ESPN and the College Swimming League Announce A Multi-Year Media Rights Agreement

The new College Swimming League and ESPN have announced a multi-year media rights agreement.

What's Happening:

• The College Swimming League (CSL) and ESPN have announced a multi-year media rights agreement that makes ESPN the exclusive home of CSL competition in the United States and Canada.
• Under the agreement, all six regular-season matches will stream live on ESPN+ each season, while the CSL Wild Card and Championship will air on ESPNU. Events will also be available on the ESPN App.
• The CSL features 12 NCAA programs competing in a four-team match format over a six-match regular season, building toward the Wild Card and the Championship at the close of each season.

The Broadcast Schedule:

• Match 1 - Sep. 24 - ESPN+
• Match 2 - Sep. 25 - ESPN+
• Match 3 - Oct. 2 - ESPN+
• Match 4 - Oct. 9 - ESPN+
• Match 5 - Oct. 16 - ESPN+
• Match 6 - Oct.. 23 - ESPN+
• Match 7 (Wild Card) - Nov. 5 - ESPNU
• Match 8 (Championship) - Nov. 6 - ESPNU

What They're Saying:

• Mallory Kenny, Director, Programming & Acquisitions, ESPN: "College swimming features outstanding student-athletes, passionate fan bases and exciting competition, making the College Swimming League a strong addition to ESPN’s collegiate sports lineup. We’re excited to bring fans every regular-season meet on ESPN+ and the Wild Card and Championship on ESPNU, providing season-long coverage across our platforms."
• Rob Kent, Chief Executive Officer, College Swimming League: "Landing a deal with ESPN for our inaugural season is a monumental milestone that will elevate collegiate swimming to unprecedented heights. Fans across North America can tune in to watch 12 of the top NCAA swim programs compete in high-stakes, elite matchups. Broadcasting live from world-class venues across the United States, ESPN will bring the incredible speed and intense rivalries of the CSL straight into millions of homes, anchoring our league as a premier fixture in sports."
• Kyle Sockwell, Chief Operating Officer, College Swimming League: "When you think of college sports, you think ESPN, so to build a brand-new property from the ground up and earn a live national TV window on ESPNU is huge. This is big for the CSL, but it’s even bigger for the sport and the fans who have waited years to finally see college swimming on TV."

The League:

• The CSL is a fresh and electric take on collegiate swimming, based on the exciting format and production of the International Swimming League.
• It's a new competition created to reimagine swimming as a more fan-friendly, TV-oriented team league, with a goal of making the familiar International Swimming League (ISL) more fast-paced, easier to follow, and more entertaining for audiences.
• While tradition college swimming has long been respected for producing elite athletes, but it has struggled to attract large audiences outside of the Olympics, especially when compared to other college sports.
• This year will mark the first season for the league, with 12 universities participating across 8 matches. Teams will consist of 14 men and 14 women in a mixed competition.