The Ivy League has struck a 10-year agreement with ESPN to allow more than one thousand league sporting events to be broadcast via the sports giant’s multiple platforms, the league announced on Wednesday.
“We are excited to announce this groundbreaking and comprehensive long-term partnership with ESPN,” said Robin Harris, the Ivy League’s executive director, in a press release last week. “This agreement preserves the Ivy League’s place at the forefront of innovation and connects the League with a partner that is driving the convergence of linear and digital sports programming.”
The deal makes ESPN the exclusive national media rights holder of the Ivy League and ensures 24 regular season and postseason league events will be available through the ESPN’s linear networks each year. The remaining events — more than 1,100 — that ESPN will carry will be featured only through ESPN+, the new direct-to-subscriber streaming platform that the network plans to roll out later this month.
“With this new agreement, we continue to provide fans with the most diverse content through all our networks and platforms, while also deepening our commitment to college sports,” said Burke Magness, ESPN executive vice president of programming and scheduling.
According to the press release, ESPN+ will cost $4.99 per month and grant streaming access to the Ivy League Network, the league’s proprietary internet TV platform which started in 2013, as well as thousands of other live sporting events across several college, professional and international sports.
Below is a sport-by-sport breakdown of the agreement as outlined by the Ivy League.
Football
Every Ivy League conference-controlled game, with the majority exclusively on ESPN+. Six games, including the historic Harvard-Yale game, will air on an ESPN linear network each year.
Men’s Basketball
Every Ivy League conference-controlled regular season game available, with the majority exclusively on ESPN+. Six regular season games will air on ESPN linear networks each year. The conference tournament semifinals and championship game will also air on an ESPN linear network each year.
Women’s Basketball
Every Ivy League conference-controlled game, with the majority exclusively on ESPN+. The conference tournament championship game will air on an ESPN linear network each year.
Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey
Every Ivy League conference-controlled regular season game held at an Ivy League institution arena will be available, with the majority exclusively on ESPN+.
Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse
Every Ivy League conference-controlled game, with the majority exclusively on ESPN+. The men’s conference tournament semifinals and championship game will air on an ESPN linear network each year, with the women’s conference tournament semifinals and championship game appearing on ESPN+.
Conference Postseason Events
At least eight additional conference postseason events will be available on ESPN+ each year across the conference’s broad-based sports offering.
Additional Ivy League Sports
A multitude of events in approximately 30 additional sports will be available to fans, with the majority of games on ESPN+. ESPN’s linear networks and ESPN3 will continue to carry select games each year across a variety of sports.