The CW is doubling down on making college sports available on free TV. The network and ESPN have reached a new sublicense agreement that will keep ACC football and men’s and women’s basketball on The CW through the 2030-31 season, giving the network 54 ACC games per year. The slate will feature 14 football games, 30 men’s basketball games, and 10 women’s basketball games. For the first time, those games will not only air nationwide on The CW’s broadcast network, but also stream live on the ESPN App for subscribers to ESPN Unlimited.
The deal marks the latest chapter in a relationship that started when The CW first began carrying ACC games in the 2023-24 season, when the network aired 50 conference matchups across football and basketball. That initial move helped turn The CW into a legitimate destination for live sports, and it gave the ACC another national platform at a time when exposure and accessibility matter more than ever.
“Extending The CW as a broadcaster of ACC sports via this sublicense agreement is a win for ACC fans across the country,” said Nick Dawson, ESPN senior vice president, programming & acquisitions. “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.”
According to the conference, CW broadcasts of ACC football last season delivered 26% year-over-year growth in total viewers, while adults 18-49 rose 32% and adults 25-54 climbed 25%. The CW also logged its strongest ACC basketball audience yet in the 2025-26 season, with total viewers up 6% for men’s games and 26% for women’s games. The successful increase in viewership numbers appeared to make a long-term renewal easier to justify.
“The ACC has been a transformative partner at the forefront of The CW’s expansion into live sports,” said 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.”
The new ACC pact also fits into a much bigger picture for ESPN and The CW. In April, the two companies unveiled a broader sports arrangement that made the ESPN App the streaming destination for CW Sports live events, including college football and basketball from the ACC, Pac-12, and Mountain West, along with properties such as NASCAR, WWE NXT, PBA Bowling, PBR Bull Riding, AVP volleyball, and the Arizona Bowl. In other words, this is no longer just a one-off conference package, it is part of a wider strategy that connects broadcast TV with streaming in a more coordinated way.
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D., said, “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.”
That broader sports push is especially important because The CW keeps landing longer-term college rights. Its Pac-12 agreement was extended through 2030-31, with the network set to carry 13 football games plus additional men’s and women’s basketball coverage, including the women’s tournament semifinals and championship games. The Mountain West has also joined the lineup through a major media-rights deal that brings more football and basketball exposure to The CW. The network also recently expanded its relationship with WWE NXT, adding NXT PLEs to its live event lineup beginning this summer.
The sublicense renewal comes just weeks after ACC powerhouse Duke recently reached a multiyear Prime Video deal for three neutral-site men’s basketball games per season. The school said that flexibility came in partnership with the ACC and ESPN, with Duke agreeing to take part in select future ESPN-owned neutral-site events in exchange. That deal is another sign that the ACC and ESPN are willing to get creative when expanding reach and value for the conference.
In another major step for The CW, the network is transforming from a traditional broadcast outlet into one of the most interesting new players in live sports. For fans, ACC football and basketball are staying on a free over-the-air network, expanding to the ESPN App, and reaching a broader audience than ever.
