OVC Signs Six-Year Deal with ESPN

Over 700 Events

Editor: The following is part of a press release from ovcsports.com.

ESPN and the Ohio Valley Conference have announced a new six-year media rights agreement, extending the long-standing collaboration.

The new agreement delivers unprecedented visibility for OVC student-athletes, coaches, and programs—anchored by a robust slate of events annually across ESPN platforms, including ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer offering, which is inclusive of ESPN+ and launched in August.

A minimum of 725 events per year will be available digitally on ESPN+.  Linear exposure includes regular season basketball broadcasts on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, the semifinals of the Men’s Basketball Tournament on either ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPNEWS and the Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship game on either ESPN or ESPN2.

Additionally, the agreement allows the OVC to retain the rights to broadcast up to 50 linear events per year locally in the Conference footprint.

“We’re excited to build on our longstanding partnership with the OVC with this new agreement,” said Mallory Kenny, ESPN Director of Programming and Acquisitions. “This deal underscores ESPN’s commitment to elevating college sports and we look forward to showcasing the OVC’s student-athletes on a national stage across our platforms in the years ahead.”

“We are thrilled to continue our valued partnership with ESPN through this new long-term agreement,” said OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche. “This deal provides an exceptional platform to showcase the extraordinary talent of our student-athletes and the outstanding competition that defines the OVC. ESPN’s commitment to our conference supports our strategic growth initiatives and ensures our member institutions receive the quality broadcast coverage they deserve. We’re deeply grateful to our ESPN partners for their partnership and vision.”

The OVC and ESPN have a relationship that spans multiple decades, dating back to the league playing midnight basketball games to a national television audience in the early 1980s, and continuing through several media rights agreements, including an extension in 2018 that first put contests digitally on ESPN+.