The ACC has long been one of the top athletic conferences in the NCAA, with power-packed football programs like Florida State and Clemson, and historic basketball teams in Duke and UNC. But, they have strayed behind other conferences like the Pac-12 and the SEC in the realm of having a consolidated television network.
In conjunction with ESPN, the ACC will have their own conference television network that will launch on cable starting in August 2019. Interestingly, the ACC’s digital channel will debut before its cable counterpart. The ACC network will be available via live streaming beginning in the fall, just in time for the college football season.
The ACC and ESPN will be doing this for two main reasons. First, they will be able to work out the kinks of creating this network while delivering content to a smaller audience. They will also be able to judge the level of interest they are receiving in each state.
The deal between the ACC and ESPN is set to last twenty years, so it will last through the 2035-2036 academic year.
The negotiations also held repercussions for the state of the conference itself. It is doubtful that any team will leave the ACC within the next twenty years, because by contract the media rights to every home game will still be held by the ACC Network. So, it will be a financially untenable situation for them.
What’s more, Notre Dame football is not included in the ACC Network negotiations, due to their independent status. But, if they choose to revoke their independence, they are obligated to join the ACC.
In the past, ACC Network branding was used by Raycom Sports’ subsidiaries when they would showcase ACC games. But, never before has the ACC had a dedicated cable channel.