ESPN, Big East agree to six-year digital rights deal

ESPN and the Big East Conference have not been in business with each other since 2013, but that’s about to change.As ESPN prepares to launch its direct-to-consumer platform this fall, it has reached a six-year digital rights agreement with the Big East, the parties confirmed Tuesday.Big East sporting events are not returning to linear ESPN as a result of the deal, as the league’s partners on that front are Fox, NBC and TNT Sports. Instead, ESPN takes over for FloSports as a digital partner.The agreement will see 25 nonconference men’s basketball games featuring Big East teams move to ESPN+ starting this upcoming season. ESPN+ will also carry a minimum of 75 women’s basketball games and 200 Olympic sports events.It’s a direct deal between the Worldwide Leader and the conference, not a sublicense, and the Big East will produce all the games in question.

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