USA TODAY
The price tag for television rights for NFL games is going up, though one of the league's partners, ESPN, is reportedly pushing back against the hike.
According to CNBC, CBS, FOX and NBC are all likely to accept increases of around 100%, while Disney — which owns ESPN — is pushing back, citing the high costs.
CNBC also reported that the NFL is in active negotiations with the TV partners and hopes to get the deals completed by March 17, the start of the new league year.
"We’re looking at the long-term trends of sports viewership," Disney CEO Bob Chapek said on an earnings conference call February 11, according to CNBC. "We’ve had a long relationship with the NFL. If there’s a deal that will be accretive to shareholder value, we will certainly entertain that and look at that. But our first filter will be to say whether it makes sense for shareholder value going forward."