As you may know, ESPN is owned by Disney.

That’s why you can visit the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Disney World, and some streaming packages bundle Disney+ with ESPN+. There were rumors that Disney may sell ESPN, but in a new update, ESPN has reached an eight-year agreement with the NCAA.
According to The Walt Disney Company, ESPN and the NCAA have reached a new 8-year agreement that will begin on September 1st, 2024. This will give ESPN “domestic rights to a record 40 NCAA championships – 21 women’s and 19 men’s events – and international rights to those same NCAA championships plus the Division I men’s basketball tournament.”

ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said that this deal “further strengthens The Walt Disney Company’s industry-leading commitment to women’s sports and will help fuel our continued growth, including in the critical streaming space.”

This new deal will continue coverage of everything previously included — all rounds of marquee NCAA Championship events — and will add coverage of the Division I men’s and women’s tennis team championships and the national collegiate men’s gymnastics championship.

So, what does Bog Iger have to do with this? Well, Iger has previously talked about his #1 priority as the CEO of the Walt Disney Company, with plans to increase the profitability and growth of Disney’s streaming content.

This decision to sign an agreement for the next eight years is unprecedented, given that audiences’ streaming preferences can change so quickly. That said, sports coverage has been in demand for a while, so it’s likely Iger felt it was a worthy investment to strengthen ESPN’s content library.

We’re always here to bring you the latest Disney news, so stay tuned to AllEars for more updates.
See what new sports betting service Disney will launch soon!
Join the AllEars.net Newsletter to stay on top of ALL the breaking Disney News! You'll also get access to AllEars tips, reviews, trivia, and MORE! Click here to Subscribe!

What do you prefer to watch on ESPN? Tell us in the comments!
Trending Now
Grab these LEGO sets before they're gone!
Donald Duck is back in his official meet and greet spot in EPCOT!
Amazon is clearing out the Disney vault!
How did the 4th of July affect Disney World's wait times?
There's a NEW Donald Duck Loungefly collection online you've gotta see!
Amazon has Loungeflys on sale as part of Prime Day!
Bad Florida weather is creating some new problems at Disney World.
Let's have a chat about an Oura Ring that Disney Adults just can’t seem to...
We're sharing the worst-reviewed restaurants in Hollywood Studios!
You can save BIG on a new Marvel Unlimited Membership right now, but there's a...
After a year and half, this restaurant is still abandoned at Disney World with no...
Amazon Prime Day is giving us amazing deals on Oura Ring accessories!
We asked our resident Disney adults which ride at Hollywood Studios they would rope drop...
Disney's Boardwalk Villas got a scathing review recently that could indicate some issues with a...
Amazon Prime Day is here with some HUGE deals on Disney souvenirs.
Check out these three new snacks that just landed at Disney World's water parks!
These Disneyland Resort attractions will be CLOSED in July.
Will Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party be different in 2025?
The holiday dates can be confusing for Disney World, so we're going to break it...
We just ate at the Roaring Fork at Wilderness Lodge, and we have thoughts!