Date of Award

Summer 8-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Communication & Theatre Arts

Program/Concentration

Lifespan and Digital Communication

Committee Director

Thomas J. Socha

Committee Member

Brendan O’Hallarn

Committee Member

Danielle Jackson

Abstract

In 2018 ESPN debuted its national streaming service ESPN+. This profoundly changed the way sports fans watch college sports as well as other professional sporting events. Prior to ESPN+, a limited number of college sports games appeared on linear channels such as ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, and occasionally a few other channels. Since 2018, ESPN+ streamed thousands of events per year ranging from college soccer to college softball and everything in between, including the qualifying and early rounds of professional tennis and golf tournaments from around the country. This case study describes the impact of ESPN+ on a college conference, a university, a sample of its coaches, and a sample of its student-athletes. Prior to EPSN+, league officials and college administrators reported to experience relative invisibility and funding struggles especially related to recruiting. After ESPN+ they report visibility has increased and the school is benefitting from better income streams. However, sports relying on international recruitment have yet to benefit. And like all other colleges, struggle to deliver high quality visuals to fans. For coaches, before ESPN+ recruiting meant extensive travel, time, and expense. Today digital recruiting (via video) is far more cost effective. For players, ESPN+ has dramatically increased their screentime and visibility, changed recruiting/joining practices, contributed to players’ NIL, and more. For all these stakeholders, this study also reports that a somewhat hidden economic driver of the rise of ESPN+ for all these stakeholders is linked to online sports gambling. Implications for future research are offered.

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In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25777/5q77-fx50

ISBN

9798193214380

ORCID

0009-0006-2508-0715

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