# List of ESPN sports broadcasting rights

American cable sports channel ESPN has held numerous broadcasting rights for live and tape-delayed sporting events across many different sports in various levels of competition. ESPN was first launched in 1979 by Bill Rasmussen as a 24-hour national sports network dedicated to live sports and highlights.
In 1984, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) purchased ESPN from Rasmussen and Getty Oil. Initially, ABC Sports and ESPN operated as separate entities. However, ESPN started to integrate into ABC Sports once The Walt Disney Company purchased Capital Cities/ABC in 1996. During this time, ESPN and ABC began to jointly bid on sports broadcasting rights with ESPN airing and producing games for ABC under a time-buy agreement. This integration was fully completed in August 2006, when ABC fully adopted ESPN's production staff, music, graphics, and broadcast rights. ESPN sports broadcasts that air on ABC now air under the branding ESPN on ABC.
As ESPN has acquired more sports rights, it has launched more linear channels and outlets to help broadcast sports. ESPN launched ESPN2 in 1993 initially as a youthful alternative to ESPN, but now serves as a secondary general sports channel to the main ESPN network. ESPNews was founded in 1996, serving as an overflow feed with limited live sports. ESPNU was launched in 2005 as a channel focused on college athletics with select ancillary general sports programming. Both the SEC Network and ACC Network were launched by ESPN as specialty channels for Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) sports, respectively. ESPN also offers Spanish-language sports broadcasts through ESPN Deportes.
ESPN also broadcasts sports on online streaming platforms. ESPN3 previously served as the main streaming provider of ESPN games, which included exclusive programming and ancillary content. ESPN later launched its own over-the-top subscription streaming service named ESPN+ in 2018, which saw much of ESPN3's content moved to ESPN+ along with its own games exclusive to the service. ESPN+ also streams some ESPN on ABC telecasts. Both the SEC Network and ACC Network have online streaming components to their networks in SEC Network+ (SECN+) and ACC Network Extra (ACCNX), respectively.

