Study estimates about 75% of former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had the brain disease CTE
A study in JAMA Network Open by researchers at Boston University and others estimates that about 75% of former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had the brain disease CTE, which is linked to repeated head impacts.
Left 1 · Centre-left 4 · Centre 0 · Centre-right 3 · Right 5
ContextSources by leanVideoDeep diveFollow the moneyMore coverage
How each side framed it
Left-leaning outlets
Left-rated outlets headline it: “New study suggests 3 in 4 former NFL players who died from 2008 to 2023 had CTE” (CNN); “Study estimates 75% of NFL players who died over 15-year span had CTE” (NBC News).
Centre outlets
No least-biased (centre) outlet in our sample covered it.
Right-leaning outlets
Right-rated outlets headline it: “Study Estimates That 75 Percent of NFL Players Who Died Between 2008 and 2023 Had CTE” (Breitbart); “CTE study finds nearly 75% of ex-NFL players who died from 2008 to 2023 had brain disease” (CBS News).
Context
We write the background for the day's biggest stories; for this one, start with these searches. How it works.
Search for more (live results, not checked by us): Wikipedia search · Explainers (Google News search) · Background and history (Google News search)
Sources by lean
Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.
Left 3
Centre 0
No centre coverage found — blindspot
Showing 3 from left and right of 13 rated outlets (L 5 / C 0 / R 8). More coverage
Video
News reports, explainers and podcasts on YouTube. We pick and balance videos for the day's biggest stories; for this one, use these searches. Links open YouTube, which has its own privacy policy; nothing from YouTube loads on this page.
YouTube searches (live results, not checked or balanced by us): News videos · Explainers · Podcasts
Deep dive
A short prompt for thinking it through. We write a fuller side-by-side deep dive for the day's biggest stories.
A question to hold: What would each side need to see to change its mind?
Try it: open one left and one right article in Sources by lean and note what each takes for granted.
Follow the money
Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.
Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (13 outlets)
| Outlet | Lean | Ownership & funding (MBFC) |
|---|---|---|
| HuffPost | Left | HuffPost is owned by BuzzFeed, Inc., a publicly traded digital media company based in New York. In November 2020, BuzzFeed acquired HuffPost from Verizon Media Group, with Verizon becoming a minority shareholder. In February 2021, BuzzFeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti took charge of the combined properties. source |
| CNN | Centre-left | No ownership data found |
| NBC News | Centre-left | No ownership data found |
| NPR | Centre-left | According to a Columbia Journalism Review article dated 2010, a large portion of NPR’s revenue comes from dues and fees paid by Member stations and corporate sponsorships. In another article by Columbia Journalism Review, they state that as of 2017, NPR receives less than 1 percent of its total funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting(CPB). source |
| The Guardian | Centre-left | The Guardian and its companion publication, the Sunday newspaper The Observer, are owned by Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). Scott Trust Limited was created in 1936 to ensure the editorial independence of the publications and owns Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). source |
| CBS News | Centre-right | CBS News is owned by Paramount Global, which was formerly controlled by National Amusements, Inc., the holding company of the Redstone family. In 2025, Paramount entered into a merger agreement with Skydance Media, effectively ending the Redstones’ majority control. CBS News generates revenue primarily through advertising and affiliate broadcasting fees..push({}); source |
| New York Post | Centre-right | The New York Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, which owns many conservative/sensational media outlets worldwide. The paper is funded through advertising, subscriptions, and newsstand sales. source |
| Washington Times | Centre-right | Operations Holdings Inc is the Washington Times owner, owned by the Unification Church of South Korea, through their holding company HSA-UWC (Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity). In 1954, Reverend Sun Myung Moon founded this religious movement in South Korea, known for its mass weddings, and its members are referred to as “Moonies.” source |
| Breitbart | Right | After the death of Andrew Breitbart in 2012, Larry Solov became CEO and president of Breitbart News. In 2017, according to Politico, Larry Solov revealed the owner of Breitbart as “himself, founder Andrew Breitbart’s widow, Susie Breitbart, and the Republican mega-donor family, the Mercers.” Further, Solov also stated that he wants “to disclose as little as possible about financial and ownership structure.” source |
| Daily Caller | Right | No ownership data found |
| Daily Mail | Right | The Daily Mail is published by Associated Newspapers Limited, part of Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT). DMGT is controlled by the Rothermere family and is 100% owned by Rothermere Continuation Limited. Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere, serves as Chairman..push({}); DMGT became privately owned after delisting from the London Stock Exchange in 2022. source |
| Fox News | Right | Rupert Murdoch is the owner and a board member of News Corp 21st Century Fox. According to Reuters, James Murdoch (son) was chief executive of 21st Century Fox and left in May 2018. L achlan (the other son of Murdoch) and Rupert Murdoch will serve as the new Fox co-chairman. source |
| Newsmax | Right | Newsmax is owned by publicly traded Newsmax Inc., which began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol NMAX on March 31, 2025. The company completed a $75 million public offering after previously raising approximately $225 million through a preferred-stock offering. source |