World Lacrosse and ESPN have reached a historic agreement, giving the network global media rights to World Lacrosse championships through 2023. This will include the first-ever broadcast of 22 games from the men’s U21 World Championship taking place in Limerick this August.
Confirmation of the deal is a significant boost for Ireland Lacrosse who are staging the event and will now get to see the fruits of their endeavour broadcast across the United States and around the world.
Two games – including the championship final – will air in the U.S. on ESPNU, with an additional 20 matches on ESPN+. The 22 games will also be featured on ESPN’s international networks.
A total of 246 games across three international events will be carried exclusively on ESPN’s linear networks or ESPN+ in the U.S., and in 170+ territories via ESPN International.
The agreement marks the first multi-year, multi-event media partnership for World Lacrosse – the sport’s international governing body as recognized by the International Olympic Committee – and uniquely features equal rights fees across the men’s and women’s championships.
“This is truly a historic day for World Lacrosse,” said CEO Jim Scwerr, “and for the millions of lacrosse players and fans in all corners of the world.”
“ESPN is the ideal partner to further showcase our great sport around the globe as we experience exponential growth and interest in the game. This unprecedented coverage also provides a significant boost to our Olympic proposal as we seek to gain inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.”
The partnership also covers the 2022 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship at Towson, Maryland in the USA, and the 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in San Diego, California in the USA.
Sport for Business Partners