## Current rights
### Professional sports

| Sport | League / Governing Body | Program / Competition | Network(s) | Release | Notes | Ref(s) |
| American football | National Football League (NFL) | Monday Night Football | ABC ESPN ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 2006–present | ESPN exclusive from 2006 to 2019. Select Monday nights simulcast on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN+ since 2020. Saturday Week 18 doubleheader broadcast since 2021. Select Monday nights presented as doubleheaders with two separate games airing on ESPN and ABC simultaneously since 2022. One game per season streamed exclusively on ESPN+ since 2022. | [13][14] [15][16] [17] |
| American football | National Football League (NFL) | Manningcast | ESPN2 ESPN+ | 2021–present | Co-produced with Omaha Productions | |
| American football | National Football League (NFL) | Pro Bowl | ABC ESPN ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 1988–1994, 2003–2005, 2010, 2015–present | Acquired rights from ABC in 2003, acquired from CBS in 2010, direct since 2015 | [19][20] [21] |
| American football | National Football League (NFL) | NFL playoffs | ABC ESPN ESPN+ | 2015–present | One wild card game broadcast since 2014–15 NFL playoffs. One divisional round game broadcast since 2023–24 NFL playoffs. | |
| American football | National Football League (NFL) | Super Bowl | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 2027 (LXI) 2031 (LXV) | Broadcast rights rotated on a quadrennial basis with CBS Sports, Fox Sports, and NBC Sports. Super Bowl LXI marks the first Super Bowl to air on ABC since Super Bowl XL in 2006 (produced by ABC Sports) and the first to be produced by ESPN. | |
| American football | National Football League (NFL) | NFL Draft | ABC ESPN ESPN Deportes | 1980–present | ESPN produces a separate broadcast for ABC since 2019. | [26][27] [28] |
| American football | United Football League (UFL) | UFL on ESPN | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN+ | 2024–present | Broadcast contract acquired from XFL–USFL merger | [29][30] [31] |
| Association football/Soccer | Allsvenskan | | | | | |
| Association football/Soccer | Belgian Pro League | | | | | |
| Association football/Soccer | Danish Football Association (DBU) | Danish Cup | ESPN+ | | | |
| Association football/Soccer | Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) | Bundesliga | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 2020–present | All matches available to stream on ESPN+. Select matches broadcast on ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2; select Spanish-language coverage on ESPN Deportes. | |
| Association football/Soccer | Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) | 2. Bundesliga | ESPN+ | 2020–present | | |
| Association football/Soccer | Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) | DFL-Supercup | ESPN+ | 2020–present | | |
| Association football/Soccer | Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) | DFB-Pokal | ESPN+ | 2020–present | | |
| Association football/Soccer | The Football Association (FA) | FA Cup | ESPN+ | 2018–present | | |
| Association football/Soccer | The Football Association (FA) | Women's FA Cup | ESPN+ | | | |
| Association football/Soccer | The Football Association (FA) | FA Community Shield | ESPN+ | 2018–present | | |
| Association football/Soccer | The Football Association (FA) | Women's FA Community Shield | ESPN+ | 2020–present | | |
| Association football/Soccer | The Football Association (FA) | Women's Super League | ESPN2 ESPN+ | 2024–present | 57 matches stream on ESPN+ with a minimum of four matches airing on linear ESPN channels. | |
| Association football/Soccer | Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional | La Liga | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 2009–2012, 2021–present | Select matches previously broadcast on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes from 2009 to 2012 in sublicensing agreement with GOL TV. Full broadcast rights since 2021: All matches available to stream on ESPN+. Spanish-language coverage on ESPN Deportes. Select matches broadcast on ABC and ESPN. | [39][40] [41] |
| Association football/Soccer | National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) | NWSL on ESPN | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN3 ESPNEWS ESPN+ | 2014, 2017–2019, 2024–present | ESPN broadcast nine games, six on ESPN2 and three on ESPN3, in 2014. Games acquired for ESPNEWS in 2017 and expanded to ESPN2 in 2019. Broadcast rights re-acquired for ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+ in 2024. | [42][43] [44] |
| Association football/Soccer | Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) | Eredivisie | ESPN+ | 2018–present | | |
| Association football/Soccer | Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) | Copa del Rey | ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 2020–present | | |
| Association football/Soccer | Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) | Copa de la Reina | ESPN+ | 2020–present | | |
| Association football/Soccer | Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) | Supercopa de España | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 2020–present | All matches available to stream on ESPN+. Spanish-language coverage on ESPN Deportes. ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 rotated as broadcasters of the tournament. | [47][48] [49] |
| Association football/Soccer | Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) | Supercopa de España Femenina | ESPN+ | 2020–present | | |
| Association football/Soccer | United Soccer League (USL) | USL Championship | ESPN2 ESPNU ESPNEWS ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 2016–present | | |
| Association football/Soccer | United Soccer League (USL) | USL League One | ESPN+ | 2019–present | | |
| Baseball | Major League Baseball (MLB) | MLB Opening Day | ESPN | | | |
| Baseball | Major League Baseball (MLB) | Sunday Night Baseball | ESPN | 1990–present | | |
| Baseball | Major League Baseball (MLB) | Home Run Derby | ESPN | 1993–present | | |
| Baseball | Major League Baseball (MLB) | Wild Card Series | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN Deportes | 2014–present | Formerly the Wild Card Game from 2014 to 2019 and in 2021. ESPN broadcast seven of the eight 2020 Wild Card Series. Exclusive broadcasting rights to the entire Wild Card Series since 2022. | [53][54] [55][56] [57] |
| Baseball | Major League Baseball (MLB) | MLB Draft | ESPN ESPN2 ESPN+ | 2007–2008, 2020–present | First ever televised MLB draft in 2007 on ESPN2. Draft broadcasts moved to MLB Network after 2008. Returned to airing MLB Draft in 2020, broadcasting the entire draft (first round on ESPN, remaining rounds on ESPN2). Has aired the first round of the draft on ESPN since 2021; remaining rounds broadcast by MLB Network. | [58][59] [60][61] [62] |
| Basketball | Euroleague Basketball | EuroLeague | ESPN3 | 2023–present | | |
| Basketball | FIBA | FIBA Basketball World Cup | ESPN+ | | | |
| Basketball | FIBA | FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup | ESPN+ | | | |
| Basketball | National Basketball Association (NBA) | NBA on ESPN | ESPN | 1982–1984, 2002–present | Aired 40 games, primarily on Sunday night, each season between 1982 and 1984. Wednesday and Friday night games since 2002; both nights currently doubleheaders. Friday games to be reduced to select weeks starting in the 2025–26 season. | [64][65] [66][67] |
| Basketball | National Basketball Association (NBA) | NBA Cup | ABC ESPN | 2023–2024 | Formerly named the NBA In-Season Tournament Friday night conference group play games Consolation games on Wednesday and Friday during knockout round. Exclusive Eastern Conference NBA Cup semifinal (even years only) Exclusive Western Conference NBA Cup semifinal (odd years only) NBA Cup final broadcast on ABC Full rights moving to Amazon Prime Video in 2025 | |
| Basketball | National Basketball Association (NBA) | NBA Christmas Special | ABC ESPN ESPN+ | 2002–present | | |
| Basketball | National Basketball Association (NBA) | NBA Saturday Primetime | ABC ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 2016–present | Simulcasted on ESPN+ since 2025. | |
| Basketball | National Basketball Association (NBA) | NBA Sunday Showcase | ABC ESPN Deportes | 2003–present | Doubleheader of Sunday afternoon games from 2003 to 2015. Reduced to single game in 2016. Returned to doubleheader in 2022. | [66][70] [72] |
| Basketball | National Basketball Association (NBA) | NBA All-Star Celebrity Game | ESPN | 2004–present | No All-Star Celebrity Game played in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
| Basketball | National Basketball Association (NBA) | NBA play-in tournament | ESPN | 2020–2025 | ABC aired lone play-in game in 2020. Since 2021: Two of the four 9–10 seeded games Exclusive Eastern Conference No. 8 seed game (even-numbered years) Exclusive Western Conference No. 8 seed game (odd-numbered years) Full rights moving to Amazon Prime Video in 2026 | [73][74] [75][67] |
