ESPN Extends Deal With Big South Conference
Disney has announced that ESPN has signed a new six-year extension with the Big South Conference to carry more than 800 conference events annually across ESPN networks, including ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer offering, which encompasses ESPN+ and was launched in August. This content will also be available via the ESPN hub on Disney+ for bundled subscribers. The agreement runs through 2030-31 — 40 years since the longstanding relationship began in 1991.
The extension provides continued linear coverage of the Big South’s basketball championship games, as the men’s championship game will air on either ESPN or ESPN2, with the women’s championship contest to be carried on ESPNU. In addition, ESPNU will televise six events per season, including a minimum of four men’s basketball “Wildcard” broadcasts on the network, and at least two additional linear opportunities on ESPNU or ESPNEWS are included. Additionally, the agreement allows the Big South to retain the rights to telecast up to 50 linear events per year locally in the Conference footprint, with those telecasts co-existing on ESPN+ as well.
Under the arrangement, ESPN+ will continue as the exclusive digital home of Big South Network productions and features regular season and Big South Championship broadcasts, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and lacrosse, baseball, and softball. The Big South was one of the first collegiate conferences showcased on ESPN+ when the service launched in 2018.
Mallory Kenny, ESPN Director of Programming & Acquisitions, said in a statement regarding the deal:
“ESPN is proud to extend our long-standing relationship with the Big South Conference. This agreement reflects ESPN’s continued commitment to showcasing the achievements of Big South institutions and sharing their stories with viewers across our networks. We look forward to building upon three decades of history together and further elevating the Big South in the years ahead.”
Big South Commissioner Sherika A. Montgomery added:
“I would like to extend immense gratitude to ESPN, particularly Nick Dawson and Mallory Kenny, for their continued support of the Big South Conference. Our extended agreement is a testament to ESPN’s strong commitment to our Conference, the compelling experiences of our student-athletes, and the competitive excellence that defines our sport programs — especially in basketball. This enhanced partnership significantly elevates our brand visibility, recognition, and reputation on a national level. More importantly, it provides our student-athletes with a broader platform to compete, excel, and share their stories with a wider audience.”
The Big South and ESPN have a relationship that spans multiple decades, dating back to the conference’s first national broadcasts in 1991, new linear coverage in the early 2000s, and continuing through multiple media rights extensions, most recently in 2018 that first put Big South productions digitally on ESPN+.
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