The Sun Belt Conference gets expanded agreement with ESPN
Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill announced Tuesday an expanded media rights agreement between ESPN and the SBC.
It is the second consecutive year the conference has expanded its deal with its exclusive media partner.
For South Mississippi, this deal means more TV exposure for the University of Southern Mississippi.
“This new agreement is a recognition of the growth of the Sun Belt Conference and our commitment to excellence in all sports,” Gill said.
The newest expansion of the deal will result in an additional 6,000 events streamed between linear ESPN channels and ESPN+.
“We are thrilled to enhance our relationship with the Sun Belt Conference,” said Nick Dawson, ESPN vice president, programming and acquisitions. “This continued growth will not only increase our televised offerings but will add thousands of events to ESPN+, ensuring easy access for the conference’s dedicated fans to consume more sports and more games throughout each season.”
The deal also comes with an increase in how many football and basketball games will air on the linear channels, such as ESPN and ESPN2.
The announcement comes on the heels of the official additions of Southern Miss, Marshall, Old Dominion and James Madison, as well as the expansion of league-sponsored sports with men’s soccer and women’s swimming and diving.
The deal will continue to run through the 2030-2031 academic year.
Gill also announced the league is closing in on finalizing an agreement with a sixth bowl partner and the deal could take effect as soon as this winter.
This story was originally published July 26, 2022 at 11:38 AM.
