On Thursday, the ACC and The CW Network announced an agreement allowing the television network to broadcast 50 ACC football and college basketball games yearly through the 2026-27 athletic calendar.
Per the announcement, the deal will begin with a September 9 matchup between the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Big 12’s Cincinnati Bearcats. The deal will include 13 football games, 28 men’s basketball games, and nine women’s basketball games each year.
“We are thrilled to be adding The CW to our weekly television lineup for ACC football and basketball games,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said in the press release. “The CW’s national distribution will directly benefit our student-athletes, teams, alumni, and fans. We appreciate ESPN and Raycom working together and look forward to the partnership with The CW.”
The CW acquired the rights to the 50 games through Raycom Sports. The sports television subsidiary has been a vital part of the ACC’s television ventures since the 1980s, though it has seen a more minor role over the last decade. As of 2023, Raycom produces a large number of syndicated telecasts for the ACC as well as for other sports programs located throughout the Southeast. Raycom will produce each of ACC sporting events on The CW.
For The CW, the agreement continues to build the network’s portfolio when it comes to telecasting live sporting events.
“We are committed to making The CW a destination for live, appointment-viewing sporting events,” said The CW Network president Dennis Miller in the release. “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.”
The CW is no stranger to sporting events as the network has also served as a television partner for multiple Major League Baseball franchises throughout its history, including; Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, and Washington Nationals. The network also is the home of LIV Golf in the United States.
The deal will be a major step for the ACC and its ability to be televised outside the conference’s traditional footprint. The network is available in 100% of the United State’s television households, according to the press release.
Outside of the games televised on The CW, the remainder of the ACC’s sporting events will be televised by ESPN, which holds the primary television rights to the conference through 2036.