The Ohio Valley Conference is extending its longstanding partnership with ESPN, agreeing to a new six-year media rights deal that will carry through the 2030-31 academic year. The agreement provides the OVC with an unprecedented level of national and digital exposure, ensuring that fans across the country will have access to hundreds of live events annually through ESPN’s platforms, including its new direct-to-consumer service launched in August.
A key component of the deal is volume. At least 725 events per year will be available digitally on ESPN+, giving schools and athletes a consistent spotlight. On linear television, regular season men’s and women’s basketball games will air on ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU. The conference tournament will also receive prominent placement, with the semifinals televised on one of ESPN’s linear networks and the men’s championship carried by ESPN or ESPN2.
“We’re excited to build on our longstanding partnership with the OVC with this new agreement,” said Mallory Kenny, ESPN’s director of programming and acquisitions. “This deal underscores ESPN’s commitment to elevating college sports and we look forward to showcasing the OVC’s student-athletes on a national stage across our platforms in the years ahead.”
In addition, the OVC will maintain the ability to broadcast up to 50 linear events per year locally within its footprint, allowing the league to strengthen ties to regional audiences while expanding its national reach.
OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche echoed that sentiment, stressing the visibility and resources the partnership provides for the league’s institutions.
“This deal provides an exceptional platform to showcase the extraordinary talent of our student-athletes and the outstanding competition that defines the OVC,” DeBauche said. “ESPN’s commitment to our conference supports our strategic growth initiatives and ensures our member institutions receive the quality broadcast coverage they deserve.”
She added that the agreement represents more than exposure, calling it “an investment in the future of OVC athletics and our student-athletes.”
The OVC’s relationship with ESPN dates back decades, including memorable late-night basketball games in the early 1980s that first introduced the league to a national television audience. The two sides most recently extended their media rights deal in 2018, a pact that moved OVC contests onto ESPN+ and provided a foundation for digital growth.
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