List of sports properties broadcast by ESPN networks

ESPN and its family of domestic networks (ESPN on ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes and (to a lesser extent) ESPN Classic) have or previously had rights to the following sports and events.

American football
NFL on ESPN
 * Monday Night Football: 2006–present
 * Manningcast
 * NFL Live
 * Saturday night regular season games (Weeks 14–18 only).
 * Pro Bowl: 1988–1994, 2003–2005, 2010, 2015–2033 (acquired rights from ABC through 2005, acquired from CBS in 2010, direct since 2015)
 * NFL playoffs
 * One wild card game (since January 2015)
 * One divisional playoff game (starting in January 2024)
 * Super Bowl (starting in February 2027 shared with ABC)
 * ESPN College Football
 * Bowl Games: 1982–present (contracts with individual bowl games; the first live college football game telecast on ESPN was the 1982 Independence Bowl, Kansas St. vs. Wisconsin)
 * College Football Playoff: January 2015–2032
 * ACC: 1998–2036
 * Big 12: 2007–2031
 * Brigham Young University: 2011–2020 (shared with BYU TV; BYU reserves all rights to their events)
 * MAC: 2003–present (shared with ASN since 2015)
 * Pac-12: 2007–2023
 * SEC: partial rights 1984–2023 (shared with CBS since 1998) 2024–present full rights
 * Sun Belt: 2001–2031
 * MEAC: 2005–present
 * Turkey Day Classic: 2006–2013, 2016–present online
 * Ohio Valley Conference (2014–present, online only)
 * Southern Conference (2014–present, online only)
 * Northeast Conference (2014–present, online only)
 * Gulf South Conference (2014–present, online only)
 * NCAA Division I FCS (formerly Division I-AA), Division II, and Division III playoffs (selected games) and championship games.
 * NAIA National Football Championship (2014–present)
 * Select other games are carried online through ESPN3, simulcasting local or regional sports networks and purchased à la carte.
 * XFL: 2020, 2023
 * UFL: 2024-present (shared with Fox Sports)

Other:
 * High School Showcase: Select high school football games, rights purchased à la carte from various state associations (2005–present)

Soccer
Soccer on ESPN/ABC

Clubs
 * EFL (including Cup)
 * The FA
 * Cup
 * Women's FA Cup
 * FA Youth Cup
 * Community Shield
 * Women's FA Community Shield
 * DFL (?–2012, 2020–2026)
 * Bundesliga
 * 2. Bundesliga
 * Supercup
 * DFB-Pokal
 * La Liga (2009–2012, 2021–2029)
 * RFEF
 * Copa del Rey
 * Copa de la Reina
 * Supercopa de España
 * Supercopa de España Femenina
 * Swedish Allsvenskan
 * DBU Pokalen
 * Eredivisie
 * Belgian Pro League
 * USL

Baseball
ESPN Major League Baseball: 1990–2028
 * Opening night games.
 * Sunday Night Baseball
 * Wild Card Series (entire round since 2022)
 * American League
 * National League

Little League World Series
 * 1985 –2030

Basketball
NBA on ESPN: 1982–1984, 2002–2025
 * Wednesday night regular season games (co-exists with regional broadcasts).
 * Friday night regular season games outside of the in-season tournament (co-exists with regional broadcasts).
 * NBA in-season tournament:
 * Exclusive Friday night conference group play games
 * Consolation games on Wednesday and Friday during knockout round.
 * Exclusive Eastern Conference in-season tournament semifinal (even years only)
 * Exclusive Western Conference in-season tournament semifinal (odd years only)
 * Exclusive in-season tournament final (airs on ABC)
 * Saturday Primetime
 * Sunday Showcase
 * Exclusive Christmas games.
 * NBA play-in tournament:
 * Exclusive 9–10 seeded games, both conferences
 * Exclusive Eastern Conference No. 8 seed game (even-numbered years)
 * Exclusive Western Conference No. 8 seed game (odd-numbered years)
 * NBA playoffs:
 * First round (generally Fridays and selected weekend games, co-exists with regional broadcasts)
 * Second round (generally Thursdays, Fridays, and selected weekend games)
 * Exclusive Eastern Conference Finals (even-numbered years)
 * Exclusive Western Conference Finals (odd-numbered years)
 * Exclusive NBA Finals airing on ABC

WNBA on ESPN: 1997–2025
 * ESPN College Basketball
 * ACC : 1979–2036
 * Big Ten: 1979–2023
 * Big 12: 1997–2025
 * Pac-12: 2012–2023
 * SEC: ?–2023
 * FIBA
 * FIBA Basketball World Cup
 * FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup
 * The Basketball Tournament: 2014–present
 * EuroLeague: 2023–present

