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Last Updated on July 29, 2023
ACC football and basketball will look a bit different this year, as the CW Network has secured exclusive rights to broadcast 50 games through the 2026-27 season.
The television network known for shows like Smallville will be showing its first ACC football game on Saturday, Sept. 9, when Pitt takes on the University of Cincinnati. The CW will also broadcast 30 men’s and women’s basketball games every weekend featuring double headers from December to February. Television production company Raycom Sports, which has built a strong reputation in the college sports broadcasting landscape, will produce the games on the CW Network.
While some may find the ACC and CW Network’s partnership unexpected, both parties are optimistic about the future.
“We are thrilled to be adding The CW to our weekly television lineup for ACC football and basketball games,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said. “The CW’s national distribution will directly benefit our student-athletes, teams, alumni, and fans.”
In July 2016, ESPN established a media rights agreement with the ACC, expiring after the 2035-36 academic year. Even with a lengthy contract, the ACC and other Power Five Conferences like the Big 12 and Pac 12 struggle to compete with the SEC and Big Ten regarding revenue. On the other hand, it is forcing those conferences that are less lucrative to think outside the box when it comes to generating revenue.
For the CW Network, this marks the first time they will feature college sports on their platform. At the top of the year, LIV Golf signed an exclusive television deal with the CW Network.
“We are committed to making The CW a destination for live, appointment-viewing sporting events,” CW Network President Dennis Miller said. “The ACC is home to some of the most decorated college football and basketball teams in the country, and we look forward to welcoming these avid sports fans to the network as we continue to broaden our audience.”
This deal is timely, given the record year we are having regarding college sports viewership.
Events such as the Women’s College Series received over two million viewers, the Women’s Basketball National Championship game received nearly ten million views, and most recently, the 2023 Men’s College World Series received roughly a 50% increase from last year. It remains to be seen if other conferences will follow suit and partner with non-traditional networks. As conference realignment continues to take place, conferences not only have to be mindful of the teams that they support but also of how their media properties are distributed to remain competitive.
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