Valued at roughly $115 million annually, the NCAA and ESPN have come to an eight-year media rights deal effective September 1st of this year and running through 2032. The introduction of this “multi-platform home” will include media rights to 40 NCAA championships along with international media rights to those same 40 championships and the Division I men’s basketball championship.[1]
More specifically, the agreement will include rights to 21 women’s and 19 men’s championships. Throughout a given year, over 800 hours of NCAA championships will be made available to viewers through ESPN linear networks, providing over “2,300 combined on linear and digital platforms.”[2] Although 24 of the sports were covered in ESPN and the NCAA’s previous agreement, NCAA Division I tennis championships and men’s gymnastics, among others, will now be included.
This deal may also impact the everchanging NIL landscape. Among other opportunities, this deal, and the corresponding national media exposure, could significantly expand the platform for many student athletes to profit from their talents and performance on the court, field, or in the rink. This is especially true for student athletes who compete in sports that heretofore did not have as much exposure on a national stage.