Press.disney.co.uk
Beginning 17 March through 7 April, customers can enjoy 134 NCAA men’s and women’s tournament games live as part of their Disney+ subscriptionGames will also stream on Disney+ in the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand
LONDON, UK (11 March 2026) – Disney+ today announced the addition of March Madness –the celebrated NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments – to its live sports slate across Europe and South Africa, marking an expansion of ESPN’s global NCAA rights agreement onto the Disney+ platform.
From 17 March through 7 April 2026, Disney+ customers can enjoy all 134 NCAA tournament games live as part of their Disney+ subscription. With this addition, fans across Europe and South Africa* will be able to enjoy even more of ESPN’s premier U.S. sports programming on Disney+.
March Madness is a yearly highlight in U.S. college basketball, featuring single-elimination tournaments with 68 teams each for the men’s and women’s championships. The event builds suspense from the opening rounds to the highly anticipated Final Four, with teams announced on Selection Sunday, held on 15 March 2026. The University of Florida Gators and University of Connecticut Huskies hold last year’s men’s and women’s titles, respectively.
This expansion harnesses ESPN’s long-standing NCAA rights portfolio – which includes more than 40 championship events – and reflects the integration of college sports across The Walt Disney Company platforms. With over three decades as the exclusive broadcaster of Women’s March Madness, ESPN has driven sustained audience growth in the U.S. and internationally, and now brings that expertise to Disney+ across Europe and South Africa.
With March Madness joining Disney+’s European sports lineup – alongside the UEFA Women’s Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League in Denmark and Sweden, and LALIGA in the UK and Ireland – fans can look forward to even more world-class live sporting moments.
Executive Quotes:
Diego Londono, SVP Networks & Sports EMEA at The Walt Disney Company, said: “Bringing March Madness to Disney+ customers across Europe reflects the ongoing collaboration between ESPN and the NCAA, and the commitment both organizations share to grow college basketball internationally. ESPN’s decades of experience showcasing championship moments allows us to foster greater appreciation for collegiate athletics, and we’re thrilled to help connect more fans to the passion and tradition of the men’s and women’s tournaments on Disney+.”
Added Dan Gavitt, NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball: “Collaborating with ESPN and Disney+ allows us to share the excitement of March Madness with a global audience that already values college basketball. The NCAA tournament is the ultimate stage for student-athletes, and broadening access to that experience helps grow appreciation for and interest in the game worldwide.”
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Notes to Editors
*Customers in South Africa will be able to watch select NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament games live via ESPN channels on Disney+.
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About Disney+
Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, along with The Simpsons and outside the U.S., general entertainment brand Hulu. As the flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, Disney+ serves as a connection point for audiences around the world with an unmatched collection of award-winning general entertainment and gold-standard family programming. With unprecedented access to Disney’s long history of incredible film and television entertainment, it is also the exclusive streaming home for the newest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. For more, visit disneyplus.com, or find the Disney+ app on most mobile and connected TV devices.
About ESPN
ESPN, the world’s leading multiplatform sports entertainment brand, features seven U.S. television networks, the leading sports app, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, leading social and digital platforms, ESPN.com, ESPN Audio, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.
About NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association provides a world-class athletics and academic experience that fosters lifelong well-being for more than 520,000 student-athletes annually. The NCAA stages 92 championships across three divisions, and its 1,100 member schools provide nearly $4 billion in athletics scholarships every year. Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more.
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