ESPN and The CW have struck a deal for the over-the-air network to sublicense ACC football and basketball games.
What We Know: The CW will take 14 regular-season football games, 30 men’s basketball games, and 10 women’s basketball games from ESPN.
What They Said: “The ACC has been a transformative partner at the forefront of The CW’s expansion into live sports. The conference was an early believer in our vision to become a broadcast destination for sports. We are thrilled to continue our relationship for another four seasons and provide the widest reach possible for all their games. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the schools and student-athletes, whose stories have resonated deeply with our viewers and helped make ACC matchups some of the most-watched live events on the network.” -The CW Network President Brad Schwartz
What Remains Unclear: What windows the ACC broadcasts on The CW will air. In 2025, the majority of the network’s broadcast began in the 2:30 PM ET window.
What It Means: The CW continues to expand its sports programming. While it already had an established relationship with the ACC, an additional 14 regular-season football games are a lift for the network. It also marks an expansion of the relationship between the network and ESPN. Last month, the two announced that ESPN would be the exclusive streaming home for The CW’s sports content.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
