Launch weekend for ESPN’s brand new direct-to-consumer streaming app just got a bit bigger.
The company announced on Tuesday that it would stream five NFL preseason games this Saturday, August 23, to out-of-market viewers on the new app. Ravens-Commanders, Colts-Bengals, Texans-Lions, Bills-Buccaneers, and Chargers-49ers will all be available for fans to watch on ESPN if they reside outside those teams’ local markets. (Check out the availability maps here.)
The games are being included in ESPN’s new streaming service as part of a content licensing deal the network reached with the NFL earlier this month that also allows ESPN to bundle its new app alongside NFL+ Premium. That agreement will also allow ESPN to stream a certain number of out-of-market preseason games in 2026.
Tuesday’s announcement marks yet another instance of the ESPN-NFL relationship becoming cozier in the aftermath of the equity deal both sides reached earlier this month that will see ownership of NFL Network and linear distribution of RedZone transferred to ESPN in exchange for the NFL owning a 10% stake in the company. That deal awaits regulatory approval, which will likely take at least a year.
In the meantime, expect ESPN and the league to continue finding ways to partner on content such as this, especially to bolster the network’s new streaming service. Assuming the deal passes muster with the federal government, the NFL will have a vested interest in making ESPN’s new streamer as attractive as possible for consumers. Generally, adding more NFL content to a platform will do just that.