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Disney and Comcast end NFL Network and RedZone blackout on Xfinity
The deal restores NFL Network and NFL RedZone for Comcast's roughly 11 million Xfinity subscribers, after the channels were absent since the end of April.
Yahoo Finance reports that Disney and Comcast ended a months-long blackout that had kept NFL Network and NFL RedZone off Comcast's Xfinity cable service. The companies reached the agreement on August 11, shortly after the blackout began stretching through the 2026 NFL season run-up.
The report says Disney gained NFL Media leverage after its ESPN unit took over NFL Media assets earlier this year and once its Comcast-related contract expired. With the parties unable to agree on new terms, about 11 million Xfinity subscribers had gone without NFL Network and RedZone since the end of April, leaving Comcast facing subscriber-retention risk ahead of the season.
Yahoo Finance also notes that Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro, in his first CNBC interview since succeeding Bob Iger in March 2026, described the parks division as a big surprise last quarter. The article adds that Disney posted 28% earnings growth in the quarter, and D'Amaro said there is clarity inside the organization on where the company needs to go next, while he ruled out spinning off ESPN.
Finally, the outlet reports that D'Amaro said on August 14 that he is not happy with where the stock stands, with Disney shares still down more than 8% over the past 12 months. Financial terms of the Comcast deal were not disclosed, and the report states Disney has cut nearly 1,000 jobs since D'Amaro took over.