List of sports properties broadcast by ESPN networks

ESPN and its family of domestic networks (ESPN on ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes and (to a lesser extent) ESPN Classic) have or previously had rights to the following sports and events.

Current properties

American football

NFL on ESPN

Monday Night Football: 2006–present
Manningcast
NFL Live
Saturday night regular season games (Weeks 14–18 only).
Pro Bowl: 1988–1994, 2003–2005, 2010, 2015–2033 (acquired rights from ABC through 2005, acquired from CBS in 2010, direct since 2015)
NFL playoffs
- One wild card game (since January 2015)
- One divisional playoff game (since January 2024)
Super Bowl (starting in February 2027 shared with ABC)
ESPN College Football
- Bowl Games: 1982–present (contracts with individual bowl games; the first live college football game telecast on ESPN was the 1982 Independence Bowl, Kansas St. vs. Wisconsin)
- College Football Playoff: January 2015–2032
- ACC: 1998–2036^[1]
- Big 12: 2007–2031
- Brigham Young University: 2011–2020 (shared with BYU TV; BYU reserves all rights to their events)
- MAC: 2003–present (shared with ASN since 2015)
- Pac-12: 2007–2023
- SEC: partial rights 1984–2023 (shared with CBS since 1998) 2024–present full rights
- Sun Belt: 2001–2031 ^[2]
- MEAC: 2005–present
- Turkey Day Classic: 2006–2013, 2016–present online
- Ohio Valley Conference (2014–present, online only)
- Southern Conference (2014–present, online only)
- Northeast Conference (2014–present, online only)
- Gulf South Conference (2014–present, online only)
- NCAA Division I FCS (formerly Division I-AA), Division II, and Division III playoffs (selected games) and championship games.
- NAIA National Football Championship (2014–present)
- Select other games are carried online through ESPN3, simulcasting local or regional sports networks and purchased à la carte.
XFL: 2020, 2023
UFL: 2024-present (shared with Fox Sports)

Other:

High School Showcase: Select high school football games, rights purchased à la carte from various state associations (2005–present)

Association football

Soccer

Soccer on ESPN/ABC

Clubs

Baseball

ESPN Major League Baseball: 1990–2028

Opening night games.
Sunday Night Baseball
Wild Card Series (entire round since 2022)
- American League
- National League

Little League World Series

1985^[3]–2030

Basketball

NBA on ESPN: 1982–1984, 2002–2025

Wednesday night regular season games (co-exists with regional broadcasts).
Friday night regular season games outside of the in-season tournament (co-exists with regional broadcasts).
NBA in-season tournament:
- Exclusive Friday night conference group play games
- Consolation games on Wednesday and Friday during knockout round.
- Exclusive Eastern Conference in-season tournament semifinal (even years only)
- Exclusive Western Conference in-season tournament semifinal (odd years only)
- Exclusive in-season tournament final (airs on ABC)
Saturday Primetime
Sunday Showcase
Exclusive Christmas games.
NBA play-in tournament:
- Exclusive 9–10 seeded games, both conferences
- Exclusive Eastern Conference No. 8 seed game (even-numbered years)
- Exclusive Western Conference No. 8 seed game (odd-numbered years)
NBA playoffs:
- First round (generally Fridays and selected weekend games, co-exists with regional broadcasts)
- Second round (generally Thursdays, Fridays, and selected weekend games)
- Exclusive Eastern Conference Finals (even-numbered years)
- Exclusive Western Conference Finals (odd-numbered years)
- Exclusive NBA Finals airing on ABC

WNBA on ESPN: 1997–2025

ESPN College Basketball
- ACC : 1979–2036^[1]
- Big Ten: 1979–2023
- Big 12: 1997–2025
- Pac-12: 2012–2023
- SEC: ?–2023
FIBA
- FIBA Basketball World Cup
- FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup
The Basketball Tournament: 2014–2023
EuroLeague: 2023–present

Cricket

Handball

World Men's Handball Championship
- 2021 World Men's Handball Championship
- 2023 World Men's Handball Championship

Ice Hockey

NHL on ESPN/NHL on ABC

1985–1988 (National television deal, agreements with individual clubs as early as 1979)
1992–2004
2021–2028
- Exclusive Thursday and Saturday night regular season games
- Stadium Series (depending on scheduling conflicts)
- NHL All-Star Weekend
  - All-Star Skills Challenge
  - All-Star Game
- Stanley Cup Playoffs
  - 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.^[4])
- Exclusive Stanley Cup Finals on ABC (even-numbered years)

NCAA Ice Hockey Tournament

Frozen Four (Division I Men's Championship) 1980–2024^[5]
Division I Women's Championship 2001–2024

World Cup of Hockey 2016–^[6]

Tennis

Tennis on ESPN

Australian Open: 1984–present
Wimbledon Championships: 2003–present (exclusive since 2012)
U.S. Open: 2009–present (exclusive since 2015)

Golf

Golf on ESPN

Masters Tournament: 2008–present (shared with and co-produced by CBS)
PGA Championship: 2020–present (shared with and co-produced by CBS)
PGA Tour
Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship
Latin America Amateur Championship

Canadian football

Canadian Football League

1983–1986 (approximate)
1994–1997
2008–2013 (ESPN3 only; by virtue in its stake in Canadian broadcaster TSN, the official broadcaster of the CFL, it held internet streaming rights.)
2013–present (Select games on ESPN2, streaming coverage on ESPN+)