diff --git a/esphome/components/espnow/__init__.py b/esphome/components/espnow/__init__.py
index faeccd910e0..e01b84cb575 100644
--- a/esphome/components/espnow/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/espnow/__init__.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from esphome.core import HexInt
 from esphome.types import ConfigType
 
 CODEOWNERS = ["@jesserockz"]
-AUTO_LOAD = ["socket"]
+AUTO_LOAD = ["socket", "network"]
 
 byte_vector = cg.std_vector.template(cg.uint8)
 peer_address_t = cg.std_ns.class_("array").template(cg.uint8, 6)
diff --git a/esphome/components/espnow/espnow_component.cpp b/esphome/components/espnow/espnow_component.cpp
index d2e53d64d8a..c7b6aa500b4 100644
--- a/esphome/components/espnow/espnow_component.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/espnow/espnow_component.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 #ifdef USE_WIFI
 #include "esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.h"
 #endif
-#include "esphome/components/network/esp_utils.h"
 
 namespace esphome::espnow {
 
@@ -151,12 +150,7 @@ bool ESPNowComponent::is_wifi_enabled() {
 
 void ESPNowComponent::setup() {
   // Initialize LwIP stack for wake_loop_threadsafe() socket support
-  bool success = network::esp_init();
-  if (!success) {
-    ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Failed to initialize network interface");
-    this->mark_failed();
-    return;
-  }
+  // Network interface setup handled by network component
 
   if (this->enable_on_boot_) {
     this->enable_();
diff --git a/esphome/components/ethernet/ethernet_component.cpp b/esphome/components/ethernet/ethernet_component.cpp
index 061c3106c85..c651a7d50af 100644
--- a/esphome/components/ethernet/ethernet_component.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/ethernet/ethernet_component.cpp
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@
 #include <driver/spi_master.h>
 #endif
 
-#include "esphome/components/network/esp_utils.h"
-
 namespace esphome {
 namespace ethernet {
 
@@ -103,13 +101,7 @@ void EthernetComponent::setup() {
   err = spi_bus_initialize(host, &buscfg, SPI_DMA_CH_AUTO);
   ESPHL_ERROR_CHECK(err, "SPI bus initialize error");
 #endif
-
-  bool success = network::esp_init();
-  if (!success) {
-    ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Failed to initialize network interface");
-    this->mark_failed();
-    return;
-  }
+  // Network interface setup handled by network component
 
   esp_netif_config_t cfg = ESP_NETIF_DEFAULT_ETH();
   this->eth_netif_ = esp_netif_new(&cfg);
diff --git a/esphome/components/network/__init__.py b/esphome/components/network/__init__.py
index 1f75b12178a..3c78ea681ca 100644
--- a/esphome/components/network/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/network/__init__.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import esphome.codegen as cg
 from esphome.components.esp32 import add_idf_sdkconfig_option
 from esphome.components.psram import is_guaranteed as psram_is_guaranteed
 import esphome.config_validation as cv
-from esphome.const import CONF_ENABLE_IPV6, CONF_MIN_IPV6_ADDR_COUNT
+from esphome.const import CONF_ENABLE_IPV6, CONF_ID, CONF_MIN_IPV6_ADDR_COUNT
 from esphome.core import CORE, CoroPriority, coroutine_with_priority
 
 CODEOWNERS = ["@esphome/core"]
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ KEY_HIGH_PERFORMANCE_NETWORKING = "high_performance_networking"
 CONF_ENABLE_HIGH_PERFORMANCE = "enable_high_performance"
 
 network_ns = cg.esphome_ns.namespace("network")
+NetworkComponent = network_ns.class_("NetworkComponent", cg.Component)
 IPAddress = network_ns.class_("IPAddress")
 
 
@@ -107,6 +108,7 @@ def has_high_performance_networking() -> bool:
 
 CONFIG_SCHEMA = cv.Schema(
     {
+        cv.GenerateID(): cv.declare_id(NetworkComponent),
         cv.SplitDefault(
             CONF_ENABLE_IPV6,
             esp8266=False,
@@ -224,3 +226,11 @@ async def to_code(config):
                 cg.add_build_flag("-DPIO_FRAMEWORK_ARDUINO_LWIP2_IPV6_LOW_MEMORY")
             if CORE.is_bk72xx:
                 cg.add_build_flag("-DCONFIG_IPV6")
+
+    CORE.add_job(network_component_to_code, config)
+
+
+@coroutine_with_priority(CoroPriority.NETWORK_SERVICES)
+async def network_component_to_code(config):
+    var = cg.new_Pvariable(config[CONF_ID])
+    await cg.register_component(var, config)
diff --git a/esphome/components/network/esp_utils.h b/esphome/components/network/esp_utils.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 37e9da46b0f..00000000000
--- a/esphome/components/network/esp_utils.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-#pragma once
-#include "esphome/core/defines.h"
-#if defined(USE_NETWORK) && defined(USE_ESP32)
-#include "esp_netif.h"
-#include "esp_event.h"
-namespace esphome {
-namespace network {
-
-/// Initialize ESP-IDF network interfaces and ensure the default event loop exists.
-/// Returns true on success; logs and returns false on failure.
-bool esp_init();
-
-}  // namespace network
-}  // namespace esphome
-#endif
diff --git a/esphome/components/network/esp_utils.cpp b/esphome/components/network/network_component.cpp
similarity index 62%
rename from esphome/components/network/esp_utils.cpp
rename to esphome/components/network/network_component.cpp
index d66dc27b9bc..e9c4dcd7464 100644
--- a/esphome/components/network/esp_utils.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/network/network_component.cpp
@@ -1,37 +1,35 @@
-#include "esp_utils.h"
+#include "network_component.h"
 
