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.

The morning after the Walt Disney Co. and the NFL formally announced their blockbuster equity-for-assets swap, Bob Iger told investors the deal may well be the biggest thing to hit ESPN in nearly 40 years.

The National Football League will sell most of its media businesses to Walt Disney Co. in exchange for a 10% stake in the ESPN sports networks, deepening the ties between the league and one of its top broadcast partners.