Mark Gastineau's Lawsuit Against ESPN Dismissed

Mark Gastineau just took an L in his battle against ESPN over a recorded interaction with Brett Favre ... as TMZ Sports has learned a judge dismissed his lawsuit with prejudice.

The former Jets star's issue stems from a "30 for 30" documentary titled "The New York Sack Exchange" ... which showed him confronting Favre at a sports show in November 2023 over a sack he gave up to Michael Strahan 21 years prior to break the single-season record, which Gastineau owned at the time.

He felt the clip was edited to make it more aggressive than it really was ... and the network "intentionally and maliciously" did not include the part where they shook hands -- resulting in "ridicule, scorn and contempt" directed at him on social media.

In a 20-page opinion, Judge Paul Engelmayer argued that the talent agreement for the project reflected "that Gastineau consented, in writing, to the use of his name and likeness in the film and related promotional materials."

The judge found the authorization was broad enough to encompass the use of Gastineau's name and likeness in the disputed footage ... so any claim for breach of contract against the sports network failed.

Engelmayer also noted the interaction between the two was newsworthy.

"The exchange between them concerned a venerated NFL record, the incident featured prominently in the film, and, as the film reflects, Gastineau’s aggressive conduct appears to have driven a wedge within the Sack Exchange quartet that was the subject of the film[,]" the judge wrote in the opinion.

While it's a legal victory for ESPN and NFL Films, there's a small chance they aren't out of the woods yet -- as Gastineau can appeal the decision. We've reached out to his lawyer for comment.