The National Football League's deal with Walt Disney in which it will gain an equity stake in ESPN in return for prime media assets is expected to face scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice, according to legal experts and industry sources.

This week’s expanded deals with the NFL and a new partnership with WWE provides ESPN the more inventory and offerings, which it hopes will bolster the company in a landscape that is divided among cable, satellite and streaming.

Disney's acquisition of NFL Network and RedZone gives the company unprecedented control over America's most popular sport.