ESPN and Players Era Announce Multi-Year Broadcast Agreement for Mens College Basketball Championships

Players Era, an EverWonder Studio company, and ESPN have announced a multi-year agreement for ESPN to serve as the exclusive broadcast partner for the Players Era Men's Championships. ESPN Events will also collaborate on staging and operational elements of the tournaments. The 2026 tournaments will take place in November in Las Vegas, expanding to 24 participating teams across two separate bracket tournaments.

We couldn't be more excited to forge this new partnership with ESPN, which will deliver an even larger platform for what has become the best college basketball tournament outside of March and create new opportunities to engage with fans across the country. I also want to thank TNT Sports for giving us the opportunity to launch this signature showcase event; they have been outstanding partners over the past two years and played a tremendous role in our success, says Ian Orefice, CEO, EverWonder.

College basketball is the hottest and one of the fastest-growing sports properties in the country. The players have never been better, and record ratings for early season college basketball reflect that. Led by top programs from multiple conferences across the sport, the teams in our field are stronger than ever. We can't wait to bring March to November with the number one college basketball network in the world, ESPN, says Seth Berger, CEO, Players Era.

Players Era features elite programs, meaningful competition and high-stakes matchups to start each season. These tournaments immediately strengthen ESPN's industry-leading college basketball portfolio and underscores our commitment to showcasing the best teams and storylines across the sport. We're excited to partner with the Players Era team to continue to elevate the Players Era Men's Championships and showcase them to fans across the country, says Dan Margulis, Senior Director of College Basketball Programming and Acquisitions, ESPN.

2026 Tournament Fields

The 2026 field includes the last two NCAA national champions - Florida (ranked No. 1 in ESPN's Way Too Early Top 25) and Michigan (No. 3) - along with Alabama, Tennessee, Houston, Louisville, Iowa State, St. John's, Miami, Gonzaga, Kansas, TCU, Texas Tech, Auburn, Baylor, Maryland, Oregon, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Creighton, Rutgers, Kansas State, San Diego State, and UNLV. Thirteen of the 24 teams participated in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Eight teams come from the Big 12 conference.

Players Era Eight (week of November 16): Kansas, Florida, Houston, Auburn, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Rutgers, and UNLV.

Players Era Sixteen (Thanksgiving Week, five days): Michigan, Gonzaga, St. John's, Baylor, Louisville, Iowa State, Alabama, Tennessee, Miami, Texas Tech, Maryland, TCU, Oregon, Creighton, San Diego State, and Kansas State.

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2026/05/08/espn-and-players-era-announce-m...
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