Latest news with #NFLMedia
USA Today
15 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Walter Nolen injury: Arizona Cardinals rookie DL expected to miss most of training camp
Fans won't get to see DL Walter Nolen III in training camp, as he suffered an offseason calf injury. Arizona Cardinals rookie defensive lineman Walter Nolen III, their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, was officially placed on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list on Wednesday at the start of training camp with a calf injury. He will miss a significant amount of time. According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Nolen will miss as much as all of training camp. He suffered the calf injury while training at the team facility in Tempe. Per Rapoport, "Nolen's timetable puts him right up against the start of the season, but the bulk of his recovery will be in camp." That is tough timing because it means he will have almost no full-contact work before the season begins, essentially making it unlikely he sees real playing time for probably the first half of the season. It is the second consecutive year that a first-round has missed time with a calf injury. Darius Robinson, drafted in the first round in 2024, missed the first 11 games of the season coming back from a calf injury. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
NBC Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Free agent S Quandre Diggs fully healthy, cleared to play
Free agent safety Quandre Diggs is fully healthy and cleared to play in 2025, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports. Diggs had his 2024 season cut short with a Lisfranc injury on Nov. 3, which required surgery on his foot to repair. He spent last season in Tennessee, signing with the Titans last August, five months after the Seahawks released him. Diggs started the first eight games of the season, totaling 42 tackles. The Lions made Diggs a sixth-round pick in 2015, and he has appeared in 145 games with 120 starts. He has recorded 24 interceptions with 56 passes defensed and five forced fumbles. The three-time Pro Bowler had started every possible game the four previous seasons before his injury last season.
NBC Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
James Cook will report to Bills training camp
As the Bills report to training camp on Tuesday, their star running back will be in attendance. Via Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, James Cook plans to report to training camp even as he seeks a new contract from the club. But Cook is a potential hold-in candidate, as it's currently unclear how much the running back will practice. Cook, 25, is eligible for a new deal after completing his third season in the league. He led the NFL last year with 16 rushing touchdowns, earning his second consecutive Pro Bowl berth. A second-round pick in 2022, Cook is set to make $5.271 million in base salary for the coming season. While Cook did not attend the voluntary portions of Buffalo's offseason program, he was there for minicamp, saying, 'I like my money.' At that time, however, he did not commit to practicing during camp if the two sides could not reach a deal.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
ESPN viewership soars as it targets $2B NFL media deal and major streaming debut
ESPN's digital and broadcast platforms are peaking in 2025 (Image credits: IG/X) ESPN is dominating the U.S. sports media landscape in 2025, with record-breaking viewership, digital engagement, and a bold strategy to reshape its future. The Disney-owned giant just posted its best midyear primetime performance in over a decade—just as it readies a game-changing direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming platform and eyes a billion-dollar NFL Media acquisition. With the Core Update lifted and search trends rebounding, this ESPN momentum couldn't have come at a better time. ESPN Viewership Peaks: Strongest first half since 2017 The numbers say it all—ESPN averaged 712,000 viewers per minute in the first six months of 2025, its second-best H1 performance since 2017. This includes 1.9 million viewers in primetime, making it the strongest midyear showing since 2014. When factoring in ABC's sports coverage, the combined total hits 254 billion minutes watched, the highest since 2016. The cable sports network isn't just drawing eyeballs—it's dominating Nielsen's metrics across the board. With almost 300 billion minutes watched across ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ESPNU, and ESPN Deportes, it ranked No.1 in total viewing time among all U.S. sports networks. ESPN alone logged 187 billion minutes, far outpacing competitors. 'ESPN has achieved multiple successes across the board,' the network said in its midyear summary, celebrating not just TV numbers but multi-platform gains. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like AirSense 11 – Smart tech for deep sleep ResMed Buy Now Undo ESPN digital growth sets industry standard Beyond TV, ESPN is quietly becoming a digital juggernaut. It now reaches 175 million unique users across its U.S. digital and social channels—up 5% YoY and covering over 63% of the adult population. The ESPN app alone hit 27 million users in May, a 16% spike, outperforming the next nine apps combined. recorded 55.8 million unique visitors and 1.7 billion minutes watched in the same month, up 27% from 2024. On social media, ESPN kept its iron grip as the No. 1 sports brand for the 47th month in a row, with 768 million engagements in May—averaging almost 25 million per day. 'ESPN continues to outperform the entire sports category,' the company stated, referring to its digital-first dominance across web and mobile. NFL media in sight, DTC launch on the horizon ESPN's next chapter is already in motion. Internally codenamed 'Flagship,' its upcoming standalone DTC service will give users full access to ESPN's live programming without a cable login. It's expected to roll out this fall, at a time when cord-cutting is accelerating and audience behavior is changing fast. At the same time, ESPN is in talks to acquire NFL Media, including NFL Network and RedZone, in a potential deal reportedly valued at up to $2 billion. The NFL ownership group is expected to meet in August to weigh the proposal—a move that could realign the league's digital rights structure and ESPN's place in it. 'ESPN is in active discussions and the NFL is evaluating options,' reports suggest, making this a high-stakes moment for both legacy media and streaming players. Also read: 'Securing care was impossible': Richard Tillman's mental health spiral ends in fiery post office arrest FAQs Q1: Is ESPN still the No. 1 sports network in America? Yes, both in total viewing time and engagement, ESPN leads U.S. sports networks by a wide margin in 2025. Q2: When will ESPN's DTC streaming service launch? The full standalone ESPN DTC service, codenamed 'Flagship,' is expected to launch in fall 2025. Q3: Is ESPN really buying the NFL Network and RedZone? ESPN is in active talks to acquire NFL Media, but a final decision by NFL owners is expected in August. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
NBC Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Report: DJ Chark recently visited with Bears
Receiver DJ Chark may be closer to finding a new team. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Chark recently visited with the Bears. Chark, 28, spent last season with the Chargers, but appeared in just seven games for the team due to injury. He finished the season with just four catches for 31 yards with a touchdown, playing a total of 105 offensive snaps. In 2023, Chark caught 35 passes for 525 yards with five touchdowns for the Panthers. In a recent interview with Kyle Odegard of Chark noted that he's weighing his options for his NFL career. 'It will have to be something that makes sense, from a family perspective and also from an Xs and Os perspective,' Chark said. 'Getting up and going to any team just for the excitement – I'll always love the game, but at this point, putting myself and my family in a great position is what's ideal for me.' A one-time Pro Bowler, Chark eclipsed 1,000 yards in 2019 for the Jaguars. In 76 games with 51 starts, Chark has 216 career receptions for 3,100 yards with 24 TDs. The Bears currently have DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Maurice Alexander, Myles Boykin, Devin Duvernay, John Jackson, JP Richardson, Tyler Scott, Samori Toure, and Olamide Zaccheaus on their roster at receiver.
