ACC Network

Last updated
ACC Network
ACC Network ESPN logo.svg
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaWorldwide
Headquarters Bristol, Connecticut
Charlotte, North Carolina
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format 720p HDTV
Ownership
Owner The Walt Disney Company (80%)
Hearst Communications (20%)
Parent ESPN Inc.
Sister channels
History
LaunchedAugust 22, 2019;4 years ago (2019-08-22)
Links
Webcast www.watchespn.com
(U.S. cable internet subscribers only; requires login from pay television provider to access content)
Website getaccn.com

ACC Network (ACCN) is an American multinational subscription-television channel owned and operated by ESPN Inc. Dedicated to coverage of the Atlantic Coast Conference, it was announced in July 2016 and launched on August 22, 2019. The channel operates from ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut, though some programming and staff is in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Contents

The network's digital platform, ACC Network Extra (ACCNX), streams on ESPN.com and the ESPN app for ACC Network subscribers, and carries ACC events not broadcast on television. ACCNX broadcasts are simulcast on ESPN+.

History

There had been repeated calls for the ACC to establish its own cable channel, similar to those that had or were being established by other Power Five conferences. [1] From July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2013 (in the midst of realignment that saw Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Louisville announce that they would join the ACC, Maryland leave for the Big Ten, and Notre Dame join the ACC outside of football), the ACC took in less television revenue than the Pac-12, SEC and Big Ten conferences. The Big Ten and Pac-12 had already launched their own channels, while ESPN and the SEC had announced the SEC Network would launch in 2014. [1] [2] SEC Network's first year of operation increased the conference's television revenue by around $100 million. [1]

In discussions with ESPN management, there were uncertainties over whether an ACC channel would be economically viable, due to cord cutting and changing television viewing habits. [1] The stability of the ACC itself was also questioned, but was addressed in 2013 by requiring the conference's current teams to grant the ACC control of media rights to all home games through the 2026–2027 season, even if they leave the conference. This policy effectively discourages schools from leaving the ACC, and left the SEC as the only Power Five conference to not have a similar grant requirement. [3] [1] Eric J. Barron, president of Florida State University, stated that the grant would "ensure that the conference will strengthen its position of leadership among Division I athletics", and stated that "we are also very pleased that we will be moving forward on the next phase of developing an ACC network." [3]

On July 21, 2016, at a media event in Charlotte, North Carolina, ESPN announced a 20-year extension of its contract with the ACC, and that it would launch a cable channel dedicated to the ACC in 2019 known as the ACC Network. The announcement was attended by then-ESPN president John Skipper and ACC commissioner John Swofford. Ahead of the television network's launch, ESPN announced that it would begin to stream ACC events beginning in the upcoming 2016 season. [4] [5] Following the announcement, Skipper defended the decision to go on with launching a linear television network, arguing that sports were the most valuable property on television because they are "the only thing you have to watch live". [1]

Each ACC school constructed production facilities so they can contribute programming to the channel. Its operations are based out of ESPN's main studios in Bristol, but some programming originates from Charlotte, North Carolina (where SEC Network, and formerly ESPNU, also operate). [6] [7]

In November 2018, it was officially announced that ACCN would launch on August 22, 2019. [8] Opening night programming included the ESPN Films documentary The Class That Saved Coach K, which chronicled Mike Krzyzewski's turnaround of the Duke Blue Devils basketball team in the 1980s. [9] It aired its first football game on August 29, with the defending national champion Clemson Tigers hosting the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. [10]

Programming

ACC Network is expected to carry 1,300 events per year. [1] To provide more content for the channel, the ACC agreed to expand its conference schedule in college basketball to 20 games by the 2019–2020 season. ESPN also acquired the secondary ACC rights previously sub-licensed to Raycom Sports for its syndicated ACC Network (the company will continue to be involved as a sub-contractee for events that can be carried by the new channel). [11] [1]

Mark Packer and Wes Durham host the morning show Packer and Durham, simulcast on ACCN and SiriusXM. [9] All ACC will serve as the network's general news program, while The Huddle airs on Friday nights and Saturday mornings during football season. [12]

As a prelude to the linear channel, and as part of ESPN's new rights package, ESPN's digital platform WatchESPN began to carry broadcasts of ACC sporting events not on television under the branding ACC Network Extra. ESPN promoted that it would carry over 600 live telecasts per-season. [13] [7] ACCNX has continued its operations following the launch of the channel, becoming available exclusively to ACC Network subscribers. [14] [15]

