NFL Network Blackout Ends As Comcast, Disney Reach Deal

Comcast has reached a carriage agreement with Disney, bringing the NFL Network and the NFL RedZone channel back to the No. 2 U.S. pay-TV operator in time for the start of the 2026 NFL season.

The agreement arrives more than three months after the NFL Network went dark on Comcast, marking the first major carriage dispute involving that outlet since ESPN’s acquisition in early February. With that large-scale deal, which also includes the league getting a 10% equity stake in ESPN, the sports media giant and its parent company, Disney, took over distribution for the NFL Network and NFL RedZone. 

Though the Comcast-Disney battle ran along similar lines as many others in the television industry, and focused heavily on core deal points such as carriage fees, the impact to consumers ultimately was relatively minor. The entire channel outage to Comcast customers was confined to a period that began after the NFL Draft in late April, and ended before the full beginning of the preseason schedule on Thursday. 

The NFL Network will air a preseason game on Thursday between the Packers and Steelers, perennially two of the most popular franchises across the country. The carriage deal also ensures that NFL RedZone, starring the much-beloved Scott Hanson, will remain available to Comcast subscribers.

Financial terms were not disclosed, though sources indicated that the agreement did not involve a move of the NFL Network to a cheaper and more widely distributed tier of Comcast cable service. 

Comcast is also in the midst of a corporate split to separate its core connectivity businesses, which includes distribution pacts such as this, from NBC Sports parent company NBCUniversal. Though YouTube TV is in line to become the country’s top pay TV distributor as soon as next year, Comcast remains a highly meaningful operator, reporting 10.67 million cable subscribers in its most recent quarterly earnings.