Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
Breaking News apparently
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RedZone and NFL Network merging with Mickey Mouse (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter Ministry of Pain
- Start date
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Scott Hansen will be equipped with Mickey Mouse ears as he calls for the octobox.
Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
I hope they don't replace Scott Hanson with Stephen A. Smith, that would be a disaster
This merger is going to upset a lot of fans
BroncoFreak_2K3
sucker for Orange
packdog
Footballguy
The octobox is now called the most magical box on earth and is available for the slight subscription boost of only 4.99 per box
efactor
Footballguy
Scott Hansen to be replaced with Dylan Mulvaney
Last edited:
Desert_Power
Footballguy
Ouch. This is awful.
HellToupee
Footballguy
Not a fan of what espn has become but this will be worth it to never hear the witching hour again
pinequick
Footballguy
Until ESPN jacks the price up to $24.99/month. And that *will* happen.
candian fantasy guy
Footballguy
I am confused about this post. Are you saying you don’t like red zone? The witching hour is bad?
Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
And the NFL Network is part of the deal as well if I'm reading all this correctly
Rich Eisen must be doing cartwheels or can't believe he has to go back to the evil empire
He was out but now he's back in
Rich Eisen must be doing cartwheels or can't believe he has to go back to the evil empire
He was out but now he's back in
NFL Network was awesome, and NFL Redzone was the best thing they did. I can already see Redzone with full screen ads, and nonsense back and forth talk show garbage during games, because reaction/argue format is 90% of what ESPN is now. I'm sure the NFL Network and NFL Redzone weren't hurting the NFL's bottom line. There was no reason for them to not continue to just be independent.
This royally sucks. ESPN is basically garbage and has been for over a decade.
This royally sucks. ESPN is basically garbage and has been for over a decade.
Ramblin Wreck
Footballguy
Is this effective immediately for the 2024 season? I'm curious if Redzone will stay on basic cable packages or streaming services with ESPN, ESPN2, SEC network, etc... Or will they force you to purchase this new $30/month crap that will include all those channels and maybe the ESPN+ stuff too?
And agree leave Scott Hanson alone. He's awesome. But I fear there is going to be some awful host like Mike Greenberg with a bunch of clowns surrounding him like ESPN has done to other shows. And it will be totally unwatchable.
And agree leave Scott Hanson alone. He's awesome. But I fear there is going to be some awful host like Mike Greenberg with a bunch of clowns surrounding him like ESPN has done to other shows. And it will be totally unwatchable.
Da Franchise
Footballguy
The complete and utter dismantling of anything remotely good continues.
pinequick
Footballguy
I think this deal needs to go through federal regulators, so it won't be a thing for a while.
And you *KNOW* that the current chief executive will want his say on said merger. He still has an axe to grind with NFL owners for locking him out, methinks.
taylormeetstheismann
Footballguy
This has got me thinking about the best way to watch FF this season.
Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
From early reports and also you can be sure anything Disney purchases they plan on making money, look what they did to Star Wars...
But early reports are next season it will be in the ESPN+ package
Furthermore I'll just be as blunt as a I can...Scott Hanson is an Evangelical Christian to my knowledge
He's not just a Sunday church attendee, he's been on missionary trips to Nairobi, He's a 1% even within the church
I don't think Hanson will be for long if he even comes over to ESPN, their policies won't work with him
All good things come to an end, maybe we get one final season with him in the studio but 2026 is gonna look a lot different
So sad the NFL is doing this or allowed this to happen
"RedZone is expected to be part of the ESPN direct-to-consumer service, which launches in the coming weeks at a price of $29.99 per month. It's unclear how this deal will affect other bundles like YouTube's NFL Sunday Ticket, which includes RedZone at $420 for the season."
www.si.com
ESPN buying NFL RedZone means ads, commercial-free football is probably gone forever
The blockbuster billion-dollar deal between ESPN and the NFL means seven hours of commercial-free football are probably gone forever.
TLEF316
Footballguy
Yeah, they will absolutely ruin it in just about every way possible. Commercials......different host....probably a whole panel of hot take artist talking heads popping in and out to ruin things.
Only question is whether they try to put it behind some sort of additional paywall.
End of an era.
Only question is whether they try to put it behind some sort of additional paywall.
End of an era.
Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
And don't forget that gawd awful ticker will run to let you know the scores of ladies volleyball in the Big West, Div II men's soccer and Pro Pickleball
Ramblin Wreck
Footballguy
I'll quit the entire NFL before I have to listen to Ryan Clark and his nonsense or listen to Greenberg host something like this. They won't do it but Field Yates, Mike Clay, and that crew might be okay and certainly worth a shot if they keep their in-house options.
Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
Stephen A Smith will have a heavy hand in it
I don't see why Rich Eisen would want to keep going...look at his show and look at Pat McAfee and most of the other shows on ESPN
Eisen is so relaxed and drinking tea and nobody yells or screams or raises their voices...I don't see him coming back to ESPN
He always looked like he was so happy to be away from there and has been with the NFL Network since Day 1
Ramblin Wreck
Footballguy
They are betting on the fantasy football industry to pay for and support this new streaming service they want to launch because all their other ventures have mostly failed in recent years."RedZone is expected to be part of the ESPN direct-to-consumer service, which launches in the coming weeks at a price of $29.99 per month. It's unclear how this deal will affect other bundles like YouTube's NFL Sunday Ticket, which includes RedZone at $420 for the season."
ESPN buying NFL RedZone means ads, commercial-free football is probably gone forever
The blockbuster billion-dollar deal between ESPN and the NFL means seven hours of commercial-free football are probably gone forever.
On the other hand, this might be enough for me to dump Youtube TV which keeps raising prices too. I can get my local channels through antenna, all the ESPN stuff through their streaming service, and I think the only thing I'm missing I care about would be the Big Ten Network.
"RedZone is expected to be part of the ESPN direct-to-consumer service, which launches in the coming weeks at a price of $29.99 per month. It's unclear how this deal will affect other bundles like YouTube's NFL Sunday Ticket, which includes RedZone at $420 for the season."
ESPN buying NFL RedZone means ads, commercial-free football is probably gone forever
The blockbuster billion-dollar deal between ESPN and the NFL means seven hours of commercial-free football are probably gone forever.
Yeah, I forgot to ask about the bundle with Sunday Ticket. Surely they'll honor this year if you've already signed up, but next year? Ticket already got more expensive with the move to Google, if they remove red zone and I've got to get ESPN separately, screw that. Can't imagine GOOG is happy about this.
barackdhouse
Footballguy
I haven't figured out how I'm going to watch football this season yet. I've done YouTubeTV the last two years with the Sunday Ticket but it's just such a crappy deal. I could care less about the TV portion but that is like $70/month just to be eligible to add the Sunday Ticket. I'm probably bottom feeding this year with the international streams and crappy local stuff.
And then next year I *guess* I'll add the bundle to my Disney stuff assuming that's how this breaks down.
(But I'm ready to start thinking creatively about A:how many devices/IPs can one account be used on and B:find that many people to split it)
And then next year I *guess* I'll add the bundle to my Disney stuff assuming that's how this breaks down.
(But I'm ready to start thinking creatively about A:how many devices/IPs can one account be used on and B:find that many people to split it)
SeniorVBDStudent
Footballguy
Chaka
Footballguy
More expensive than what? I never watch RZ so I don't really know how it was delivered previously. Who carried it? Was it part of Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV? Was it a standalone service? Weren't there two versions at one point?
Was it free?
Is it going to Disney+ exclusively? If that's the case they'll most likely use it as a loss leader to incentivize new subscribers. That's what Amazon did with their football package.
Is it going to one of Disneys broadcast properties like ABC or ESPN? Some combination of streaming and broadcast?
Chaka
Footballguy
From chatGPT: ESPN (owned by Disney) has reached a multi‑billion‑dollar agreement with the NFL to acquire NFL RedZone, NFL Network, fantasy football rights, and additional regular‑season games .
However, this deal is pending regulatory approval, a process that may take 9 to 12 months, meaning full ESPN control may not take effect until the 2026 season . For the current 2025 season, RedZone is still distributed under existing agreements, not yet moved under ESPN’s direct app.
---
How to access NFL RedZone this season
1. Through NFL+ Premium
NFL’s own streaming service in the United States, NFL+ Premium includes live access to NFL RedZone on Sundays, along with NFL Network, game replays, and alternate "All‑22" footage .
Cost: ~$14.99/month (as of last update) though prices may vary .
You can watch on mobile, tablet, desktop and compatible TV devices (via casting or device apps) .
2. Via cable or live TV streaming providers
NFL RedZone is available as an add‑on channel for providers that carry NFL Network. Many services offer it as part of a sports or premium tier:
YouTube TV: Includes NFL Network in base package; NFL RedZone via Sports Plus add-on ($9‑11/month) .
Hulu + Live TV: NFL Network included; NFL RedZone via Sports Add-on for ~$9.99/month .
Other cable/satellite providers (like Cox, Dish, Spectrum, Fios, Sling): Many offer RedZone as part of their NFL Network tiers—check with your local provider and digital tiers available .