Carriage

ESPN stated in June 2017 that it had reached carriage deals for the ACC Network with unknown providers. [16] In October 2017, Altice USA committed to offering the channel as part of in its latest round of carriage negotiations with Disney. [17] On December 30, 2018, Disney reached a new carriage agreement with Verizon Fios, which included carriage of the ACC Network. [18] On March 12, 2019, agreement was reached with AT&T to carry the ACC Network on DirecTV at launch. [19] Live television streaming services Hulu, PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV, and TVision Home also signed agreements to carry the channel at launch. [20] [21]

On August 14, Charter Spectrum, the largest cable provider in the ACC's heartland of North Carolina, agreed to carry ACCN as part of a new carriage agreement covering all Disney networks (including those acquired from 21st Century Fox). [22] On August 29, Dish Network agreed to carry the network on both Dish satellite TV service and Sling TV streaming service just in time to broadcast the Clemson/Georgia Tech football game. [23] On September 4, Cox Communications agreed to carry the network. [24] On September 25, AT&T agreed to carry the network on both AT&T U-Verse and AT&T TV Now. [25] Deals were also made with the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC), National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC), and Vivicast to carry the channel at launch on various smaller cable TV systems across the country. [26]

In the ACC Network's first athletic year, ESPN successfully negotiated the network's carriage to 70 million households on all major cable and satellite TV providers, with the sole exception of Comcast. [27] The holdout, Comcast, which provides cable television to 19 million households as of Q3 2020, [28] claimed in September 2019 that ESPN was not allowing them to carry the network at a "fair and reasonable cost" to their customers. [29] Following a two-year holdout, ESPN and Comcast eventually came to a deal to carry ACC Network on Xfinity in November 2021. [30]

Personalities

Related Research Articles

ESPN is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications (20%) through the joint venture ESPN Inc. The company was founded in 1979 by Bill Rasmussen, Scott Rasmussen and Ed Eagan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NFL Network</span> American sports-oriented pay television network

NFL Network is an American sports-oriented pay television network owned by the National Football League (NFL) and is part of NFL Media, which also includes NFL.com, NFL Films, NFL Mobile, NFL Now and NFL RedZone. Dedicated to American football, the network features game telecasts from the NFL, as well as NFL-related content including analysis programs, specials and documentaries. The network is headquartered in the NFL Los Angeles building located next to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and broadcasts its worldwide feed from Encompass Digital Media in Atlanta, Georgia. The network has secondary East Coast facilities in the NFL Films building in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altice USA</span> American telecommunications and media company; spin-off of Altice Europe

Altice USA, Inc., commonly known as Altice, is an American cable television provider with headquarters in New York City, owned by the Franco-Israeli businessman Patrick Drahi. It delivers pay television, Internet access, telephone services, and original television content to approximately 4.9 million residential and business customers in 21 states.

ESPNU is an American multinational digital cable and satellite sports television channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the Hearst Communications. The channel is primarily dedicated to coverage of college athletics, and is also used as an additional outlet for general ESPN programming. ESPNU is based alongside its sister networks at ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">YES Network</span> American regional sports network

The Yankee Entertainment and Sports Network (YES) is an American pay television regional sports network owned by Yankee Global Enterprises, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios, Amazon, and The Blackstone Group, RedBird Capital and Mubadala Investment Company, which each own 13%. Primarily serving New York City, New York and the surrounding metropolitan area, it broadcasts a variety of sports events, as well as magazine, documentary and discussion programs; however, its main emphasis is focused on games and team-related programs involving the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, the WNBA's New York Liberty and New York City FC of Major League Soccer.

WKRN-TV is a television station in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Nexstar Media Group. The station's studios are located on Murfreesboro Road on Nashville's southeast side, and its transmitter is located in Forest Hills, Tennessee.

Tennis Channel is an American sports-oriented digital cable and satellite television network owned by the Sinclair Television Group subsidiary of the Sinclair Broadcast Group. It is devoted to events and other programming related to the game of tennis, along with other racquet sports such as badminton, pickleball, and racquetball. Launched on May 15, 2003, the channel is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and produces its programming out of an HD-capable broadcast center in the Los Angeles suburb of Culver City. Ken Solomon serves as the network's Chief Executive Officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast</span> Television channel

Comcast Sports Southeast and Charter Sports Southeast (CSS) was an American regional sports network for the Southern United States that was operated as a joint venture between cable television providers Comcast and Charter Communications. In contrast to its competitor Fox Sports South, CSS had a heavier focus on college sports – with broadcasting partnerships with many of the area's colleges and universities.

