ESPN is currently 80 percent owned by ABC Inc as an indirect subsidiary of Disney, with the other 20% owned by Hearst. If the deal is approved, ABC’s stake would drop to 72 percent and Hearst would fall to 18 percent to grant the NFL a 10 percent stake.

LOS ANGELES, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Walt Disney's (DIS.N) ESPN has reached a landmark deal with the National Football League to acquire NFL Network and other media assets from the league in exchange for the NFL taking a 10% equity stake in the sports network, the parties said on Tuesday.

This week's expanded deals with the NFL and a new partnership with WWE provides ESPN with more inventory and offerings, which it hopes will bolster the company in a landscape that is divided among cable, satellite and streaming.