Did Lachlan Murdoch just tackle the NFL?The Fox CEO on Thursday surprised investors by announcing that Foxs current deal with the National Football League would remain as is through its end after the 2029 season, despite the leagues recent interest in using an opt-out clause baked into the 11-year pacts it struck with all of its media partners that would allow it to update terms to match market levels.More from VarietyDisney Says Commercials for Super Bowl LXI Have Sold OutTony Romo on Leave at CBS Sports After DUI ArrestAs Netflix Tries to Reset Narrative for Investors, Live Programming Could Play 'Starring Role'We dont see any changes to Foxs current pact with the NFL until the 2030 season, Murdoch said during a call with investors. The company will not be making any amendments to the rights deal it has at present. Murdoch said the decision came after recent talks between Fox and the league, but declined to elaborate.The NFL has been in discussions with many of its rights partners, which also include Amazon, Disney, NBCUniversal and CBS, about updating its current contracts. The league has good reason to do so. It deliberately struck its most recent pacts with the opt-out clause, knowing full well that sports are one of the few things in the current media sector that continue to win the large, live audiences that advertisers and distributors crave. The value of sports deals continues to increase at an exponential rate so much so that NBC is believed to be paying the NBA more for its current rights contract with that league than it is paying the NFL for Sunday Night Football.A spokesperson for the NFL could not be reached for immediate comment.The appeal of sports continues to play out in real time. Disney on Wednesday announced it had sold out all its commercial time tied to its 2027 broadcast of Super Bowl LXI months ahead of the actual play date. TV networks with rights to the Big Game typically dont unveil that status until the end of August or sometime in the fall.More to comeBest of VarietyEvery 'Spider-Man' Movie Ranked From Worst to BestWhats Coming to Netflix in August 2026What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2026Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.