ESPN and NFL have a fractured relationship

SportsBusiness Daily

The news last month that the NFL would allow Fox to carry the NFL Draft on network TV for the first time was seen as a slap in the face to ESPN, which created the draft as a TV event 38 years ago. Turns out it's part of a bitter battle between the two partners, with the NFL increasingly upset with ESPN's negative journalism coverage of the league. Meanwhile, ESPN is miffed that it has been paying the most money for NFL rights, but receiving the least attractive games for Monday Night Football. Now it's up to new ESPN president James Pitaro to fix that strained relationship.