Sky Sports has secured the rights to broadcast NCAA football and basketball in the UK, putting an end to the blackout that started after the TNT Sports deal ended. This means that British fans can now enjoy up to three college football matches a week, all bowl championship games, and the iconic College Gameday pre-game show. The deal with ESPN, which manages the NCAA’s international rights, will last until the end of the 2024/25 season.
The blackout began in the summer after TNT Sports decided not to extend its agreement with ESPN, which also included magazine programming such as ‘Pardon the Interruption’. As a result, both NCAA football and basketball had been absent from British screens.
However, the exception to the blackout were games involving Notre Dame, which isn’t affiliated with a conference and sells its own media rights to broadcasters worldwide, including Sky Sports in the UK.
In the US, NBC has extended its deal to broadcast Notre Dame matchups until 2029. This means that fans can continue to enjoy exclusive matches on NBC’s Peacock streaming service, in addition to the traditional broadcasts on NBC.
The previous contract was worth US$22 million a season, and although the financial terms for the extension have not been disclosed, it includes provisions for additional exclusive matches on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.
Rick Cordella, NBC Sports president, expressed his excitement about the extension, stating, “There is no better tradition than Notre Dame Football in South Bend, and we are thrilled to keep that tradition within the NBC Sports family as we extend our relationship as the exclusive home of Fighting Irish home games through the end of the decade.” He also mentioned that the enhanced rights will allow them to present Notre Dame Football on NBC as well as across Peacock and additional platforms, providing fans with more ways to enjoy the games.