Veritone Signs Landmark Licensing Deal With ESPN for NCAA Audio Archive

Veritone, a leader in building human-centered enterprise AI solutions, has announced a landmark agreement with ESPN to license ESPN’s extensive archive of sports audio content from NCAA Division I Championships. This strategic collaboration is set to redefine how iconic collegiate sports moments are accessed and monetized, empowering creators to tap into ESPN’s rich audio library of legendary games, emotional post-game interviews, and electrifying crowd reactions.

Unlocking the Value of ESPN’s NCAA Archive

Through this partnership, ESPN will leverage Veritone’s platform to make its audio archive more discoverable and easily licensable. The platform serves as a one-stop solution for content creators, advertisers, documentary filmmakers, production houses, and more, eliminating the hassle of sourcing audio from disparate channels and ensuring seamless, compliant licensing of high-quality sports audio.

According to Ryan Steelberg, CEO of Veritone, “By leveraging Veritone’s client base and extensive licensing experience, ESPN is making historic and culturally significant collegiate sports moments from its audio archive more accessible than ever before. This collaboration allows ESPN to monetize its vast library while also empowering content creators to tell richer, more engaging stories. This is a win for ESPN, a win for creators, and a win for fans who can now experience these iconic moments in new ways”.

Enhancing Monetization and Brand Protection

The licensing solution ensures that ESPN retains strict approval rights over all licensed material, giving the network full control over how and where its audio is used. This mitigates the risk of misuse or unauthorized use, protecting the integrity of ESPN’s brand and content.

Veritone’s platform transforms static archives into dynamic revenue streams via its AI-driven licensing technology. By making more authentic, archival collegiate sports audio available, Veritone not only helps brands tell more compelling stories but also reinforces its position as an industry leader at the intersection of sports media and intelligent content licensing.

A Trusted Partner in Digital Transformation

Veritone’s AI-powered solutions are already trusted by some of the world’s most iconic sports, entertainment, and media brands. The company’s technology employs advanced metadata tagging, automated workflow systems, and secure marketplaces for efficient cataloging, discovery, and distribution of content. This enables partners, such as ESPN and the NCAA, to preserve, protect, and monetize vast archives innovatively and sustainably.

The broader context? The global market for AI in sports is expected to balloon to more than $27 billion by 2030, making this age of AI-enabled content monetization a prime opportunity for rights holders and investors.

Experience More

For more on Veritone’s content licensing offerings—including how to access, search, and license historic NCAA championship moments- visit licensing.veritone.com. Discover the platform, explore case studies, access client resources, or request a demo to see how AI is transforming passive archives into innovative, recurring digital revenue streams.