US pay-television sports broadcaster ESPN has expanded its long-term partnership with Mountain West by acquiring the rights to the US college sports conference’s annual American football championship game.
In March 2013, ESPN agreed a seven-year deal, from 2013-14 to 2019-20, for the rights to a selection of Mountain West American football and basketball games.
ESPN has now expanded this deal to include the MW Championship Game.
Coverage will begin with this season’s MW Championship Game on December 5. The game will be broadcast live on the ESPN2 channel.
ESPN’s existing deal runs alongside an agreement between the conference and its primary rights-holder, the CBS Sports Network division of US network CBS.
ESPN and CBS alternate selections of American football and basketball games.
ESPN’s deal includes rights to leading university Boise State’s home games, while CBS broadcasts the university’s away games.