Disney’s ESPN, NCAA reach new eight-year deal over media rights

Disney’s ESPN and the National Collegiate Athletic Association have agreed to extend for eight years their media rights deal that covers 40 championships including the “March Madness” annual college basketball tournament, the company said on Thursday.

The new agreement adds to the already successful offering of NCAA events on ESPN each year – a relationship that began 45 years ago, in 1979, the year of ESPN’s original network launch.

Walt Disney did not immediately respond to a Reuters query about the value of the new agreement.