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ESPN and the Missouri Valley Conference have announced a 10-year extension to their current media rights agreement that will provide increased coverage of conference events across ESPN platforms through the 2023-24 academic year.
 
"The 10-year extension of the ESPN-MVC media rights agreement clearly signals a new era for our Conference," says Commissioner Doug Elgin. "Over the term of this new agreement, our member institutions will literally be producing thousands of live events that will be carried on ESPN3.
 
"The co-branded network that we are announcing today – The Valley on ESPN3 – is recognition that the MVC continues to be relevant in an increasingly competitive Division I environment. The exponential increase in exposure will bring significant benefits to men's and women's basketball, and to every Conference-sponsored sport."
 
As part of the deal – which continues a business relationship that began in 1986 – ESPN, the Missouri Valley Conference and its 10 member institutions will work jointly to develop in-house production capabilities at each campus that will provide significant national coverage for multiple sports on ESPN3 and hands-on educational opportunities for students. As a result, ESPN3 will showcase a minimum of 820 events a year (a minimum of 70 men's basketball) in the final six years of the agreement.
 
Elgin continues:  "A key aspect of this new campus-based production model will be the involvement of students in academic programs – broadcast media and journalism majors – providing hands-on experience that will translate to opportunities for our graduates to gain entry into television media."
 
"I'm proud of the commitment that our Presidents Council and athletics directors are making to our student-athletes and teams, and to the campus community, in general.  The opportunity to promote our academic programs, and to showcase individuals throughout our campus communities will also be greatly enhanced. We are extremely grateful that the Missouri Valley's relationship with ESPN will be stronger than ever."   
 
ESPN also retains the rights to the Men's Basketball Tournament semifinals and championship and Women's Basketball Tournament championship each year.  The agreement will continue to feature multiple men's basketball and Olympic sports game telecasts across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNEWS each year.
 
Missouri Valley Conference
 
The Missouri Valley Conference, the nation's second-oldest NCAA Division I conference, continues to be a leader in college athletics and is one of the nation's most progressive conferences, celebrating its 109th season in 2015-16.  League members have worked together to focus on common goals and objectives, placing a high value on league harmony, while continuing to invest in athletic programs to compete at the highest level. League all-sport members include Bradley, Drake, Evansville, Illinois State, Indiana State, Loyola Chicago, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and Wichita State.
 
ESPN, Inc.

ESPN, Inc., is the world's leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of more than 50 multimedia sports assets. The company is comprised of seven U.S. 24-hour television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes and Longhorn Network (with the SEC Network launching August 2014) and five HD simulcast services (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes). Other businesses include ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (24 networks, syndication, radio, digital), ESPN Radio (broadcast, satellite, digital, a growing category led by ScoreCenter), digital services (ESPN.com plus a variety of sport-, college-, and market-specific sites; multi-screen WatchESPN and ESPN3; plus mobile TV and video, apps, alerts and messaging), ESPN The Magazine, consumer products and espnW. Based in Bristol, Conn., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.
 
The UE Angle:
 
"We are very excited about the new agreement between ESPN3 and the Missouri Valley Conference.  Having all of our games televised on the ESPN3 platform will provide the University of Evansville and our team with more exposure than ever before." – University of Evansville head men's basketball coach Marty Simmons
 
"We are excited that our games will be aired on the ESPN3 platform. This will be great for our fans, families and recruits. It's certainly an opportunity for our program to gain national notoriety." – University of Evansville head women's basketball coach Oties Epps
 
"This is a "game-changing" deal for our program and department in general. It represents the high value of importance that our Conference and school is putting into showcasing the efforts of our student-athletes. Having the endorsement of ESPN3 behind our media resources creates a globalized environment that levels the field in recruiting, exposure, and marketing of our brand. We are thrilled about these news, as we recognize the significance and impact that this will have in the growth of our program." – University of Evansville head volleyball coach Manolo Concepcion

"This deal will be transformational to the athletic department as well as to the school as a whole.  The ability for our coaches to use this as a recruiting platform will be mirrored by our sports communications program.  Our students will be able to gain real world experience working directly with the industry's sports standard." - University of Evansville Athletics Director Mark Spencer  
 
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