| Basketball | National Basketball Association (NBA) | NBA playoffs | ABC ESPN | 1983–1984, 2003–present | ESPN aired 10 playoff games in 1983 and 1984, respectively. Since 2003: First round (generally Fridays and selected weekend games, co-exists with regional broadcasts) Second round (generally Thursdays, Fridays, and selected weekend games) Full Eastern Conference Finals series (even-numbered years) Full Western Conference Finals series (odd-numbered years) | |
| Basketball | National Basketball Association (NBA) | NBA Finals | ABC | 2003–present | | |
| Basketball | National Basketball Association (NBA) | NBA Draft | ABC ESPN | 2003–present | ESPN produces a separate broadcast for ABC since 2021. | |
| Basketball | Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) | WNBA on ESPN | ESPN ESPN2 ESPN3 | 1997–present | | |
| Basketball | Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) | WNBA on ABC | ABC | 2003–present | | |
| Basketball | Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) | WNBA All-Star Game | ABC ESPN | 1999–present | Broadcast on ABC most years since 2003. Game not played in 2008, 2012, and 2016 due to the Summer Olympic Games. Game not played in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
| Basketball | Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) | WNBA playoffs | ABC ESPN ESPN2 | 1997–present | | |
| Basketball | Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) | WNBA Finals | ABC ESPN | 1998, 2001–2025, 2027, 2029, 2031, 2033, 2035 | Partial series rights with NBC Sports in 1998, 2001, and 2002. Exclusive full series rights from 2003 to 2025. Full series rights split with NBC Sports and Amazon Prime Video from 2026 to 2036; ESPN gets all full series in odd-numbered years. | |
| Basketball | Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) | WNBA Draft | ESPN ESPN2 ESPNU | 2001–present | Primarily broadcast on ESPN since 2020. | |
| Boxing | Top Rank | Top Rank Boxing on ESPN Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ | ESPN ESPN+ | 2017–present | | |
| Cricket | Cricket West Indies | Super50 Cup | ESPN+ | | | |
| Cricket | Cricket West Indies | Women's Super50 Cup | ESPN+ | | | |
| Cricket | Cricket West Indies | West Indies national cricket team | ESPN+ | | | |
| Cricket | N/A | New Zealand national cricket team | | | | |
| Golf | PGA Tour | Masters Tournament | ESPN ESPN+ | 2008–present | Cable-exclusive and streaming rights; shared with and co-produced by CBS Sports | |
| Golf | PGA Tour | PGA Championship | ESPN ESPN+ | 1982–1990, 2020–present | Cable-exclusive and streaming rights; shared with and co-produced by CBS Sports | |
| Golf | PGA Tour | PGA Tour Live | ESPN+ | 2022–present | Includes more than 3500 hours of live and exclusive coverage of 35 PGA Tour tournaments and at least 28 tournaments with four full days of coverage. | |
| Golf | TGL | TGL presented by SoFi | ESPN ESPN2 ESPN+ | 2025–present | | |
| Handball | International Handball Federation (IHF) | IHF World Men's Handball Championship | ESPN3 ESPN+ | 2021, 2023 | 2021 tournament streamed exclusively on ESPN+. Moved to ESPN3 for 2023 tournament. | |
| Handball | International Handball Federation (IHF) | IHF World Women's Handball Championship | ESPN3 ESPN+ | 2021, 2023 | 2021 tournament streamed exclusively on ESPN+. Moved to ESPN3 for 2023 tournament. | |
| Ice hockey | National Hockey League (NHL) | NHL on ESPN | ESPN ESPN2 | 1979–1983, 1985–1988, 1992–2004, 2021–present | From 1979 to 1983, ESPN's NHL rights were agreements with individual teams. First national rights contract ran from 1985 to 1988; rights moved to SportsChannel America in 1988. Regained national rights in 1992. Re-signed one-year deal in 2004, which ESPN opted out of after the 2004–05 NHL lockout; rights moved to Outdoor Life Network in 2005. Regained national rights again in 2021. | [95][96] [97][98] [99] |
| Ice hockey | National Hockey League (NHL) | ESPN+ Hockey Night | ESPN+ Hulu | 2021–present | | |
| Ice hockey | National Hockey League (NHL) | NHL Power Play | ESPN+ | 2021–present | Over 1050 out-of-market games, replacing NHL.tv. Game feeds originating from regional sports networks and national Canadian broadcasters. | |
| Ice hockey | National Hockey League (NHL) | NHL on ABC | ABC ESPN+ | 1993–1994, 2000–2004, 2021–present | ESPN produced games and aired games on ABC under a time-buy agreement from 1993 to 1994. Broadcast rights moved to Fox Sports in 1995. Reacquired rights in 2000 under the same time-buy agreement. Broadcast rights left again for NBC Sports after 2004. Regained rights in 2021, most games air under the banner ABC Hockey Saturday. | [102][103] [104][97] [99][100] [101] |
| Ice hockey | National Hockey League (NHL) | NHL Stadium Series | ABC ESPN ESPN+ | 2023–present | | |
| Ice hockey | National Hockey League (NHL) | NHL All-Star Skills Competition | ESPN ESPN+ | 2022–present | | |
| Ice hockey | National Hockey League (NHL) | NHL All-Star Game | ABC ESPN ESPN+ | 1986–1988, 2000–2004, 2022–present | Broadcast on ESPN from 1986 to 1988; 1987 iteration was the Rendez-vous '87 aired over two days. Broadcast on ABC and ESPN+ since 2022. | [108][109] [19][110] |
| Ice hockey | National Hockey League (NHL) | Stanley Cup playoffs | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN+ | 1993–2004, 2022–present | Selected first and second-round games (primarily on days when not airing the NBA, depending on which league begins their postseason first or if both leagues start their playoffs at roughly the same time; first-round co-exists with regional broadcasts) One exclusive conference finals series per season (ESPN/ABC has the first choice as to which conference to air.) | |
| Ice hockey | National Hockey League (NHL) | Stanley Cup Finals | ABC ESPN ESPN+ | 1993–2004, 2022, 2024, 2026, 2028 | Full series in 1993 and 1994; co-existed with regional broadcasts. Partial series rights with Fox Sports from 1995 to 1999. Co-produced with ABC Sports from 2000 to 2004. Full series exclusive to ABC and ESPN+ in even years from 2022 to 2028; rights rotated annually with TNT Sports. | |
| Ice hockey | National Hockey League (NHL) | NHL Entry Draft | ESPN ESPN+ | 2022–present | ESPN only broadcasts first round; second to the last round broadcast by NHL Network. All rounds streamed on ESPN+. | |
| Ice hockey | National Hockey League (NHL) | NHL 4 Nations Face-Off | ABC ESPN ESPN+ | 2025 | | |
| Lacrosse | Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) | PLL on ESPN PLL on ESPN+ | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN+ | 2022–present | All matches available to stream on ESPN+. Select games broadcast on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. | |
| Lacrosse | Women's Lacrosse League (WLL) | | | 2025–future | | |
| Mixed martial arts | Professional Fighters League (PFL) | PFL on ESPN PFL on ESPN+ | ESPN2 ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 2019–present | | [118][119] [120][121] |
| Mixed martial arts | Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) | UFC Numbered UFC Fight Night UFC on ESPN UFC on ABC | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPNEWS ESPN+ | 2019–present | First acquired rights linear broadcast match rights. Later acquired exclusive rights for UFC Numbered PPVs events on ESPN+. | |
| Motorsport | Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile | Formula One (F1) | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN+ | 1984–1997, 2018–present | Current coverage simulcasted from Sky Sports. | |
| Motorsport | Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile | FIA Formula 2 Championship | | | | |
| Motorsport | Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile | FIA Formula 3 Championship | | | | |
| Motorsport | N/A | Porsche Supercup | | | | |
| Motorsport | N/A | Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) | | 2023–present | | |
| Rugby union | Major League Rugby (MLR) | | ESPN2 ESPN+ | 2025–present | | |
| Sailing | N/A | America's Cup | ESPN ESPN2 ESPN3 ESPNEWS ESPN+ | 1983–2003, 2010, 2024 | Initially, ESPN interrupted scheduled programming in 1983 to broadcast the seventh and final race. Acquired full broadcast rights in 1987, aired races in some form on ESPN and/or ESPN2. Broadcast rights moved to Outdoor Life Network in 2007. Reacquired rights in 2010 for ESPN3. Broadcast rights moved to NBC Sports beginning with the 2013 America's Cup. Reacquired rights in 2024, races aired on ESPN+ and ESPNEWS. | [130][131] [132][133] [134][135] [136][137] |
| Tennis | N/A | Australian Open | ESPN ESPN2 ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 1984–present | Longest active tenured professional sports property on ESPN. | |
| Tennis | N/A | US Open | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN3 ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 2009–present | Cable-only rights shared with CBS Sports and the Tennis Channel from 2009 to 2014. Full rights since 2015. | [139][140] [141] |
| Tennis | N/A | Wimbledon Championships | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN3 ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 2003–present | Cable-exclusive rights shared with NBC Sports from 2003 to 2011. Full rights since 2012. | [142][143] [144] |
| Volleyball | League One Volleyball (LOVB) | LOVB Pro | ESPN ESPN2 ESPNU ESPN+ | 2025–present | 10 matches to be broadcast on ESPN networks and 18 matches streaming on ESPN+. | |

