ACC, ESPN announce 12-year broadcast deal

By: Journal Staff Report | Winston-Salem Journal
Published: July 08, 2010

JOURNAL STAFF REPORT
ESPN and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) have reached a 12-year agreement for exclusive rights to every conference-controlled football and men's basketball game, plus women's basketball and Olympic sports matchups, and conference championships.
The agreement, which will start in 2011-12 and continue through 2022-23, was announced by George Bodenheimer, the president of ESPN Inc. and ABC Sports, and John Swofford, the ACC Commissioner. It will result in approximately 4,800 ACC competitions over the 12 years on ESPN's television outlets, digital and mobile platforms, syndication and more.
Among the entities included are: ESPN, ESPN on ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3.com, the new ESPN 3D network, ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN GamePlan, ESPN FULL COURT, ESPN International, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Classic and ESPN.com. Numerous events will be produced in high definition across ESPN HD, ABC HD, ESPN2 HD and ESPNU HD.
Additionally, through a new sublicense arrangement with ESPN, Raycom Sports will continue its long-standing position as the syndication home of ACC content for over-the-air and regional cable network distribution in the ACC market and beyond.
Highlights of the new agreement include:
• Football on national TV: Regular-season action on Saturday afternoon and nights, primetime Thursdays, Labor Day Monday and the ACC Football Championship Game;
• Men's basketball on national TV: The most games ever across the ESPN networks, highlighted by both regular-season games between Duke and North Carolina each year; full national telecasts on all games televised on an ESPN platform (there had been local-market blackouts in years past); a new weekly Sunday franchise on ESPNU; every regular-season intra-conference game and the entire conference tournament distributed via ESPN and Raycom Sports;
• Women's basketball: A record number of regular-season games and the entire ACC tournament;
• Olympics sports: An expanded commitment to the league's 22-sponsored Olympics sports with regular-season and championship telecasts;
• Syndication: Syndication rights for ACC football, basketball and Olympics sports action for over-the-air and regional cable network distribution in ACC markets and beyond via an agreement with Raycom and through potential sublicense agreements with other national outlets;
• Digital media: Exclusive ACC football, men's and women's basketball, and Olympics sports and simulcasts on ESPN3.com. Live ACC games, including football and basketball, on ESPN Mobile TV;
• ESPN 3D: Live ACC action on ESPN 3D, ESPN's newest network and the first 3D network to launch in the industry;
• Additional outlets: ACC action on ESPN International, ESPN GamePlan, ESPN FULL COURT, ESPN Classic and ESPN Deportes; and extensive content rights for ESPN.com.
"We are excited to be continuing our partnership with ESPN and Raycom Sports," Swofford said. "This agreement allows our schools to reach significantly new financial heights while also showcasing more ACC content and coverage than ever before across traditional and new media platforms."

ACC, ESPN announce 12-year broadcast deal

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