NFL, ESPN Agree to Multiyear Contract Extension to Broadcast, Stream Draft

ESPN and the NFL announced Wednesday a multiyear agreement to continue airing the NFL draft across the company's networks.

As part of the deal, ESPN and ABC will produce their own broadcasts for the first three rounds of the draft. ABC will simulcast ESPN's' offering for Rounds 4-7.

Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal reported this deal extends through 2030.

ESPN will also add a daily program, slated for ESPN2, to its lineup that will focus solely on the draft. The new show will begin on the day after the Super Bowl.

This comes a day after ESPN announced it's acquiring NFL Network along with other media properties such as RedZone and NFL Films. In return, the league is receiving a 10 percent equity stake in ESPN.

"This is an exciting day for sports fans," ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said. "By combining these NFL media assets with ESPN's reach and innovation, we're creating a premier destination for football fans. Together, ESPN and the NFL are redefining how fans engage with the game — anytime, anywhere. This deal helps fuel ESPN’s digital future, laying the foundation for an even more robust offering as we prepare to launch our new direct-to-consumer service."

Once that news was finalized, there was little doubt as to the continued home of the draft. Not to mention, ESPN has been showing the event since 1980, well before it became the spectacle it is now.

According to Karp, the new agreement is non-exclusive, so the NFL could add more media partners for the draft.