Disney has been looking for a strategic partner for ESPN since July, and new details have been revealed as to who that partner could be.
The Walt Disney Co. (DIS) – Get Free Report is looking sell a portion of the network to two different partners, according to Andrew Marchand of The New York Post.
ESPN is also hoping to sell 10% stake in the company in total, though the report said the number could be “fluid.”
Disney is looking to pursue partners that will be best for helping expand the network’s reach. There have been a number of suitors floated, including tech companies like Amazon (AMZN) – Get Free Report and even sports leagues like the NFL and NBA.
But according to this latest report, ESPN is looking at a tech and digital company like Apple (AAPL) – Get Free Report as one of its partners and a mobile platform company like Verizon (VZ) – Get Free Report.
Working with a tech company gives ESPN the opportunity to become a preinstalled application on its devices — whether that be with Apple, Google (GOOGL) – Get Free Report, or Microsoft (MSFT) – Get Free Report — and a mobile company allows ESPN the opportunity to explore options to be included into the phone contracts, according to the Post.
Related: The Candidates For ESPN’s Next Partner Include Some of the Largest Tech Giants
It’s unclear when ESPN will decide to lock in deals with partners. However, Marchand reports that it’s looking more and more likely that ESPN will move its main broadcast onto a direct-to-consumer format by 2025.
That date should be worth following as ESPN explores partnerships as it is likely an important discussion point in the negotiations with Disney’s partners.
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