Will the New ESPN Unlimited App Have the NFL RedZone In 2025?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Follow me on X.

TV Answer Man, with the new deal between ESPN and the NFL, will they have the RedZone on its new app this year? Will it be a separate cost or part of the app? – Gene, Pittsburgh.

ESPN and the NFL earlier this month signed a deal that will give the sports network certain league assets including the NFL Network and the linear (cable, satellite) distribution rights to the NFL RedZone channel. In return, the NFL will get a 10 percent stake in ESPN.

ESPN is likely to offer the NFL Network and RedZone channel on its upcoming ESPN unlimited app for cord cutters, which will launch on August 21. But the perception that the two popular football channels will be available when the app launches or at ANYTIME during the 2025 season appears to be wrong.

The NFL-ESPN deal must first be approved by federal regulators and that could take a year or more. It’s possible that the review process could go into early 2027, in fact, which could delay the addition of the NFL Network and NFL RedZone channel until the 2027 season.

Now it’s possible that ESPN could license the rights to the two NFL channels before then, but that’s unlikely because it might be seen by regulators as an attempt to subvert the review process.

Consequently, I would bet that you won’t see either channel as part of the new ESPN app in 2025 or maybe even 2026.

Gene, I hope that answers your question. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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