It was the year of living dangerously for sports media in 2025 as competitors like ESPN and TNT joined hands out of necessity, Fox reeled from the impact of twin sexual harassment lawsuits, and Barstool Sports went mainstream.
This year saw ESPN at the center of one of the most stunning deals, with Disney agreeing to buy NFL Network and the RedZone brand from the NFL in exchange for a 10% stake in the four letters worth $2 billion.
But it also saw the biggest media players carefully tiptoe around the looming shadow of President Donald Trump, who spent much of his first administration bashing ESPN and the NFL.
Here are our top 10 sports media stories for 2025.
1. Disney Buys NFL Network, RedZone Brand
This mega-deal was years in the making, but the industry was still stunned when ESPN announced a sweeping agreement to buy NFL Network, as well as the rights to the NFL RedZone brand, in exchange for a 10% equity stake worth as much as $2 billion. The mega deal finally came together during face-to-face talks between Disney’s Robert Iger and the NFL’s Roger Goodell. Regulatory approval is still months away. Will President Trump, a frequent critic of Disney/ESPN and the NFL, put his thumb on the scale?
2. MLB Brings in NBC Sports, Netflix
Coming off its most impactful season in years, MLB hit the jackpot by adding new media rights partners NBC and Netflix and maintaining its 39-year relationship with ESPN. Through a new series of three-year deals worth nearly $600 million, Sunday Night Baseball will move to NBC from ESPN, while Netflix will get an Opening Night game, the Home Run Derby, and the 2026 Field of Dreams game.
3. Inside the NBA Moves to ESPN
ESPN haters can step away from the ledge. The first episode of TNT Sports’s legendary Inside the NBA aired on Oct. 22, and ESPN didn’t make major changes to the irreverent show. Charles Barkley & Co. will get to do their thing during the NBA Finals, where ABC/ESPN holds exclusive rights. If ESPN and TNT didn’t pull off the deal, the show would have been history. Call it a rare win-win for sports TV viewers.
4. Sexual Misconduct Lawsuits Against Fox
Former FS1 hairstylist Noushin Faraji and former network host Julie Stewart-Binks both sued Fox this year, alleging sexual misconduct. The suits were settled, but not before former FS1 boss Charlie Dixon, named in both suits, was ousted from the network.
5. Barstool Joins Fox
After Dixon’s dismissal, FS1 enacted a massive programming shakeup, canceling Breakfast Ball, The Facility, and Speak, and launching Wake Up Barstool in the mornings. Additionally, Barstool founder Dave Portnoy joined Big Noon Kickoff. Ratings for the college football pregame show were up 14% year-over-year.
6. TKO’s UFC and WWE Find New Partners, Zuffa Boxing Looms
UFC will migrate from ESPN to Paramount platforms in 2026 on a seven-year, $7.7 billion deal that was the first planting of a flag from new Paramount boss David Ellison. WWE premium live events, meanwhile, moved from NBC’s Peacock streaming service to ESPN’s new streamer. Finally, Zuffa Boxing, a joint venture with Saudi Arabia’s Sela, will launch next year with Paramount as a rights partner.
7. ESPN Cancels Around the Horn
The long-running weekday show aired its final episode on May 23 after 2 -years as the 5 p.m. ET lead-in to Pardon the Interruption. ESPN is still deciding what will replace ATH. But the network says the temporary 30-minute SportsCenter at 5 p.m. is already drawing higher TV ratings.
8. Michael Jordan Joins NBC’s NBA Coverage
There was an audible gasp inside Radio City Music Hall when Michael Jordan popped up on video during NBC’s spring upfront presentation in New York. So far, his taped appearances as a “special contributor” have been good, not great, as NBC returned to NBA coverage for the first time in 23 years. But the rubber meets the road in the second half of the season. Will MJ’s segments criticize today’s stars, or keep focusing on evergreen topics? Will he come back to analyze the NBA Playoffs? Will he tape any more interviews with Mike Tirico?
9. TNT Invests in Unrivaled
Sports leagues and broadcasters like to refer to themselves as “partners.” But TNT really is a financial partner of Unrivaled. In addition to its media rights deal, the network took an equity stake in the women’s 3-on-3 basketball league. That news came out at the end of 2024, but played out with Unrivaled’s debut in January 2025. In its first year, the league made major waves, and “nearly” broke even. Year two will have a lot of eyeballs and pressure on it; the arrangement with TNT could point to a new paradigm.
10. Mark Sanchez Stabbed, Arrested, Charged
A normal football weekend in October went haywire when news came out that that former USC and Jets QB turned Fox Sports game analyst Mark Sanchez had been stabbed in the chest during a violent altercation with a truck driver in Indianapolis. He was arrested while still recovering in an Indy hospital, and later charged with felony battery. Fox dropped Sanchez, paving the way for Drew Brees to get another crack at calling games.
