NCAA selects Endeavor to advise on next media rights deal

The NCAA has selected Endeavor’s Karen Brodkin and Hilary Mandel as consultants on its next media rights deal. Sports business magazine reports.

Why it matters: ESPN paid the NCAA roughly $40 million annually, according to SBJ, during their current 12-year contract, which expires after the 2023-24 school year.

It should be noted: The NCAA is considering major changes in its next rights deal, splitting many of its championships, most notably women’s basketball tournament.

• While major conferences such as the Big 12 and SEC negotiate their own rights, the NCAA controls those pertaining to its championships, with the major exception being the College Football Playoff.

The big picture: Until now, the NCAA has combined the rights to its championships, with the exception of the men’s basketball tournament and men’s and women’s Division I golf.

• Along with women’s basketball, the NCAA is considering separate agreements for women’s volleyball, the Frozen Four, the College World Series and the Women’s College World Series.
• Breaking up these sports can make it harder for less popular sports like swimming, gymnastics, bowling and fencing to earn television dollars because those sports rely on the more popular ones.

What’s next: Talks with ESPN on a new deal aren’t expected to begin until later this year, the SBJ reports.