### Collegiate sports
#### Conference sports

| Division | Conference | Sport(s) | Release | Notes |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | American Athletic Conference (AAC) | Basketball | | |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | American Athletic Conference (AAC) | Football (FBS) | | |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) | Baseball | | |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) | Basketball | 1979–present | |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) | Football (FBS) | 1998–present | |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Big 12 Conference | Basketball | 1997–present | |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Big 12 Conference | Football (FBS) | 2007–present | |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Conference USA (CUSA) | Football (FBS) | | |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Mid-American Conference (MAC) | Football (FBS) | 2003–present | Shared with ASN since 2015 |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) | Football (FCS) | 2005–present | |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Northeast Conference (NEC) | Football (FCS) | 2014–present | Online only |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) | Football (FCS) | 2014–present | Online only |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Southeastern Conference (SEC) | Baseball | | |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Southeastern Conference (SEC) | Basketball | ?–present | |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Southeastern Conference (SEC) | Football (FBS) | 1984–present | Cable-only rights shared with CBS Sports from 1996 to 2023. Full rights since 2024. |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Southern Conference (SoCon) | Football (FCS) | 2014–present | Online only |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Sun Belt Conference (SBC) | Football (FBS) | 2001–present | |
| NCAA Division II (D-II) | Gulf South Conference | Football | 2014–present | Online only |

