ESPN Scores $500 Million, Multimedia Rights Pact For NCAA Championships

ESPN has reached a new multiyear agreement with the NCAA under which it has secured expanded multimedia rights to 24 collegiate championships, including the women's Division I basketball tournament. The deal, through the 2023-24 academic year, also covers exclusive multimedia rights outside the U.S., its territories and Bermuda for the Division 1 Men's Basketball Championship. The new agreement, which takes effect immediately, also provides expanded coverage of each round of the NIT Season Tip-Off and all games from the
NIT Postseason Tournament across the ESPN networks.

The deal, which supersedes the three remaining years of the current contract, is valued at some $500 million over 14 school years, according to the NCAA.

Under the new pact, ESPN and its networks retain exclusive coverage of the Division I Women's Basketball Championship and broad rights covering the NCAA Division I Football Championship, plus the men's and women's baseball and softball World Series, swimming and diving, lacrosse and soccer championship action. ESPN is also adding coverage of seven NCAA championships: Division I women's gymnastics, men's and women's fencing, women's lacrosse, men's and women's outdoor track & field and women's bowling. ESPN will also air additional preliminary round coverage of selected NCAA championships, including Division I football (FCS), women's volleyball, softball and baseball.