Disturbance was felt in the direct-to-consumer sports streaming marketplace this week as ESPN confirmed the acquisition of NFL Network and other NFL-owned media assets, in exchange for a 10% equity stake in ESPN. With both ESPN and NFL investing heavily in D2C streaming ambitions, where does this deal leave each side? Leaks on a deal brewing between ESPN and NFL first surfaced around 18 months ago, while talk of Amazon circling an acquisition of certain NFL media assets stretch back to 2021. Clearly discussions about streamlining the NFL’s multi-faceted content strategy have been a long time in the making, figuring out exactly what media assets the NFL would agree to sell. First things first, the NFL will retain ownership of…