#### Collegiate tournaments

| Tournament | Network(s) | Release | Notes | Ref(s) |
| College Football Playoff (CFP) | ABC ESPN TNT | 2015–present | Initial rights include all New Year's Six bowl games and the National Championship Game. ESPN exclusive from 2015 to 2024. Playoff expansion in 2024–25 added four first-round games; games available to air on ABC and ESPN. Two first-round games sublicensed to TNT Sports beginning in 2024; ESPN retains in-game production control and uses ESPN production crew. Two quarterfinals games also sublicensed to TNT Sports beginning in 2026. At least one game per round to air on a broadcast network beginning with the 2026–27 playoff. National Championship Game to air on ABC beginning in 2027. | [151][152] [153][154] [155] |
| National Invitation Tournament (NIT) | | | | |
| Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) | ESPN2 ESPNU ESPN+ | 2024–present | Entire tournament broadcast on ESPN networks. Preliminary rounds streamed on ESPN+. Semifinals broadcast on ESPNU, finals broadcast on ESPN2. | |
| NCAA Division I baseball tournament College World Series | | | | |
| NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament | | | | |
| NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament | | | | |
| NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN3 ESPNU ESPNEWS ESPN+ | 1985–present | Limited rights of regional finals and semifinals from 1985 to 1995; national championship game broadcast by CBS Sports. Exclusive rightsholder of the tournament since 1996. ESPN has broadcast all tournament games since 2003; first and second-round games broadcast regionally from 2003 to 2019. 2020 tournament cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All first and second-round games broadcast nationally without regionalization since 2021. National championship game broadcast on ABC since 2023. | [158][159] [160][161] [162][163] [164] |
| NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship | | | | |
| NCAA Bowling Championship | | | | |
| NCAA Division I men's cross country championships | | | | |
| NCAA Division I women's cross country championships | | | | |
| NCAA Fencing Championships | | | | |
| NCAA Division I field hockey tournament | | | | |
| NCAA Division I Football Championship | | | | |
| NCAA Division II football championship | | | | |
| NCAA Division III football championship | | | | |
| NCAA men's gymnastics championships | | | | |
| NCAA women's gymnastics tournament | | | | |
| NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament | | 1980–present | | |
| NCAA women's ice hockey tournament | | 2001–present | | |
| NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships | | | | |
| NCAA Division I Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships | | | | |
| NCAA Division I men's lacrosse tournament | | | | |
| NCAA Division I women's lacrosse tournament | | | | |
| NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships | | | | |
| NCAA Division I Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships | | | | |
| NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament | | | | |
| NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament | | | | |
| NCAA Division I softball tournament Women's College World Series | | | | |
| NCAA Division I men's swimming and diving championships | | | | |
| NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships | | | | |
| NCAA Division I men's tennis championships | | | | |
| NCAA Division I women's tennis championships | | | | |
| NCAA men's volleyball tournament | | | | |
| NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament | | | | |
| NCAA Division II women's volleyball tournament | | | | |
| NCAA Division III women's volleyball tournament | | | | |
| NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship | | | | |
| NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship | | | | |
| NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships | | | | |
Sources:

