ESPN is picking up a little real estate in its sweeping deal with the NFL.

ESPN will be assuming the lease to NFL Network’s 75,000-square-foot studios across the street from SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, sources told Front Office Sports. 

It was not immediately clear how many years are left on the lease, or whether ESPN would be able to use the production facility for content outside of the NFL. An ESPN spokesperson declined to comment.

ESPN’s NBA Countdown and NBA Today studio shows originate out of Los Angeles. Late-night SportsCenter had called it home for many years as well, but ESPN recently migrated the production of it to company headquarters in Bristol.

Tuesday night, ESPN and the NFL announced a sweeping “non-binding” deal for ESPN to acquire NFL Network, the branding for RedZone and its domestic linear distribution rights, and NFL fantasy assets. In return, the NFL will take a 10% stake in ESPN. The deal is pending federal regulatory approval, and it is not expected to close for at least a year. 

WWE continues to lay the smackdown in the revenue growth department. 

WWE’s premium live events (PLEs, formerly referred to as pay-per-view) are migrating from NBC’s Peacock to ESPN’s new streaming service in 2026, the companies said Wednesday morning. The deal is for $1.6 billion across five years, a 78% increase over the previous five-year, $900 million agreement with Peacock. CNBC reported that “select” PLEs will also air on ESPN’s linear networks.

The move is significant as WWE has proved to be one of the few properties whose audience will follow the entertainment and sign up for new streaming services to watch it. UFC, which like WWE is under the TKO umbrella, is another, and has its own rights deal with ESPN expiring later this year. 

WWE was a pioneer in over-the-top streaming, launching WWE Network in 2014. It disrupted a model in which fans who previously paid upward of $50 for PPVs were now spending $9.99 per month on a subscription service. The PLEs moved to Peacock in 2021. 

This year, WWE has at least 10 PLEs, with WrestleMania and SummerSlam spread out over two nights apiece, meaning there are 12 WWE PLE windows. It is conceivable that other events, like the Royal Rumble, could expand to two nights in the future. 

The deal with ESPN does not include PLE rights for NXT, WWE’s developmental promotion, or the extensive WWE library, according to Lightshed Partners analyst Brandon Ross. 

WWE’s TV rights are with Netflix for Raw and USA Network for SmackDown. 

For ESPN, this is another gun in the holster for its upcoming streaming service, which is launching this fall for $29.99 per month. Tuesday, ESPN announced a non-binding deal to acquire NFL Network, and distribute RedZone on linear TV, in exchange for a 10% stake in ESPN. Industry sources have valued this stake at around $2.5 billion. The deal is subject to federal regulatory approval, and some industry insiders have speculated that President Donald Trump will not let it pass through easily. 

ESPN viewers who subscribe via cable or satellite will be able to watch the upcoming streaming service through login authentication. 

The WNBA has a sex toy problem. 

It started in College Park, Ga., where a fan threw a green dildo on the court during a July 29th Golden State Valkyries–Atlanta Dream game.

Another dildo hit the court in Chicago on Aug. 1, and a third interrupted Tuesday night’s Los Angeles Sparks–Indiana Fever game in Los Angeles.

The person who threw the dildo on the court at Gateway Center Arena, where the Dream play, was arrested and faces charges of criminal trespassing, public indecency, and disorderly conduct. 

In a separate incident Tuesday night, a green dildo was apparently thrown in Brooklyn during the New York Liberty’s game against the Dallas Wings, but it did not reach the court. A fan posted a video of the object in the stands and arena security rushing over and promptly removing it. 

The fan who posted the video on X told Front Office Sports that they did not see where it was thrown from, but it landed directly behind where they were sitting and nearly hit someone. No one in their section was ejected, according to the fan. The Liberty declined to comment. New York police told FOS no report had been filed.

Across the country in Los Angeles, the dildo was thrown late in the second quarter after the Fever went to inbound the ball following Kelsey Plum’s free throws. The dildo appeared to hit Fever guard Sophie Cunningham in the leg before Plum attempted to kick it off the court. 

The initial response from some players in the WNBA was humorous. Fever guard Sydney Colson went on her podcast dressed as the green dildo after the initial incident in Atlanta. Her cohost and former teammate Theresa Plaisance then conducted an interview with Colson in jest. 

However in the weeks since, as incidents continue to occur, players’ patience has worn thin.

“Arena security?!” Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison posted on social media. “Hello?! Please do better. It’s not funny. Never was funny. Anything on the court is so dangerous.” 

“It’s super disrespectful,” Chicago Sky center Elizabeth Williams said following the Sky’s game against the Valkyries. “I don’t really get the point of it. It’s really immature. Whoever’s doing it just needs to grow up.”

On Aug. 1, Cunningham posted on X saying, “stop throwing dildos on the court… you’re going to hurt one of us.” 

Sparks coach Lynne Roberts echoed players’ sentiments following her team’s win over the Fever. 

“It’s ridiculous, it’s dumb, it’s stupid,” Roberts said postgame. “It’s also dangerous. Player safety is number one, respecting the game, all those things. I think it’s really stupid.” 

In an interview with FOS, retired WNBA legend Diana Taurasi said, “I would have picked that thing up and thrown it right back at them.” 

The league did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday night. After the Chicago incident, it said in a statement that any fan who threw an object on the court would be banned for at least a year.

Though no culprit has been identified in Chicago, Sky president Adam Fox told FOS that the team handed over arena security footage to Chicago police, who he said were investigating. If police can identify the thrower, the Sky will press charges, Fox said. 

“It’s not safe,” Fox said. “It’s literally in the announcement before the game. Throwing objects, running onto the floor, any of that stuff is prohibited.”