The CW Acquires ACC Football, Basketball Rights
The CW has acquired exclusive broadcast rights to 50 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) college football and basketball games each season through 2026-27. The first ACC football game will air Saturday, September 9 when the Pitt Panthers and non-conference opponent Cincinnati Bearcats face off. Games will air every Saturday throughout the season in the afternoon and in primetime.
In addition to 13 football games, The CW will broadcast 28 men’s basketball games and nine women’s basketball games. Men’s doubleheaders will take place every Saturday afternoon and women’s games will be on Sunday afternoons.
Raycom Sports will produce all games for The CW. Raycom sublicenses the rights from ESPN. The ACC game rights previously were held by Sinclair Broadcast Group's Diamond Sports Group subsidiary, which is shedding debts under a bankruptcy reorganization.
“We are committed to making The CW a destination for live, appointment-viewing sporting events,” said Dennis Miller, president, The CW Network. “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 ACC has won seven national championships in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and baseball since 2015. ACC men’s basketball teams have combined to win three of the last eight NCAA national championships and eight of the last 22 NCAA titles. ACC women’s basketball programs have made 23 trips to the Final Four, and have made Final Four appearances in the last five years.
ACC colleges are Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
“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. We appreciate ESPN and Raycom working together and look forward to the partnership with The CW.”
In terms of live sports, The CW also has LIV golf.
