Recent years have seen an explosion in women’s college tournaments’ popularity. A championship match-up between LSU and Iowa attracted nearly 10 million viewers a few weeks back!
Endeavor’s Mandel and Brodkin expressed doubt over estimates for how much the women’s tournament could be worth as a standalone property, believing ESPN with its ABC broadcast, multiple cable networks, and subscription streaming service is the ideal partner.
39 Other Championships
On Thursday, the NCAA and ESPN came to terms on an eight-year agreement worth $920 million that will grant ESPN exclusive rights for 39 championships? including the women?s tournament that saw viewership hit an all-time record when LSU-Iowa’s title game garnered 10 million viewers!
This agreement encompasses championships in 21 women?s sports, as well as NIT and WBIT basketball tournaments, FCS football, men?s and women?s volleyball competition, baseball/softball college world series.
Endeavor executives Hillary Mandel and Karen Brodkin explained this decision was taken because bringing any property onto the open market increases risk for all parties involved.
Women’s Basketball
Less than 100 years ago, girls in Springfield Massachusetts began learning the fundamentals of basketball; today they’re producing game-breaking dunks on scholarship and recruiting is part of the game that even boasts its own professional league in WNBA.
Next season, women?s NCAA games will switch to four 10-minute quarters instead of the 20-minute halves used in men?s games to improve game flow and fan excitement. This change aims to enhance fan enjoyment and keep games moving smoothly.
Mandel and Brodkin reported that while their association was open to unbundling the women?s tournament from ESPN, as it offered the best package of rights for their customers. Given today’s volatile media landscape, however, they deemed it too risky bringing an event alone into market.
Football
CBS and Turner hold rights to the College Football Playoff, while ESPN holds exclusive rights for 40 championship events including men’s Division I tournament. Women?s tournament viewership records were set last year during an ESPN exclusive tournament hosted by ESPN exclusively for 10 days; NCAA president Charlie Baker said his association’s membership will likely consider creating performance units based on conferences’ success in women?s basketball tournament similar to what CBS and Turner pay out annually as bonuses for men?s tournament success. These may help fund additional scholarships.
Baseball
ESPN will continue its popular broadcast of the Division I women?s basketball tournament. NCAA President Charlie Baker told The Associated Press that this deal, estimated to be worth around $115 million per year? more than three times what ESPN paid under their previous 14-year agreement that also covered March Madness tournament? is worth around $360 million per year. He stated that, going forward, NCAA might create performance units based on success in women?s tournament similar to what rewards teams for winning men?s tournament.
Softball
The NCAA and ESPN have reached an agreement to broadcast women?s March Madness tournament. Over time, its popularity has skyrocketed and viewership records were set in 2016.
Lacrosse has quickly become one of the most beloved participant sports in America and around the world. Indeed, Olympic inclusion – something many consider an unparalleled mark of success – was accomplished with it in 1996.
Baker noted the agreement will lead to a substantial increase in value of rights deal for women’s championship, noting the association was able to negotiate the deal within ESPN’s exclusive negotiating window and that open market would pose greater risks for their tournament.
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