Insider explains why Donald Trump allowed ESPN-NFL deal to go through

The media deal between the NFL and ESPN has been finalized, and President Donald Trump did not make any noise about it. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk recently spoke to Front Office Sports and explained why Donald Trump allowed the deal to go through.

“You never know what is going to set him off,” Florio said. “For as easy as it is to end up being on the wrong end of a three in the morning, all caps, thank you for your attention to this message matter on social media, there are ways to cozy up to him.

“He wants that stadium (in Washington D.C.) to be named after him. Maybe he’s thinking. ‘I play my cards right here, they do give me the name of that stadium.’ I’d be stunned if that happens, but I think that they found a balance that, maybe awkward, but at least it was enough to get the NFL and ESPN to get to where they wanted to go.”

Government regulators approved the transaction that will allow ESPN to acquire the NFL Network, NFL Fantasy, and the rights to distribute the RedZone channel to cable and satellite operators. In exchange for that, the NFL will acquire a 10 percent equity stake in ESPN.

More on the deal between the NFL and ESPN

“With the closing, we will begin integrating NFL employees into ESPN in the months ahead,” ESPN and the NFL said in a joint statement. “As we look to the future, NFL fans can look forward to expanded NFL programming, greater access to NFL Network, innovative Fantasy experiences, and unparalleled coverage of America’s most popular sport.”

The changes will begin in April when NFL media employees become part of the four letter network. The NFL Network will be included in ESPN’s direct-to-consumer product, which launched in August, shortly after the ESPN-NFL deal was first announced.

“Since its launch in 2003, NFL Network has provided millions of fans unprecedented access to the sport they love,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement in August. “Whether it was debuting Thursday Night Football, televising the Combine, or telling incredible football stories through original shows and breaking news, NFL Network has delivered. The Network’s sale to ESPN will build on this remarkable legacy, providing more NFL football for more fans in new and innovative ways.”