#### Bowl games

ESPN currently holds broadcasting rights for the majority of college football bowl games. Broadcast rights for bowl games are negotiated directly with the bowl game's organizer. All bowl games are aired on either ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2.
| Bowl game | Release | Notes | Ref(s) |
| 68 Ventures Bowl | 1999–present | | |
| Alamo Bowl | 1993–present | | |
| Armed Forces Bowl | 2003–present | | |
| Bahamas Bowl | 2014–present | Game cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
| Birmingham Bowl | 2006–present | Game cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
| Boca Raton Bowl | 2014–present | | |
| Celebration Bowl | 2015–present | Game cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
| Citrus Bowl | 2007–present | ESPN began producing the Citrus Bowl for ABC in 2007. | |
| Cotton Bowl † | 2015–present | | |
| Cure Bowl | 2020–present | | |
| Duke's Mayo Bowl | 2002–present | | |
| Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | 1997–present | Formerly the Humanitarian Bowl and MPC Computers Bowl. | |
| Fenway Bowl | 2022–present | | |
| Fiesta Bowl † | 2011–present | | |
| First Responder Bowl | 2011–present | Game cancelled in 2018 due to weather conditions. | |
| Frisco Bowl | 2014–present | Formerly the Miami Beach Bowl Acquired by ESPN Events and relocated to Frisco, Texas in 2017. Game cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | [171][172] [173][174] |
| GameAbove Sports Bowl | 2014–present | Formerly the Quick Lane Bowl. Game cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
| Gasparilla Bowl | 2008–present | Formerly the St. Petersburg Bowl. Game cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
| Gator Bowl | 2011–present | | |
| Hawaii Bowl | 2002–present | | |
| Independence Bowl | 1982, 1984, 1992–present | Game cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
| LA Bowl | 2021–present | | |
| Las Vegas Bowl | 1992–present | Game cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
| Liberty Bowl | 1982–present | | |
| Military Bowl | 2008–present | Game cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
| Music City Bowl | 1998–present | Game cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
| Myrtle Beach Bowl | 2020–present | | |
| New Mexico Bowl | 2006–present | | |
| New Orleans Bowl | 2001–present | | |
| Orange Bowl † | 2011–present | | |
| Peach Bowl † | 1992–present | | |
| Pinstripe Bowl | 2010–present | | |
| Pop-Tarts Bowl | 2001–present | | |
| Rate Bowl | 1992–2005, 2010–present | Broadcast rights moved to NFL Network in 2006. Rights reacquired by ESPN in 2010. Game cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 issues. | |
| ReliaQuest Bowl | 1993–present | | |
| Rose Bowl † | 2007–present | ESPN began producing the Rose Bowl for ABC in 2007. Aired exclusively on ESPN since 2011. | |
| Salute to Veterans Bowl | 2014–present | Formerly the Camellia Bowl. | |
| Sugar Bowl † | 2011–present | | |
| Texas Bowl | 2009–present | | |
Source:
†: Indicates a bowl game as part of the College Football Playoff.

#### Other individual games

* Turkey Day Classic: 2006–2013, 2016–present online
* NAIA National Football Championship (2014–present)

### Amateur sports

* High School Showcase: Select high school football games, rights purchased à la carte from various state associations (2005–present)
* FA Youth Cup (2018–present)
* Little League World Series (1985–2030)
* Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship
* Latin America Amateur Championship

