The NCAA has signed a new eight-year championship media rights agreement with ESPN, starting September 1, 2024 that will include domestic rights to 40 NCAA championships including DI Women's Basketball, DIII Football and increased coverage of DIII Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball and Women's Volleyball, and international rights to those 40 events and the DI Men's Basketball Tournament. SBJ's Ben Portnoy reports the deal is worth an average of $115M per year, up from the current total of around $40M per year, with "at least 25% of that value (around $28.75 million) includes production and marketing costs assumed by ESPN." NCAA President Charlie Baker: "The NCAA has worked in earnest over the past year to ensure that this new broadcast agreement provides the best possible outcome for all NCAA championships, and in particular women's championships. 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. 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." (link, link)
|