Two days ago, the Wall Street Journal said Rupert Murdoch asked Trump to look at the NFL.
Then Fox closed a deal with the same NFL for two more games.
CEO Lachlan Murdoch walked onto the earnings call Monday and used a clear phrase: "no tension."
That is one read of it.
The other is that Fox now has a tripleheader of NFL games on a single Sunday for the first time on broadcast TV.
What Fox Just Bought
Game one is a Week 10 game in Munich, Germany.
That sets up the three-game Sunday for Fox.
The Sunday game will be hosted by the Detroit Lions and air on November 15.
Game two is a Saturday game in Week 15, set for December.
For investors, the math is simple.
NFL game days are the most reliable ad space left on TV.
More games means more ad dollars at top rates, and Sunday afternoons are where Fox already makes its biggest sports money.
Fox has four years left on its current NFL deal.
Wall Street has been asking when the league might renew that deal and at what price.
Each new game on the Fox slate also feeds into its bundle pitch to ad buyers and pay-TV partners.
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What Lachlan Actually Said
On the call, Lachlan Murdoch went straight at the WSJ story.
"There is no tension with the NFL. We have been partners for 30 years," he said.
He also poured cold water on the renewal talk.
He told analysts there have been no "substantive discussions" with the league on extending the deal.
He said he wants to broaden the tie-up, but only in a way that "creates long term shareholder value."
In investor speak: Fox is not paying any price the NFL names just to keep the deal.
He also said Fox is looking forward to the next 30 years with the league.
That line was aimed at both shareholders and the NFL front office.
What To Watch
The NFL is sorting out who carries its games into the streaming age.
Fox just bought itself a bigger seat at that table for next season.
The renewal talk is the trillion-dollar one waiting on the other side.
Fox stock has held up well in 2026, but the renewal price is the swing factor that could move the next earnings cycle.
Disney, Paramount, and Comcast all hold NFL rights too, so any move on the Fox side will shape the price on every other deal in line.
The next NFL season kicks off in September, and the league still has not said when it will open renewal talks with any of its TV partners.
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