Big East, ESPN Agree to New Streaming Deal; Includes Basketball

The Big East Conference and ESPN agreed to a new six-year media rights deal that will begin during the 2025-26 season, per an announcement from both parties on Tuesday, July 8. ESPN will carry 300 or more games per year, including men’s and women’s basketball contests, on their exclusive subscription network, ESPN+, which costs $11.99 per month.

Per ESPN’s press release, those 300 games will break down as follows. 25 are non-conference men’s basketball games, roughly two per game per season; 75 are women’s basketball games, and 200 more will split between the various Olympic sports. Each of those three figures represents a minimum number per season.

Given that most non-conference games take place during the first month and change of the season, there’s a possibility that a one month subscription could cover both Villanova Men’s Basketball games for a given season, although that strategy would leave some women’s basketball and Olympic sports games out in the cold.

ESPN+ also offers a yearly subscription package at $119.99, but given that there aren’t many (if any) basketball or Olympic sports contests between May and October, that wouldn’t represent a discount.

The network will also add a direct-to-consumer package that circumvents the need for a cable package and includes ESPN+ starting this fall. That will cost $29.99 per month for an all-inclusive package and $11.99 per month for a limited option.

More shakeup could come to the Big East in the coming days, with the NCAA reportedly weighing the idea of expanding the NCAA Tournament to a 76-game field.