ESPN, NFL Network announce plans for "Back Together Weekend" - NBC Sports

What the report says

NBCSports.com’s ProFootballTalk reported that ESPN and NFL Network have outlined their joint coverage plans for the NFL’s “Back Together Weekend,” a training-camp promotional event scheduled for Aug. 1 and 2, 2026. The plans come after ESPN’s April 1 takeover of NFL Network, a period the report says has brought significant changes to the league-owned channel’s operations.

According to ProFootballTalk, the programming will begin Aug. 1 at 9 a.m. ET with a three-hour edition of ESPN’s “NFL Live.” Coverage then moves to NFL Network from noon to 5 p.m. ET. On Aug. 2, NFL Network is slated to carry coverage from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET. The article says all NFL training camps will be open that weekend, with the Hall of Fame Game set for the following Thursday.

The report notes that “Back Together Weekend” was originally pushed by the NFL several years ago as a leaguewide training-camp showcase, though ProFootballTalk characterized it as not having become as established as the league may have hoped. The continued ESPN-NFL Network partnership suggests the event remains part of the league’s preseason media calendar.

ProFootballTalk also placed the announcement in the context of recent ESPN layoffs, saying the release came two days after cuts affecting multiple on-air personalities. That timing matters because it highlights how the NFL Network transition is unfolding alongside broader cost-cutting and programming changes at ESPN.