Suddenly, Everyone Wants to Be Disney’s ‘Strategic Partner’

Last year, when Disney CEO Bob Iger told media outlets that he was looking for a “strategic partner” for ESPN, it didn’t really feel like he would find any takers. The Walt Disney Company was just coming off its battle with Spectrum over cable costs, specifically for Disney-owned channels like ESPN.

Related:  Disney Found Its New ‘Strategic Partner’ and It’s A Big One

Disney gave into Spectrum’s demands, allowing them to take ESPN off some customers’ cable packages, taking viewers away from the Worldwide Leader in Sports. But Disney had an ace up its sleeve for ESPN, the transition away from linear cable to a streaming-only platform that would bring millions of sports fans and their deep wallets with them.

But that was last year, and just last week, Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reported that Disney/ESPN are nearing a “strategic partnership” deal that would give the NFL a stake in ESPN and allow ESPN to take over the NFL Network and NFL Red Zone Network. Last year, Disney CEO Bob Iger said he was looking for a “strategic partner” to help with ESPN’s transition to streaming only, and he may have just landed the biggest fish in the sea.

As the NFL is closing in on a deal, apparently, there are other suitors to be ESPN’s strategic partner, including some of the other sports leagues that have a relationship with the sports juggernaut. Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports is reporting that not only is the NFL taking a minority stake in ESPN, but Major League Baseball, the NBA, and the NHL are also negotiating to get a piece of ESPN.

But that’s not all. McCarthy said that Amazon, YouTube TV, and gambling giants FanDuel and Draft Kings are also considering buying a portion of ESPN. For all four companies, buying ESPN and its future streaming service is a matter of survival.

Partnering with the National Football League gives ESPN a massive advantage in future negotiations with the league. Amazon Prime currently airs the NFL’s Thursday Night Football, and YouTube TV has the rights to the NFL’s Sunday Ticket, which allows viewers to see all out-of-market games.

Related: First Alcohol Now This, Disney Signs $2 Billion To Capitalize on Another Vice

For the gambling sites, there is fear after BET ESPN launched late last year. Having the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and the National Basketball Association as potential partners would give ESPN’s gambling an advantage over every other betting site.

ESPN has proven to be a cash cow for the Disney Company, one of the few bright spots in an otherwise terrible year. In the fourth quarter of 2023, ESPN had $3.5 billion in revenue, a 16 percent increase over the previous year. And those numbers are poised to grow as ESPN continues to dominate the sports entertainment industry.

We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.