Back to the Wichita State Shockers Newsfeed

How will the AAC’s new television deal with ESPN affect how fans watch Shocker sports?

The American Athletic Conference announced Wednesday that it reached a 12-year media rights extension with ESPN, beginning in the 2020-21 season.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but the Sports Business Journal reported last week the deal was for $1 billion. The report states that each AAC school will receive a nearly $5 million bump in annual revenue, up to $6.9 million.

Wichita State is not receiving a cut of the current AAC media rights deal because it was not a member of the conference when it was negotiated. It is unclear the exact amount WSU, a non-football member, will receive on an annual basis starting in 2020-21, but AAC commissioner Mike Aresco told The Eagle it will be a significant bump from what it was receiving as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.