 #include "esphome/core/defines.h"
-#if defined(USE_NETWORK) && defined(USE_ESP32)
+#ifdef USE_NETWORK
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
+#ifdef USE_ESP32
 #include "esp_err.h"
 #include "esp_netif.h"
 #include "esp_event.h"
+#endif
 namespace esphome {
 namespace network {
 
-static const char *const TAG = "network_esp";
+static const char *const TAG = "network";
 
-static bool initialized = false;
-
-bool esp_init() {
-  if (initialized) {
-    return true;
-  }
+void NetworkComponent::setup() {
+  // Initialize ESP-IDF network interfaces and ensure the default event loop exists.
+#ifdef USE_ESP32
   esp_err_t err;
   err = esp_netif_init();
   if (err != ESP_OK) {
     ESP_LOGE(TAG, "esp_netif_init failed: (%d) %s", err, esp_err_to_name(err));
-    return false;
+    this->mark_failed();
+    return;
   }
   err = esp_event_loop_create_default();
   if (err != ESP_OK) {
     ESP_LOGE(TAG, "esp_event_loop_create_default failed: (%d) %s", err, esp_err_to_name(err));
-    return false;
+    this->mark_failed();
+    return;
   }
-  initialized = true;
-  return true;
-}
-
+#endif
 }  // namespace network
 }  // namespace esphome
 #endif
diff --git a/esphome/components/network/network_component.h b/esphome/components/network/network_component.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9530668a06e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/esphome/components/network/network_component.h
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#pragma once
+#include "esphome/core/defines.h"
+#ifdef USE_NETWORK
+
+#ifdef USE_ESP32
+#include "esp_netif.h"
+#include "esp_event.h"
+#endif
+namespace esphome {
+namespace network {
+class NetworkComponent : public Component {
+ public:
+  void setup() override;
+  float get_setup_priority() const override { return setup_priority::AFTER_BLUETOOTH; }
+};
+}  // namespace network
+}  // namespace esphome
+#endif
diff --git a/esphome/components/openthread/openthread_esp.cpp b/esphome/components/openthread/openthread_esp.cpp
index be59ad7a757..451ff025e02 100644
--- a/esphome/components/openthread/openthread_esp.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/openthread/openthread_esp.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 #include "esp_task_wdt.h"
 #include "esphome/core/helpers.h"
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
-#include "esphome/components/network/esp_utils.h"
 
 #include "esp_err.h"
 #include "esp_event.h"
@@ -35,13 +34,8 @@ void OpenThreadComponent::setup() {
   esp_vfs_eventfd_config_t eventfd_config = {
       .max_fds = 3,
   };
+  // Network interface setup handled by network component
   ESP_ERROR_CHECK(nvs_flash_init());
-  bool success = network::esp_init();
-  if (!success) {
-    ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Failed to initialize network interface");
-    this->mark_failed();
-    return;
-  }
   ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_vfs_eventfd_register(&eventfd_config));
 
   xTaskCreate(
diff --git a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp_idf.cpp b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp_idf.cpp
index 1a49efa831a..39537b2cffa 100644
--- a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp_idf.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp_idf.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 #ifdef USE_CAPTIVE_PORTAL
 #include "esphome/components/captive_portal/captive_portal.h"
 #endif
-#include "esphome/components/network/esp_utils.h"
 
 #include "lwip/apps/sntp.h"
 #include "lwip/dns.h"
@@ -139,12 +138,7 @@ void WiFiComponent::wifi_pre_setup_() {
     get_mac_address_raw(mac);
     set_mac_address(mac);
   }
-  bool success = network::esp_init();
-  if (!success) {
-    ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Failed to initialize network interface");
-    this->mark_failed();
-    return;
-  }
+  // Network interface setup handled by network component
   s_wifi_event_group = xEventGroupCreate();
   if (s_wifi_event_group == nullptr) {
     ESP_LOGE(TAG, "xEventGroupCreate failed");