TFN Connect for ESPN — Privacy Policy

Extension name
TFN Connect for ESPN
Publisher
The Fantasy Network, Inc. (thefantasynetwork.ai)
Effective date
June 8, 2026
Last updated
June 8, 2026

This policy describes the data practices of the TFN Connect for ESPN browser extension. It supplements, and does not replace, The Fantasy Network’s main Privacy Policy, which governs how your data is handled once it reaches our servers (including your rights under the GDPR and CCPA).

What this extension does

TFN Connect for ESPN is a single-purpose browser extension. Its only function is to read two ESPN session cookies, espn_s2 and SWID, that ESPN sets on your own browser after you log in to your ESPN fantasy account, and to forward those values to your TheFantasyNetwork.ai (TFN) account so that TFN can retrieve your fantasy league data on your behalf.

Before any cookie is ever accessed, the extension requires your explicit informed consent via a one-time prompt in the popup. You may decline at any time; doing so prevents the extension from reading any ESPN credential data.

Data collected

Data itemSourceCollected?
espn_s2 cookie valueYour browser's ESPN sessionYes: forwarded once per connection; never stored by the extension
SWID cookie valueYour browser's ESPN sessionYes: forwarded once per connection; never stored by the extension
Derived session expiryCookie expirationDate field (epoch seconds)Yes: converted to ISO-8601 and forwarded
Consent timestampbrowser.storage.localYes: stored locally as { consentedAt: "<ISO-8601>" } to record that consent was given; contains no cookie values
Any other ESPN cookieYour browserNo
Browsing historyYour browserNo
Page content on any tabAny websiteNo
Analytics, usage, or tracking dataAny sourceNo: the extension contains no analytics or telemetry of any kind
Personally identifiable informationAny sourceNo: beyond what ESPN encodes in the cookies themselves

The extension requests exactly two browser permissions and one host permission:

  • cookies: required to read the espn_s2 and SWID cookies via the WebExtensions browser.cookies API. These are HttpOnly cookies that page JavaScript cannot access; the WebExtensions API is the only standards-compliant way to read them.
  • storage: required to persist the user’s consent decision in browser.storage.local. The stored value is { consentedAt: "<ISO-8601 timestamp>" } under the key tfnEspnConsent. This record contains only the moment the user granted consent. It never contains a cookie value, session token, or any other personal data. The background service worker checks this record before every cookie-read attempt; if no consent record exists, the cookies API is not called.
  • Host permission *://*.espn.com/*: required to scope the cookie read to the espn.com domain. Without this permission the browser will not return espn.com cookies. The extension also uses this permission to open https://www.espn.com/login in a new tab when the user needs to log in to ESPN; it does not inject scripts into or otherwise modify ESPN pages.

No other permissions are requested.

What this extension does NOT do

Unlike the broader The Fantasy Network website, this extension performs no analytics, no advertising, no tracking, and no profiling. Specifically, the extension does not:

  • Store espn_s2 or SWID in browser.storage.local, localStorage, or any other persistent mechanism.
  • Log espn_s2 or SWID to the browser console or any telemetry service.
  • Use any analytics SDK (e.g. PostHog), advertising network, or interest-based profiling. None are bundled in the extension.
  • Share espn_s2 or SWID with any party other than your own TFN account.
  • Read cookies from any domain other than espn.com.
  • Inject scripts into any page other than TFN’s own domains (thefantasynetwork.ai, uat.thefantasynetwork.ai, and localhost:3000 in development).
  • Read your ESPN username, password, or any ESPN account-page content.
  • Track your browsing history or activity on any site.

Consent

Before the extension reads any ESPN cookie data, the popup presents a one-time consent screen that explains:

  • What data will be read (espn_s2 and SWID)
  • Where it will be sent (your TFN account at thefantasynetwork.ai)
  • What it will be used for (importing your fantasy league data)

Clicking “Allow” records { consentedAt: "<current ISO-8601 timestamp>" } in browser.storage.local and allows subsequent cookie reads. Clicking “No thanks” leaves no consent record, and the background will return a NEEDS_CONSENT result to the TFN web app without touching the cookies API.

You can withdraw consent at any time by uninstalling the extension or by clearing the extension’s storage via your browser’s extension management page. TFN’s web app will prompt you to re-open the extension and grant permission if it does not receive a successful connection result.

How data is used

The espn_s2 and SWID values are authentication cookies. They are forwarded once, on explicit user action (clicking “Connect ESPN Account” on the TFN web app), to the TFN backend associated with your logged-in TFN account. TFN uses them to import your fantasy league rosters, scores, and other data from ESPN on your behalf.

The extension itself never retains, logs, or analyzes these values. It reads them at the moment you connect and forwards them immediately.

ESPN login assistance

When the extension detects that you are not currently logged into ESPN (no espn_s2 or SWID cookies found), the popup displays a “Log in to ESPN” button. Clicking it opens https://www.espn.com/login in a new browser tab. The extension does not interact with the ESPN login page itself. It simply opens the URL and then monitors the browser.cookies.onChanged event for the appearance of valid ESPN session cookies. When both espn_s2 and SWID cookies appear, the popup advances automatically to show your session status. Cookie values observed during this monitoring are never logged or stored; only the cookie names and domain are inspected to determine when a valid session has been established.

Data destination and transmission

Cookie values are transmitted exclusively to The Fantasy Network:

  • https://thefantasynetwork.ai (production)
  • https://uat.thefantasynetwork.ai (staging, used only during pre-release testing)

All transmission is over HTTPS. No third-party analytics, advertising networks, or data brokers receive any data collected by this extension.

Once received by the TFN backend, data handling is governed by The Fantasy Network’s main Privacy Policy, including your access, deletion, and opt-out rights under the GDPR and CCPA. In summary: TFN stores your ESPN session credentials only as long as necessary to sync your league data, and you can revoke access at any time from your TFN account settings.

Data retention in the extension

The extension retains no sensitive data between uses. browser.storage.local holds only the consent timestamp ({ consentedAt: "<ISO-8601>" }). Cookie values are read once per connection event and forwarded immediately; they are never written to any storage. Uninstalling the extension removes all extension storage, including the consent record.

Your choices and opt-out

  • Grant consent: Click “Allow” in the popup consent screen. This is required before the extension will read any ESPN cookie data.
  • Connect your account: Click “Connect ESPN Account” on the TFN web app after consent has been granted and an ESPN session is detected.
  • Withdraw consent / opt-out: Uninstall the extension or clear the extension’s browser.storage.local via your browser’s extension management page. The consent timestamp will be erased and the extension will present the consent screen again on next use.
  • Revoke access from TFN: Log in to your TFN account and disconnect the ESPN integration from Account Settings. This does not require uninstalling the extension.
  • Full opt-out: Uninstall the extension. The consent timestamp stored in browser.storage.local is removed. No other data is retained by the extension after uninstallation.

Children’s privacy

This extension is not directed at children under 13 (US) or 16 (EU/UK). It does not knowingly collect data from minors. If you believe a minor has used this extension, contact us at the address below.

Changes to this policy

Material changes will be communicated via an updated extension version with a bumped version number. The “Last updated” date above will be updated accordingly. Continued use of the extension after a policy update constitutes acceptance.

Contact

Questions, concerns, or data requests:

The Fantasy Network, Inc.

Email: support@thefantasynetwork.ai