Cricket

 * New Zealand national cricket team
 * West Indies national cricket team
 * Regional Super50

Handball

 * World Men's Handball Championship
 * 2021 World Men's Handball Championship
 * 2023 World Men's Handball Championship

Ice Hockey
NHL on ESPN/NHL on ABC
 * 1985–1988 (National television deal, agreements with individual clubs as early as 1979)
 * 1992–2004
 * 2021–2028
 * Exclusive Thursday and Saturday night regular season games
 * Stadium Series (depending on scheduling conflicts)
 * NHL All-Star Weekend
 * All-Star Skills Challenge
 * All-Star Game
 * Stanley Cup Playoffs
 * Selected first and second-round games (primarily on days when not airing the NBA, depending on which league begins their postseason first or if both leagues start their playoffs at roughly the same time; first-round co-exists with regional broadcasts)
 * One exclusive conference finals series per season (ESPN/ABC has the first choice as to which conference to air. )
 * Exclusive Stanley Cup Finals on ABC (even-numbered years)

NCAA Ice Hockey Tournament
 * Frozen Four (Division I Men's Championship) 1980–2024
 * Division I Women's Championship 2001–2024

World Cup of Hockey 2016–

Tennis
Tennis on ESPN
 * Australian Open: 1984–present
 * Wimbledon Championships: 2003–present (exclusive since 2012)
 * U.S. Open: 2009–present (exclusive since 2015)

Golf
Golf on ESPN
 * Masters Tournament: 2008–present (shared with and co-produced by CBS)
 * PGA Championship: 2020–present (shared with and co-produced by CBS)
 * PGA Tour
 * Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship
 * Latin America Amateur Championship

Canadian football
Canadian Football League
 * 1983–1986 (approximate)
 * 1994–1997
 * 2008–2013 (ESPN3 only; by virtue in its stake in Canadian broadcaster TSN, the official broadcaster of the CFL, it held internet streaming rights.)
 * 2013–present (Select games on ESPN2, streaming coverage on ESPN+)

Motorsports

 * Formula One: 1984–1997; 2018–2025
 * FIA Formula 2
 * FIA Formula 3
 * Porsche Supercup
 * Superstar Racing Experience: 2023–

College and high school sports

 * ESPN College Baseball (2003–present)
 * ESPN College Basketball (1979–present)
 * ESPN College Football (1979–present)
 * ESPN College Hockey (2005–present)
 * ESPN College Lacrosse (2005–present)
 * ESPN College Soccer (2005–present)
 * ESPN College Softball (2005–present)
 * ESPN College Volleyball (2005–present)
 * High School Showcase (2005–present)

Mixed Martial Arts

 * UFC: 2019–present
 * Professional Fighters League

Boxing

 * Top Rank: 2017–2025

Former properties
National teams
 * UEFA; including Men's and Women's Euro, UEFA Nations League, and Youth competitions
 * United States men's national soccer team: 1996–2022
 * United States women's national soccer team

FIFA World Cup
 * Finals: 1986, 1994–2014
 * UEFA Qualifying: 2018–2022

Australian Football League
 * 2009–2011

UEFA Champions League Major Indoor Soccer League
 * 1995–2009
 * 1985–1987
 * 2005–2006 (championship games only)

ESPN Major League Soccer (1996–2022)

Premier League Lega Serie A (2018–2021) IndyCar Series
 * 2009–2013
 * Serie A
 * Coppa Italia
 * Supercoppa Italiana
 * 1996–2008 (ESPN continued to produce the broadcasts of five races that aired on ABC through 2018, including the Indianapolis 500.)

CART on ESPN
 * 1980–2001
 * 2007 (series merged with IRL, beginning with the 2008 season)

NASCAR on ESPN
 * 1981–2000 (Contracts with individual races)
 * 2001–2002 (Contract with NASCAR, Truck Series only)
 * 2007–2014 (Contract with NASCAR)

NHRA
 * 1980(?)–2000 (Contracts with individual races)
 * 2001–2015 (Contract with NHRA)

Global RallyCross Championship
 * 2011–2013

American Le Mans Series
 * 1999–2013

Thoroughbred Racing on ESPN Premier Boxing Champions
 * Breeders Cup (2006–2011)
 * 2015–2017, returned again for 2020 only, based on the Top Rank main feed.

AWA Championship Wrestling
 * 1985–1990

Global Wrestling Federation
 * 1991–1994

UWF Fury Hour
 * 1995 only