NORFOLK, Va., July 8, 2019 – As part of a multi-year agreement reached last year, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and ESPN will stream all of the conference’s football contests on ESPN3 and ESPN+, the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company Direct-to-Consumer & International segment and ESPN.
There will be 34 MEAC football contests available on ESPN3 and ESPN+ this season, in addition to 10 televised contests on either ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, which gives the conference 44 total linear and digital broadcasts across the ESPN family of networks.
This season, the MEAC will implement instant replay for all football games starting with the first conference game of the 2019 season, which will be Saturday, Sept. 21, when Howard visits Delaware State. The following Saturday, Sept. 28, will be the first full weekend of conference play.
“I am elated to once again utilize ESPN3 and ESPN+ in continuing to grow the MEAC’s relationship with ESPN,” said MEAC Commissioner Dr. Dennis E. Thomas. “Both ESPN3 and ESPN+ are innovative digital platforms upon which we can better serve our member institutions and our fans, while also expanding our reach both from a conference perspective and at the institutional level. This is an exciting time for college sports, with the expansion of digital content, and we are pleased that the MEAC has been on the forefront with ESPN3 and ESPN+.”
ESPN3 is accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices through the ESPN app. The network is currently available nationwide at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider.
Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ on ESPN.com or through the ESPN app for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year).
The MEAC-ESPN agreement continues to add additional exposure to the conference, which has collaborated with ESPN since 2005. The ESPN+ football contests add to an already impressive lineup, as the ESPN networks carry multiple men’s basketball, baseball and softball regular-season contests. The MEAC volleyball and bowling championship finals are also televised on various ESPN platforms.
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) begins its 49th year of intercollegiate competition with the 2019-20 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of 11 outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State University.
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached two million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.
Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC and Top Rank boxing events, top domestic and international soccer, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.
ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. They are the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month.
About ESPN3
ESPN3 is ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible on ESPN.com and the ESPN app across computers, smartphones, tablets and connected streaming devices. The network is available at no additional cost to fans who receive pay TV subscription from an affiliated provider. The network is also available at no cost to U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.
