ESPN, MAAC Agree to Multiyear Media Rights Extension

ESPN and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) have agreed to a multiyear media rights extension that will commence during the 2025-26 academic year. This new deal will result in ESPN featuring select regular-season conference men’s and women’s basketball games, along with Olympic sport contests, on its ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU networks. More than 500 events are also slated to stream annually on ESPN+ and the ESPN App.

In addition, the MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship game will return to a prime time broadcasting slot during a national television window on ESPN and ESPN2 on the Tuesday of championship week. The MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship will also function as a standalone event on Monday and will be broadcast on ESPNU or ESPN+. Semifinals for men’s and women’s college basketball will commence on that Sunday and stream on ESPN+, which is where first-round and quarterfinal matchups will be available to view as well.

“ESPN has enjoyed a collaborative relationship with the MAAC for decades,” Mallory Kenny, director of programming and acquisitions at ESPN, said in a statement, “and we look forward to continuing to highlight the conference’s member institutions and student-athletes across our platforms in the years ahead through this new agreement.”

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference member institutions have produced and disseminated over 4,000 live events since ESPN+ first launched in 2018, and it has also provided students opportunities to become involved in campus productions. Teams within the MAAC have been featured on ESPN since 1980, and the conference was among the first to utilize digital platforms owned by the network.

“The extension of our media rights agreement with ESPN represents a significant milestone for the MAAC and its student-athletes,” Travis Tellitocci, commissioner of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, said in a statement. “By elevating the visibility of our basketball championships and expanding opportunities for our Olympic sports, we are advancing our strategic goal of increasing recognition for all MAAC programs.

“The primetime placement of the Men’s Basketball Championship and the improved positioning of our Women’s Basketball Championship will not only elevate the profile of our programs but also provide greater access for fans to engage with MAAC sports on a national stage. I would like to thank LEONA for their guidance and expertise throughout this process, as well as the members of the MAAC’s Technology & Digital Marketing Committee for their many contributions.”

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