Jan. 4 (UPI) — ESPN and the NCAA agreed to extend their media rights deal for eight years, they announced Thursday. A total of 40 NCAA championships will be on ESPN platforms as part of the agreement.
NCAA president Charlie Baker told the Sports Business Journal that the contract is worth $115 million annually, for a total of $920 million.
“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,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a news release.
The broadcast deal includes domestic rights to 21 women’s and 19 men’s championship events — and international rights to those championships and the Division I men’s basketball tournament.
The agreement also covers championships in softball, volleyball, gymnastics, baseball and more, totaling more than 2,300 hours of championship event coverage each year.
“Over the past several years, ESPN has demonstrated increased investment in NCAA championship coverage, and the Association is pleased to continue to provide a platform for student-athletes to shine,” Baker said in an NCAA news release.
