Overview

• Don Van Natta Jr. admitted that he remains concerned over the NFL’s 10 percent stake in ESPN but said he has received assurances his reporting will proceed unchanged.
• He said he is deep into an NFL investigation and expects it to be released according to the same editorial standards as before the partnership finalized.
• His comments follow his August 7 social media response to Dan Patrick, who questioned ESPN’s ability to cover negative NFL news after the equity deal.
• On his show, Patrick apologized for overlooking Van Natta’s role in uncovering the NFLPA scandal yet reaffirmed that any league ownership stake poses a conflict-of-interest concern.
• Media analysts are monitoring whether ESPN’s expanded ties to the NFL via the asset swap—worth a 10 percent equity position—will reshape its future coverage of league affairs.