US cable-television broadcaster ESPN has acquired rights for the Big South US college sports conference in a seven-year deal, from 2013 to 2019.
Under the deal, which extends a partnership that began in 1991, ESPN will show an average of 62 Big South events per year.
The men’s basketball championship game will continue to be broadcast on either the main ESPN channel or ESPN2, while the ESPNU college sports channel will show six events per season. The ESPN3 online streaming platform will also show at least 50 events per year.
The Wasserman Media Group agency advised the conference during its negotiations with ESPN.
“With ESPN’s support, the Big South can now showcase our biggest events across 19 championship sports, and do it in a manner that is consistent with the Big South’s commitment to a progressive digital presence,” the conference’s commissioner, Kyle Kallander, said.