## Former rights
### Professional sports

| Sport | League / Governing Body | Program / Competition | Network(s) | Release | Notes | Ref(s) |
| American football | National Football League (NFL) | ESPN Sunday Night Football | ESPN | 1987–2005 | Package initially included eight Sunday Night games during the second half of the season from 1987 to 1997. Full rights acquired by ESPN in 1998; absorbed first half schedule from Turner Sports. Sunday night package moved to NBC Sports in 2006; ESPN acquired Monday Night Football from ABC. | [181][182] [13] |
| American football | United States Football League (USFL) | USFL on ESPN | ESPN | 1983–1985 | Broadcast games in primetime on Saturdays and Mondays. ESPN offered to broadcast a 22-game slate in 1986, but the league suspended operations instead. The league ultimately ceased to exist. | [183][184] [185] |
| American football | XFL | XFL on ESPN | ABC ESPN ESPN2 FX | 2020, 2023 | League suspended operations for two years. XFL merged with USFL to become the United Football League (UFL); ESPN's XFL broadcast rights absorbed into UFL. | [186][187] [29] |
| Arena football | Arena Football League (AFL) | Arena Football League on ESPN | ESPN | | | |
| Association football/Soccer | CONMEBOL | Copa América | ESPN+ | 2019 | Broadcast rights acquired and moved to Fox Sports beginning with the 2021 tournament. | |
| Association football/Soccer | English Football League (EFL) | EFL Championship | ESPN3 ESPN+ | 2017–2024 | Matches broadcast on ESPN3, before moving to ESPN+. All EFL broadcast rights moved to CBS Sports in 2024. | [190][191] [192] |
| Association football/Soccer | English Football League (EFL) | EFL League One | ESPN3 ESPN+ | 2017–2024 | Matches broadcast on ESPN3, before moving to ESPN+. All EFL broadcast rights moved to CBS Sports in 2024. | [190][191] [192] |
| Association football/Soccer | English Football League (EFL) | EFL League Two | ESPN3 ESPN+ | 2017–2024 | Matches broadcast on ESPN3, before moving to ESPN+. All EFL broadcast rights moved to CBS Sports in 2024. | [190][191] [192] |
| Association football/Soccer | English Football League (EFL) | EFL Cup | ESPN3 ESPN+ | 2017–2024 | Matches broadcast on ESPN3, before moving to ESPN+. All EFL broadcast rights moved to CBS Sports in 2024. | |
| Association football/Soccer | FIFA | FIFA World Cup | ABC ESPN ESPN2 | 1982, 1986, 1994–2014 | ESPN broadcast 7 matches in 1982, and then 15 matches in 1986. Broadcast rights to most of or the entire tournament from 1994 to 2014, co-produced with ABC Sports from 1994 to 2006. Full broadcast rights moved to Fox Sports beginning with the 2018 tournament. | [193][194] [195][196] |
| Association football/Soccer | FIFA | FIFA Women's World Cup | ABC ESPN ESPN2 | 1995–2011 | ESPN and ESPN2 broadcast six matches in 1995. Entire 1999 tournament broadcast and co-produced with ABC Sports. 18 of 32 matches in 2003 tournament aired live on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. Entire 2007 and 2011 tournaments broadcast exclusively on ESPN and ESPN2. Full broadcast rights moved to Fox Sports beginning with the 2015 tournament. | [197][198] [196] |
| Association football/Soccer | Lega Serie A | Serie A | ESPN ESPN2 ESPNEWS ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 2018–2021 | An average of nine matches a week stream on ESPN+. Serie A Match of the Week broadcast on an ESPN linear network (ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNEWS) with Spanish-language coverage on ESPN Deportes. All Lega Serie A rights moved to CBS Sports in 2021. | [199][200] [201] |
| Association football/Soccer | Lega Serie A | Coppa Italia | ESPN ESPN2 ESPNEWS ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 2018–2021 | Final airs on an ESPN linear network (ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNEWS) with Spanish-language coverage on ESPN Deportes. All other matches stream on ESPN+. All Lega Serie A rights moved to CBS Sports in 2021. | |
| Association football/Soccer | Lega Serie A | Supercoppa Italiana | ESPN ESPN2 ESPNEWS ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 2018–2021 | Match broadcast on one of the ESPN linear networks (ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNEWS) with Spanish-language coverage on ESPN Deportes. All Lega Serie A rights moved to CBS Sports in 2021. | |
| Association football/Soccer | Major League Soccer (MLS) | MLS on ESPN | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 1996–2022 | All MLS broadcast rights moved to Apple TV+ in 2023. | [202][203] [204] |
| Association football/Soccer | Major League Soccer (MLS) | MLS All-Star Game | ABC ESPN ESPN2 | 1996–2014, 2016, 2018, 2022 | All MLS broadcast rights moved to Apple TV+ in 2023. | |
| Association football/Soccer | Major League Soccer (MLS) | MLS Cup playoffs | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPNEWS ESPN Deportes | 1996–2022 | All MLS broadcast rights moved to Apple TV+ in 2023. | |
| Association football/Soccer | Major League Soccer (MLS) | MLS Cup | ABC ESPN | 1996–2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 | ABC aired MLS Cup from 1996 to 2008. Moved to ESPN from 2009 to 2015. Rotated biannually with Fox Sports from 2015 to 2022. Broadcast on ABC in 2019 and 2021. All MLS broadcast rights moved to Apple TV+ in 2023. | [205][206] [207][208] [209][203] |
| Association football/Soccer | Premier League | Premier League on ESPN | ESPN ESPN2 ESPN3 ESPN Deportes | 1996–1998, 2009–2013 | Broadcast Monday night matches on ESPN2 from 1996 to 1998. Re-acquired rights in 2009 initially broadcasting matches in Saturday morning and Monday timeslots. Sublicensed matches from Fox Sports starting in 2010. Most matches from 2009 to 2013 aired on ESPN2, ESPN3, and ESPN Deportes with occasional matches on ESPN. Full rights moved to NBC Sports in 2013. | [210][211] [212][213] [214][215] |
| Association football/Soccer | Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) | UEFA Champions League | ESPN ESPN2 ESPN3 ESPN Deportes | 1994–2009, 2014–2018 | Main rightsholder from 1994 to 2009 with matches broadcast on ESPN and ESPN2. Broadcast rights acquired by Fox Sports in 2009. Reacquired select rights in 2014 in a sublicensing agreement with Fox Sports. Spanish-language coverage on ESPN Deportes and matches on ESPN3 from 2014 to 2018. Full rights moved to Turner Sports in 2018. | [216][217] [218] |