The deal granting ESPN full control of RedZone is expected to be completed in 2026, at which point ESPN’s upcoming $29.99/month direct‑to‑consumer app may integrate RedZone access directly within the ESPN platform rather than through NFL+ or current providers
However, this deal is pending regulatory approval, a process that may take 9 to 12 months, meaning full ESPN control may not take effect until the 2026 season . For the current 2025 season, RedZone is still distributed under existing agreements, not yet moved under ESPN’s direct app.
---
How to access NFL RedZone this season1. Through NFL+ Premium
NFL’s own streaming service in the United States, NFL+ Premium includes live access to NFL RedZone on Sundays, along with NFL Network, game replays, and alternate "All‑22" footage .
Cost: ~$14.99/month (as of last update) though prices may vary .
You can watch on mobile, tablet, desktop and compatible TV devices (via casting or device apps) .
2. Via cable or live TV streaming providers
NFL RedZone is available as an add‑on channel for providers that carry NFL Network. Many services offer it as part of a sports or premium tier:
YouTube TV: Includes NFL Network in base package; NFL RedZone via Sports Plus add-on ($9‑11/month) .
Hulu + Live TV: NFL Network included; NFL RedZone via Sports Add-on for ~$9.99/month .
Other cable/satellite providers (like Cox, Dish, Spectrum, Fios, Sling): Many offer RedZone as part of their NFL Network tiers—check with your local provider and digital tiers available .
The deal granting ESPN full control of RedZone is expected to be completed in 2026, at which point ESPN’s upcoming $29.99/month direct‑to‑consumer app may integrate RedZone access directly within the ESPN platform rather than through NFL+ or current providers
Ramblin Wreck
Footballguy
ESPN is launching a new streaming service this fall for $30 a month. If RZ is part of that and only available through that, then it's way more expensive than it currently is. ESPN will likely use this new NFL stuff to sell their streaming service because they have nothing else to sell.
Chaka
Footballguy
Possibly. That's what chatGPT said (above).
Currently RZ is offered as part of tiered packages from Hulu & NFL Network for an additional $10-14/month. The calculus for value and additional cost isn't just the additional tier cost it's also whether or not a person would subscribe to a base service if RZ wasn't on offer from that service.
The deal also doesn't say whether or not cable providers who currently offer NFL tiers as part of their packages will still have access. Disney could still choose to license RZ to cable providers or if they will continue to offer it with their Hulu package as they do now.
There is a lot we don't know ATM. My guess is it would be a bad idea financially to put RZ exclusively on the new ESPN app.
Ramblin Wreck
Footballguy
Fair enough on the wait and see approach. But it's not like ESPN hasn't executed a lot of bad ideas in recent years.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Wreck, I tried to find this but - I know this is shocking - I got more confused the more I read. Do you know what will happen to the "normal" ESPN+? I have it in a Hulu Live bundle. I'm talking about the ESPN+ that shows a million college sports (mostly small schools or non-revenue sports) and early-morning PGA golf. Is that gonna get pulled from services like Hulu or cause those service prices to go way up.
I know I'm in the minority here on this, but I don't really care about the RZ channel. It's sensory overload to me and I fear it's gonna get worse with this news.
Chaka
Footballguy
This new ESPN app seems like one of those bad ideas.
Ramblin Wreck
Footballguy
I have no idea what their plans are with Hulu or Disney Plus and how that bundles with ESPN plus.
Speculation is the new streaming service will include all ESPN channels (ESPN, ESPN2, SEC network, ACC network, etc...) with all ESPN plus programming for $30/month. We are assuming that NFL Network and Redzone will eventually end up on that platform as well. What we don't know is if NFL Network and Redzone will remain on streaming services such as Youtube TV or even basic cable.
This is 100% speculation by me and I have read nothing to back this up but I would assume ESPN will offer some bundle with Hulu, Disney plus and the new streaming service. The price might change though.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Based on the info you posted above, I'd say this is true for this upcoming 2025 season. But after that I could see many people dropping it if the new set up and pricing is changed from the current one.
Chaka
Footballguy
And that's why I don't think much will change for pricing or access. Disney won't leave that kind of money on the table just to prop up an app that will likely fail regardless.
That damn Mouse will kill you if you #### with his money.
Hanson just got a new contract,he's staying
darksideofoz
Footballguy
yep. I laughed the whole time. Like there aren't capitalists running the "new choices." or that the "new choices" weren't being offered by the same people that were giving us the poor "old choices."
Chaka
Footballguy
I'm happy with it.
