ESPN is continuing to invest in women's basketball.
The sports network has agreed to a deal with the NCAA for the broadcasting rights of an NIT-style tournament that will be the first by the NCAA, according to a report by Front Office Sports.
The value of the deal was not disclosed, but there were other deals revealed. The tournament, which will be called the "Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament," will feature 32 teams. It will be broadcast on ESPN+, but its semifinals will be on ESPNU and championship will be on ESPN2.
Related: ESPN exec gives honest thoughts about recent layoffs, other major sports moves
“ESPN’s portfolio of women’s basketball events has never been stronger,” Dan Ochs, ESPN director of programming and acquisitions, said in a statement. “Presenting the inaugural WBIT across ESPN platforms further expands ESPN and Disney’s commitment to elevating women’s sports and investing in the growth of women’s basketball at multiple levels.”
In August, ESPN's president of content told Burke Magnus told The Athletic that he saw "another leap" for women's basketball, and was even bullish about other women's college sports as well.
More ESPN:
- ESPN officially announces overhaul to its broadcasting lineup for NBA coverage
- ESPN reportedly wanted so much more than it actually got in the ESPN Bet deal with Penn
- ESPN is exploring a unique partnership with NBA and NFL, report says
The report also said the deal is likely part of ESPN's maneuvering in order to keep the rights to the women's March Madness tournament as their deal expires in 2025.
That tournament showed impressive growth last year after the championship game between Angel Reese's LSU Tigers and Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes garnered a record-setting 9.9 million viewers.
According to the report of FOS, the NCAA is looking to separate the media rights deal for women's basketball. As it currently stands, the women's March Madness is bundled with 28 other NCAA tournaments and ESPN pays $34 million to air all of those.
A source told FOS that the NCAA Women's March Madness tournament alone could now be worth $81 million per year.
Get exclusive access to portfolio managers and their proven investing strategies with Real Money Pro. Get started now.
