ACC football, basketball games to air on CW Network starting this fall
The CW Network has secured the rights to a block of ACC basketball and football games starting this fall.
The ACC announced the news Thursday. The network will air 13 football games, 28 men's basketball games and nine women's basketball games per season after obtaining the rights from previous rights holder Raycom Sports, which will continue to produce the broadcasts. The agreement runs through the 2026-27 sports calendar.
The deal does not impact the ACC's contract with ESPN. The ACC signed a 20-year broadcast rights contract with ESPN in 2016 through the 2035-36 season. The deal has caused consternation in ACC circles as the conference trails Power Five rivals SEC and Big Ten in revenue. The revenue gap has contributed to rumblings that some of the conference's programs are considering options outside the ACC.
The news marks the latest foray into sports coverage for CW Network after it obtained the rights to air LIV Golf in January. The Saudi-backed golf league steeped in controversy has failed to garner significant viewership on the network. Its February debut drew fewer than 300,000 viewers, which accounted for a 0.18 rating. Ratings dipped the next week, and LIV Golf reportedly decided to stop reporting its viewership data as ratings continued to slump.
LIV Golf and ACC sports are not the same thing, obviously. The deal announced Thursday will provide CW Network the opportunity to broadcast an established sports brand with a loyal following. It will expand the reach of games that were previously broadcast regionally through Raycom to a national audience.
The first ACC game to air on CW Network will be a non-conference football game between Pitt and Cincinnati on Sept. 9. The network will then air ACC football games each Saturday throughout the season. Men's basketball coverage on the network will feature doubleheaders on Saturdays, while women's basketball games will air on Sundays.
