Giacomo Cain
Sumer Lee dribbles down the court against UConn on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, at Wintrust Arena. DePaul women's basketball finished the 2024-25 season with an overall record of 13-19.
ESPN and the Big East Conference announced a new six-year digital media rights agreement which will start at the beginning of the 2025-26 academic season. With a minimum of 75 women’s basketball games shown annually, DePaul will have around 12 games streamed.
“We’re thrilled about this new partnership with ESPN+,” said Taylor Stapleton, the Associate Vice President & Deputy Athletics Director, on Twitter. “This agreement significantly expands access, visibility and reach for (DePaul women’s basketball). It’s a significant step forward in showcasing the talent and dedication of our student-athletes on a national stage.”
His enthusiasm is echoed by ESPN, which emphasized the value of renewing its relationship with the Big East and the opportunities it presents.
“We’re pleased to welcome the Big East back to ESPN,” said Nick Dawson, ESPN Senior Vice President of Programming & Acquisitions. “This agreement returns one of the country’s premier conferences and its tradition of excellence to ESPN platforms. We look forward to this new chapter in our relationship with the Big East.”
The relationship between ESPN and the Big East has been around for more than 30 years. The Big East signed its first national television deal with ESPN in 1980, which ran through 2013.
The Big East Conference initially partnered with FloSports in 2020 through a one-year deal to stream women’s basketball games. Building on that, the conference announced that FloSports would become the “home” of the Big East Digital Network (BEDN) for the 2021-22 academic year. The relationship solidified further when the partnership was extended in 2022 for an additional three years.
FloSports offers its streaming service through two subscriptions: a $12.49 per month annual plan (billed annually) and a $29.99 monthly plan. Comparatively, ESPN has an annual plan at $119.99 — around $10 per month — and a monthly plan at $11.99.
While both platforms offer college sports coverage, ESPN+ has broader visibility and is the leading sports streaming platform among U.S. internet households.
“This exciting partnership with ESPN reinforces our commitment to placing BIG EAST teams front and center on the leading digital sports platform,” said Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman. “Streaming on ESPN+ gives all 22 of our sports — especially women’s basketball and Olympic sports — the visibility they’ve earned and the access our fans expect.”
ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer offering, which includes ESPN+, is scheduled to launch in early fall.