Mailbag: ESPN's NFL Network Acquisition

There are many questions about the futures of ESPN, NFL Network, and RedZone following the agreement between ESPN and the NFL this week, in which the league will acquire a 10% stake in ESPN in exchange for control of NFL Media assets. 

We opened up the floor for our readers to ask those questions:

"Will both Mel Kiper and Daniel Jeremiah be on the draft show?" – Andy

Three networks currently carry the NFL Draft: ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network. ESPN and ABC are already under the same corporate umbrella, and NFL Network is about to join them. I’d expect ESPN to maintain all three broadcasts on draft night. It makes sense — they can tally up the combined viewership across all channels and sell that total number to advertisers.

Could ESPN reduce costs by simulcasting the same show across the networks? Sure. But that’s not the plan. Instead, the goal is to bolster the value of NFL Network. And gutting its biggest night of the year — the NFL Draft — wouldn’t accomplish that.

To your question: There will be room for both Kiper and Jeremiah on draft night. However, ESPN is not going to keep every NFL Network talent under contract. ESPN already has Kiper, Matt Miller, and Field Yates covering the draft. Does Jeremiah provide enough value for ESPN to keep a fourth? I’d argue yes.

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - APRIL 24: NFL Network's Colleen Wolfe interviews Commissioner Roger Goodell during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft on April 24, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

"Which NFL Network people should ESPN keep or even bring to ESPN?" – Derrick.

Derrick, I wrote last week that Jane Slater and Kyle Brandt are two NFL Network personalities whom ESPN should keep and move to the main channel.

ESPN is exploring options for a new show at the 2 p.m. slot, and I’ve heard Peter Schrager is an option. Pairing Schrager and Brandt, who co-hosted Good Morning Football together, would make sense.

Slater, meanwhile, is the top Dallas Cowboys reporter in the industry. She also made news that ESPN cited this week during her interview with Jerry Jones. She'd be a good addition to shows like Get Up, First Take, and NFL Live.

Tom Pelissero is another option. He breaks as much news as Schefter or Rapoport. He's also more of a personality, having filled in as host of The Rich Eisen Show. Think a Brian Windhorst-type role for the NFL. 

Two other names to watch: Colleen Wolfe and Jamie Erdahl. In case you haven't noticed, society has a real issue with young white women. Just ask Sydney Sweeney and Caitlin Clark.

There's a Marxian perception that the success of white women comes at the direct expense of black women. This belief is also true inside ESPN. In fact, Laura Rutledge is the only white woman in ESPN's daily lineup. Every other woman is black, aside from Mina Kimes. And Rutledge works about four different jobs just to keep her position.

That doesn't bode well for Wolfe and Erdahl. At the risk of another misleading, self-serving, racially-charged tweet from Josina Anderson, ESPN could try to replace Wolfe and/or Erdahl with a woman of color.

Interestingly, Wolfe and Erdahl would be the first people to promote some PR-driven DEI initiative.

"Are they planning to ‘gerrymander’ RedZone?" – Cassie.

"Will they ruin Redzone?" - Jon.

"How fucked is redzone?" - Uncle Topher.

"The question isn’t will ESPN will ruin RedZone, it’s how. The beauty of that show is that it was solely Hansen or Siciliano. ESPN will force people like Smith and Kimes in our faces and the games will be de-emphasized and TDs will be missed." – Carson the Degenerate Gambling Dog

Ha.

I expect ESPN will leave RedZone alone. The suits know which properties are too important to mess up. RedZone is one of them.

"How many girl squad shows will NFL Network have? Over under for Mina Kimes hosted shows?" – Diet Coke. Trad.

Diet Coke Trade, perhaps ESPN's new all-women's show with Elle Duncan could get some play on NFL Network. Are football fans interested in hearing her fawn over Michelle Obama while doing push-ups on-air?

"Does this mean more Ryan Clark?" – Kyle

I hope not.

"How can ESPN cover the NFL objectively after giving the league an equity stake?" – Walter Bike.

Walter, I wrote a column about this topic yesterday. I don't expect ESPN's coverage of the NFL to change because the network already covers the league like a partner.

No network in business with the NFL can cover the league honestly. ESPN tried to under former president John Skipper, and the NFL responded by tanking the Monday Night Football schedule with a lackluster, AFC South-focused matchups.

ESPN has spent the past seven years trying to regain the NFL's favor, and it finally has. The NFL didn't need an equity stake to equity stake ESPN's negative reporting on it.

Here's the column:

Talk soon.