ACC, CW strike broadcast deal to air 50 football, basketball games
Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer July 13, 2023, 5:32 PM ET
Close College football journalist. Joined ESPN.com in 2008. Graduated from Northwestern University.
This fall, ACC will begin airing football and basketball programming on the CW Network, a new addition to the league’s Saturday broadcast schedule.
The CW has secured the rights to 50 ACC games, starting September 9 with Pitt’s football game against Cincinnati. Thirteen ACC football games will air Saturday on the CW, which will broadcast all 28 of ACC’s men’s and women’s basketball games throughout December, January, and February. ACC will have a men’s basketball doubleheader on the CW every Saturday, and a women’s basketball doubleheader on Sunday afternoons.
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Raycom Sports, which sublicensed the ACC show from ESPN, is selling the rights to the CW but will continue to produce it. The CW does not yet broadcast campus sporting events but is the exclusive home for LIV Golf. The network is known for its broadcast series, including “All-American”, which focuses on college football players in the Los Angeles area.
“We are thrilled to be adding The CW to our weekly television lineup of ACC football and basketball games,” said ACC commissioner Jim Phillips in a statement. “The CW’s nationwide distribution will directly benefit our student athletes, teams, alumni and fans. We appreciate the partnership between ESPN and Raycom and look forward to partnering with The CW.”
The ACC in July 2016 approved a 20-year media rights agreement with ESPN that will last for the 2035-36 academic year. Some league members have expressed frustration with the long-term agreement, as ACC significantly trails SEC and Big Ten earnings. Phillips has promised to get creative in finding solutions to create greater revenue.