| Association football/Soccer | Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) | UEFA European Championship | ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN+ | 2008–2021 | Rights moved to Fox Sports beginning with the 2024 tournament. | [219][220] [221] |
| Association football/Soccer | Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) | UEFA Women's Championship | ESPN ESPN2 ESPN3 ESPNU ESPN Deportes ESPN+ | 2013–2022 | Rights moved to Fox Sports beginning with the 2025 tournament. | [222][223] [224] |
| Association football/Soccer | Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) | UEFA Nations League | | | | |
| Association football/Soccer | United States Soccer Federation (USSF) | United States men's national soccer team | | | | |
| Association football/Soccer | United States Soccer Federation (USSF) | United States women's national soccer team | | | | |
| Australian rules football | Australian Football League | | | 2009–2011 | | |
| Basketball | N/A | The Basketball Tournament (TBT) | ESPN ESPN2 ESPNU ESPN+ | 2014–2023 | Broadcast rights acquired by Fox Sports in 2024. | [225][226] [227] |
| Boxing | Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) | | | 2015–2017 | Returned again for 2020 only, based on the Top Rank main feed. | |
| Canadian football | Canadian Football League (CFL) | CFL on ESPN | ESPN2 ESPN3 ESPNEWS ESPN+ | 1994–1997, 2008–2022 | ESPN3 only from 2008 to 2013; by virtue in its stake in Canadian broadcaster TSN, the official broadcaster of the CFL, it held internet streaming rights. ESPN2 and ESPNEWS broadcasts games from 2013 to 2022 with streaming coverage added later on ESPN+. Rights acquired by CBS Sports Network in 2023. | |
| Golf | PGA Tour | U.S. Open | ESPN | 1982–2014 | Cable-exclusive rights, broadcast first and second round of the tournament Shared with co-produced with ABC Sports from 1982 to 1994, then with NBC Sports from 1995 to 2014. Full broadcast rights acquired by Fox Sports in 2015. | [85][230] [231] |
| Golf | PGA Tour | The Open Championship | ABC ESPN | 1983–2002, 2010–2015 | Cable rights; shared with and co-produced by ABC Sports. Cable rights moved to Turner Sports in 2003. Acquired all Open rights in 2010, airing all four rounds on ESPN. Full broadcast rights acquired and moved to NBC Sports in 2016. | [85][232] [233][234] [235] |
| Ice hockey | National Hockey League (NHL) | World Cup of Hockey | ESPN ESPN2 ESPNEWS | 2016 | | |
| Indoor soccer | Major Indoor Soccer League | | | 1985–1987, 2005–2006 | Championship games only in 2005 and 2006 | |
| Lacrosse | Women's Professional Lacrosse League (WPLL) | | ESPN3 ESPNU | 2019 | All matches aired on ESPN3 except for final, which aired on ESPNU. League closed in 2020. | |
| Motorsport | American Le Mans Series | | | 1999–2013 | | |
| Motorsport | Champ Car World Series | | ESPN ESPN2 ESPN Classic | 2007 | Series merged with IRL, beginning with the 2008 season | |
| Motorsport | Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) | | | 1980–2001 | | |
| Motorsport | Global Rallycross | | | 2011–2013 | | |
| Motorsport | IndyCar Series | IndyCar Series on ESPN | ESPN ESPN2 | 1996–2008 | Rights moved to Versus Channel in 2009. ESPN continued to produce the broadcasts of five races that aired on ABC through 2018, including the Indianapolis 500. | |
| Motorsport | IndyCar Series | Indianapolis 500 | ABC | | | |
| Motorsport | NASCAR | NASCAR on ESPN | ABC ESPN | 1981–2000, 2001–2002, 2007–2014 | Contracts with individual races from 1981 to 2000. Contract with Truck Series only in 2001 and 2002 Contract with NASCAR from 2007 to 2014 ESPN's contract portion moved to NBC Sports in 2015. | |
| Motorsport | National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) | | ESPN | 1980–2015 | Contracts with individual races from 1980 to 2000 Contract with NHRA from 2001 to 2015 Rights moved to Fox Sports in 2016 | |
| Tennis | | Atlanta Open | | 2010–2017 | | |
| Tennis | | ATP Finals | | 2000–2019 | | |
| Tennis | | Canadian Open | | 2004–2017 | | |
| Tennis | | Citi Open | | 2004–2017 | | |
| Tennis | | French Open | ESPN ESPN2 ESPN3 | 1986–1993, 2002–2015 | Cable-exclusive rights acquired in 1986 included five hours of coverage across two weeks broadcast on ESPN; rights to women's and men's final held by NBC Sports. Rights moved to USA Network in 1994. Rights re-acquired in 2002; matches aired mainly on ESPN2 with remaining rights still shared with NBC Sports. Rights acquired by the Tennis Channel in 2006 and sublicensed to ESPN starting with the 2007 tournament; matches aired on ESPN2 and ESPN3. ESPN relinquished sublicensing agreement after the 2015 tournament. | [239][240] [241][242] [243][244] [245] |
| Tennis | | Indian Wells Masters | | ?–2007, 2011–2019 | | |
| Tennis | | Miami Open | | 1985–2007, 2011–2019 | | |
| Tennis | | Silicon Valley Classic | | 2004–2017 | | |
| Tennis | | Winston-Salem Open | | 2004–2017 | | |
| Thoroughbred racing | N/A | Belmont Stakes | ABC | 2006–2010 | Broadcast rights returned to NBC Sports in 2011. | |
| Thoroughbred racing | N/A | Breeders' Cup | ABC ESPN ESPN2 | 2006–2011 | Broadcast rights returned to NBC Sports in 2012. | |
| Wrestling | | AWA Championship Wrestling | | 1985–1990 | | |
| Wrestling | | Global Wrestling Federation | | 1991–1994 | | |
| Wrestling | | UWF Fury Hour | | 1995 | | |

### Collegiate sports
#### Conference sports

| Division | Conference | Sport(s) | Release | Notes |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Big Ten Conference | Basketball | 1979–2023 | Big Ten signed new contracts with Fox Sports, CBS Sports, and NBC Sports beginning with the 2023–24 NCAA season. |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Big Ten Conference | Football (FBS) | 1979–2022 | Big Ten signed new contracts with Fox Sports, CBS Sports, and NBC Sports beginning with the 2023–24 NCAA season. |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Mountain West Conference (MW) | Football (FBS) | | Broadcast rights moved to Fox Sports and CBS Sports in 2020. |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Pac-12 Conference | Basketball | 2012–2024 | ESPN did not renew agreement after the 2023–24 NCAA season. |
| NCAA Division I (D-I) | Pac-12 Conference | Football (FBS) | 2007–2023 | ESPN did not renew agreement after the 2023–24 NCAA season. |

#### Individual teams

* BYU Cougars football: 2011–2020 (shared with BYU TV; BYU reserves all rights to their events)