When the NFL first started NFL Network more than 20 years ago, it wanted to create a distribution channel in part to guard against one of its television partners pulling out. That, of course, never happened. Instead, the NFL used the network to bring more football -- the games and everything that surrounds them, all year long -- to fans. The network created Thursday Night Football and launched television coverage of the NFL Scouting Combine. It provided year-round breaking news and shows about the league, its teams and players.

On Tuesday, in a bid to greatly expand the reach of NFL programming and make it more accessible to more fans, the NFL and ESPN announced the league will sell NFL Network to ESPN, allow ESPN to distribute NFL RedZone to pay-television operators and combine NFL F

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