ESPN And NCAA Set New 8-Year Media Rights Deal Worth $920M, Extending College Sports Run That Began In 1979

Dade Hayes
·3 min read
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ESPN and the NCAA have agreed to an 8-year media rights deal, extending a run for college sports that began in 1979 when the all-sports cable network was in its infancy.

The pact, which takes effect September 1, was valued at $920 million in multiple media reports. ESPN declined to comment on the financial terms when contacted by Deadline. The new contract includes rights to 21 women’s and 19 men’s championships and exclusives for all rounds in sports like women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, women’s gymnastics, softball, baseball and FCS football. Division II and Division III coverage will be expanded under the new agreement.

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Men’s championships covered by the deal include soccer, football (FCS, DII & DIII), cross country, water polo, indoor track & field, swimming & diving, wrestling, ice hockey, gymnastics, fencing, volleyball, lacrosse, outdoor track & field, tennis, baseball and basketball (including DII semifinals & DIII semifinals and championship). Women’s championships include soccer, field hockey, volleyball (including DII & DIII), cross country, indoor track & field, swimming & diving, basketball (including DII & DIII), ice hockey, bowling, gymnastics, fencing, beach volleyball, lacrosse, outdoor track & field, tennis, softball, and water polo.

Also in the mix are the men’s National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) as well as international rights to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. In the U.S., Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery jointly control rights to men’s basketball’s March Madness. The other major piece of college sports media real estate not part of the multi-sport renewal is the College Football Playoff, which ESPN has had rights to for 10 years.

Games will appear across broadcast and cable networks ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews, as well as on streaming service ESPN+, including a select number of streaming exclusives. A press release said the agreement calls for the NCAA and ESPN to “work together to maximize exposure opportunities on ABC and ESPN throughout the term.” The national championship game in Division I women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, women’s gymnastics, and the Football Championship Subdivision are guaranteed to air on ABC each year, the release noted. Additional ABC windows are also guaranteed for the overall softball and baseball championships.

Endeavor’s IMG and WME Sports served as the media advisor to the NCAA for the media rights negotiations.

“ESPN and the NCAA have enjoyed a strong and collaborative relationship for more than four decades, and we are thrilled that it will continue as part of this new, long-term agreement,” said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. “The ESPN networks and platforms will exclusively present a record number of championships, including all rounds of several marquee events that, together with the NCAA, we have grown over time. This unprecedented deal also further strengthens The Walt Disney Company’s industry-leading commitment to women’s sports and will help fuel our continued growth, including in the critical streaming space.”

NCAA President Charlie Baker said the organization had worked for the past year on finalizing the new deal, with a particular goal of advancing women’s sports. “Having one multi-platform home to showcase our championships provides additional growth potential along with a greater experience for the viewer and our student-athletes,” he said.

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