The NFL plans to complete resale of five 2026 games within the next six weeks after reclaiming the rights in its recent equity deal with Disney, league officials said, with those allocations needed before the league’s mid‑May schedule release and the advertising upfronts.
According to Front Office Sports, The recovered rights come as the NFL finalizes a 2026 regular‑season plan that includes several broadcast changes. League officials said there will be no more Monday Night Football doubleheaders on ESPN/ABC, reversing a prior experiment that split viewership. The league is also planning another Christmas tripleheader — likely with Netflix carrying two games and Fox the primetime window for U.S. audiences — though the exact sequence remains undecided.
The NFL is also actively exploring adding a game on Thanksgiving Eve, a move officials called “super interesting” given scheduling challenges but attractive because last year’s Thanksgiving window set viewership records. Any new broadcasts will remain subject to the league’s flex‑scheduling rules.
Resale agreements for the five games must be completed in time for the mid‑May schedule release, which finalizes game dates and broadcast assignments and precedes network upfront presentations to advertisers. NFL EVP of media distribution Hans Schroeder said the league is weighing creative market proposals and aims to resolve deals to present the best opportunities ahead of the schedule announcement.