The CW Network and ESPN Announce ACC Sublicense Agreement Through 2030-31 Season

The CW Network and ESPN have announced a sublicense broadcast agreement for The CW to televise ACC football and men's and women's college basketball games through the 2030-31 season. The CW will air 14 regular season football games, 30 men's basketball games, and 10 women's basketball games per season on its linear broadcast network. All games will also stream live on the ESPN App with the ESPN Unlimited plan for the first time.

The CW began broadcasting ACC games during the 2023-24 season. Four of the five highest-viewed college football games on The CW have been ACC matchups. Last season, CW broadcasts of ACC football were up 26% year-over-year in total viewers, with adults 18-49 up 32% and adults 25-54 up 25%. ACC men's and women's basketball viewership on The CW were up 6% and 26%, respectively, during the 2025-26 season.

The ACC has been a transformative partner at the forefront of The CW's expansion into live sports, says Brad Schwartz, President, The CW Network. 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.

We're grateful for the continued partnership and support of Disney and ESPN, whose longstanding commitment to the ACC remains integral to the success and visibility of our programs. Building on that strong foundation, our extension with The CW reflects the strong momentum in our shared commitment to delivering ACC football and basketball to more fans in new and innovative ways. The CW has been an outstanding partner, and we're excited to expand our collaboration and further showcase the depth and quality of ACC competition, says Jim Phillips, Ph.D., Commissioner, ACC.

Extending The CW as a broadcaster of ACC sports via this sublicense agreement is a win for ACC fans across the country, says Nick Dawson, Senior Vice President, Programming and Acquisitions, ESPN. The combination of these games being widely available via CW linear network stations while simultaneously streaming within the ESPN App via the ESPN Unlimited plan provide ACC schools terrific exposure and ACC fans maximum flexibility and accessibility however and wherever they choose to watch their favorite ACC teams.

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2026/05/14/the-cw-network-and-espn-announc...
	See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines