Valley, ESPN extend deal though 2028-29

MBB/WBB: 'The Valley on ESPN' will produce roughly 875 events per year

(Graphic: Missouri Valley Conference)

The Missouri Valley Conference’s relationship with ESPN dates back to 1986. Thanks to a new multi-year media rights extension, that relationship will now continue through at least the 2028-29 academic year.

“The five-year extension of the ESPN-MVC media rights agreement emphasizes a long-term collaboration that has worked successfully for decades,” Missouri Valley Conference Commissioner Jeff Jackson said Tuesday in statement. “While there is an unprecedented climate of change in our industry, particularly in the linear and digital live-event production space, our relationship with ESPN continues to be one of cooperation, innovation and brand promotion.”

The opening rounds of the men’s basketball tournament will continue to air on ESPN+. The semifinals will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network, while the championship game will air on CBS and will stream live on Paramount+.

The women’s tournament will air entirely on the ESPN family of networks.

There will also be multiple men’s basketball games, along with other Olympic sport game telecasts broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU each year.

As part of the agreement, the co-branded The Valley On ESPN will produce roughly 875 sporting events from all 12 conference schools.

“ESPN continues to embrace our vision to tell our story in the best way possible with nuances like the use of the Wildcard Selection process for our ESPN2 and ESPNU men’s basketball games, programming choices like MVC regular-season baseball on ESPNU involving NCAA Tournament participants like Indiana State and Evansville, and placement of the MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament title game on either ESPNU or ESPN2 for the past three seasons,” Jackson added. “Those elements combined with the continued priority for The Valley on ESPN confirm the recognition by ESPN of the strength of the Missouri Valley Conference brand.”