DIS - NFL seeking big increases in TV rights deals but Disney pushing back - CNBC
The National Football League wants to double TV rights payments from its current network partners, but Disney (DIS) - which owns ABC and ESPN - already has rejected such an increase, citing the high price tag it already pays for Monday Night Football relative to other packages, CNBC reports.The NFL is in active discussions on renewal rates with all four of its existing network partners - NBC (CMCSA), CBS ([[VIAC]], [[VIACA]]), Fox ([[FOX]], [[FOXA]]) and Disney-owned ESPN - according to the report, which says NBC, CBS and Fox are likely to accept increases closer to 100%.But Disney pays $1.9B/year for its Monday Night Football package in a deal that expires after this year, while Fox pays $1.1B/year, CBS pays $1B and NBC ponies up $960M.Disney reportedly has rejected paying anywhere near $3.8B annually for a new deal, although its package also includes highlight rights for ESPN, branding rights for shows,
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NFL seeking big increases in TV rights deals, but Disney pushing back - CNBC