like they bikini waxed them.
00:11:53.840 And he said, and there's body bags behind the 17th green for some of these players.
00:11:57.880 What he meant was the greens were so slick, and he meant was some of these players have
00:12:03.260 such trouble on the 17th green that it ruins a round and you end up in a body bag.
00:12:07.940 Hey, the 17th hole really killed that guy.
00:12:10.240 Do you know what Augusta said?
00:12:11.420 They called CBS that night and said, take that guy off the air.
00:12:15.900 He is disrespecting the prestige of Augusta.
00:12:19.960 They wasn't disrespecting it.
00:12:21.540 But he was making a comment, and it was playful, and it was interesting in the stodginess of
00:12:27.680 the whole golf.
00:12:27.700 I have a problem with that.
00:12:28.800 I have a problem with that.
00:12:29.600 And they did it.
00:12:30.040 They did it.
00:12:30.760 And it was an uproar.
00:12:31.880 And it kind of backfired against Augusta because all of us at home said, you called the network
00:12:36.960 that gave you millions and millions of dollars to broadcast your tournament.
00:12:41.340 And he was making it interesting and making a point that anyone that's ever held a golf club
00:12:46.240 would understand, even an amateur.
00:12:48.920 That, guess what?
00:12:49.740 This goes up on steroids when you add ownership to it.
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