Disney+, the international OTT streaming service, has announced it will take up broadcasting of US college basketball’s iconic annual March Madness NCAA National Championship tournaments across a host of international markets.
For the upcoming editions of the two tournaments, Disney+ will broadcast live all 134 fixtures from across the men’s and women’s tournaments across the EMEA region (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa), particularly in Europe and South Africa.
This covers the entirety of Europe, with the exceptions of the Netherlands (where the ESPN linear network will cover the events exclusively through local TV distribution) and Israel, also excluding the Middle East and North Africa region.
In South Africa, in particular, the ESPN live channels will cover select games from the tournament, which will also be available to stream on Disney+.
This adds to the international March Madness coverage Disney+ already provides in the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand.
Disney is the global non-US rightsholder for both the men’s and women’s March Madness tournaments in a money-spinning deal worth $920 million that will run through 2031-32.
Through this, ESPN and Disney have agreed several rights sub-licensing agreements internationally for March Madness, including with Germany’s Dyn service and an international agreement with DAZN, spanning several other NCAA sports champions’ also.
This, however, is the first time that Disney+ itself will take up the rights in these markets, representing a major step-up in visibility for the NCAA’s marquee basketball showcases.
Indeed, with the current class of NBA-ready NCAA men’s prospects already touted as one of the most promising in a generation, there will be much interest in how the tournament progresses.
The men's tournament will begin on March 17 and run through the April 6 national championship game, with the women's tournament starting on March 18 and running through April 5.
Speaking on the new agreement, Diego Londono, Disney senior vice president for networks and sports in the EMEA region, said: “Bringing March Madness to Disney+ customers across Europe reflects the ongoing collaboration between ESPN and the NCAA, and the commitment both organizations share to grow college basketball internationally.
“ESPN’s decades of experience showcasing championship moments allows us to foster greater appreciation for collegiate athletics, and we’re thrilled to help connect more fans to the passion and tradition of the men’s and women’s tournaments on Disney+.”
Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball, added: “Collaborating with ESPN and Disney+ allows us to share the excitement of March Madness with a global audience that already values college basketball. The NCAA tournament is the ultimate stage for student-athletes, and broadening access to that experience helps grow appreciation for and interest in the game worldwide.”
Disney already holds valuable sports rights, primarily soccer, in several markets, including the continental UEFA Europa League and Conference League tournaments in Denmark and Sweden, Spain’s top-flight LaLiga in the UK and Ireland, and the UEFA Women’s Champions League across the continent.