A regional sports network (RSN) in the United States and Canada is a television channel that presents sports programming to a local media market or geographical region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raycom Sports</span> College sports television syndicator

Raycom Sports is a Charlotte, North Carolina–based producer of sports television programs owned by Gray Television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Ten Network</span> American collegiate sports network

Big Ten Network (BTN) is an American sports network based in Chicago, Illinois. The channel is dedicated to coverage of collegiate sports sanctioned by the Big Ten Conference, including live and recorded event telecasts, news, analysis programs, and other content focusing on the conference's member schools. It is a joint venture between Fox Sports and the Big Ten, with Fox Corporation as 61% stakeholder and operating partner, and the Big Ten Conference owning a 39% stake. It is headquartered in the former Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalog House building at 600 West Chicago Avenue in Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MountainWest Sports Network</span> Former American regional sports network

The MountainWest Sports Network, also known as The Mtn., was an American college sports television channel. Launched on September 1, 2006, it was dedicated to the Mountain West Conference (MWC), including studio programs following the conference, live events, and documentary-style programs profiling the conference's members. It was the first such network of its kind in the United States. The network was a joint venture between the conference's two rightsholders, CBS Corporation and NBCUniversal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NBC Sports Chicago</span> American regional sports network

NBC Sports Chicago is an American regional sports network that broadcasts regional coverage of professional sports teams in the Chicago metropolitan area, as well as college sports events and original sports-related news, discussion and entertainment programming. It is branded as part of the NBC Sports Regional Networks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ESPN Classic</span> American television channel telecasting vintage sporting events (1995-2021)

ESPN Classic was an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ACC Network (syndication package)</span> Syndicated package of college sports telecasts

ACC Network was a syndicated package of college sports telecasts featuring football and basketball events from the Atlantic Coast Conference, produced by Raycom Sports, the sports syndication unit of Montgomery, Alabama-based Raycom Media.

Longhorn Network (LHN) is an American regional sports network owned as a joint venture between The University of Texas at Austin, ESPN and Learfield, and is operated by ESPN. The network, which launched on August 26, 2011, focuses on the Texas Longhorns varsity sports teams of the University of Texas at Austin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pac-12 Network</span> College sports television network

The Pac-12 Network (P12N), sometimes referred to as Pac-12 Networks, is an American sports-oriented digital cable and satellite television network owned by the Pac-12 Conference. The network's studio and production facilities are headquartered in San Ramon, California.

WatchESPN was a branding of the Internet television website and mobile application operated by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SEC Network</span> U.S. NCAA Southeastern Conference sports TV network

SEC Network (SECN) is an American multinational sports network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications. The channel is dedicated to coverage of collegiate sports sanctioned by the Southeastern Conference (SEC) including live and recorded event telecasts, news, analysis programs, and other content focusing on the conference's member schools. The network is estimated to have 70 million subscribers, more than any other dedicated sports network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquee Sports Network</span> American regional sports network

Marquee Sports Network is a regional sports network operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group and the Chicago Cubs, launched on February 22, 2020. It is devoted exclusively to Cubs baseball, replacing a trio of channels as the exclusive broadcaster of Cubs games not shown on national TV.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Carter, Andrew (2016-07-24). "Art of the deal: How Swofford, ACC, ESPN reached agreement to launch the ACC Network". The News & Observer. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
  2. Barron, David (2014-08-14). "ESPN packs SEC Network launch with training camp inside looks". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  3. 1 2 McMurphy, Brett (2013-04-22). "ACC presidents OK deal to lock in schools". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-09-19.
  4. Mink, Nate (2016-07-21). "ACC, ESPN announce new television deal, including launch of ACC Network". syracuse.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  5. "ESPN-backed ACC Network launches in 2019". ESPN.com. Contributed by Brett McMurphy, David M. Hale and The Associated Press. 2016-07-21. Retrieved 2017-09-18.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. Ourand, John and Smith, Michael (September 18, 2017). "ACC Network Will Be Based Out Of Bristol Instead Of Charlotte As Widely Thought". Sports Business Daily. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  7. 1 2 Teel, David. "U.Va., Virginia Tech investing millions in ACC Network preparations". dailypress.com. Retrieved 2017-09-18.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. Hale, David (2018-11-30). "ACC Network set to launch in August 2019". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2018-11-30.
  9. 1 2 Bucholtz, Andrew (2019-03-15). "ACC Network programming announcement includes a Coach K documentary". Awful Announcing. Retrieved 2019-03-16.
  10. Sugiura, Ken (2018-12-01). "Georgia Tech-Clemson to help launch ACC Network in 2019". myajc.com. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
  11. Wilkerson-New, Brant (2019-03-10). "Raycom takes new role as ACC Network plans to debut". Greensboro News and Record. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  12. KappaCane (2019-08-08). "ACC Network Studio Reveal". State of The U. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  13. Cain, Brooke (September 12, 2019). "Here's how to watch college football games on ACC Network Extra". Herald Sun. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  14. Bucholtz, Andrew (2019-08-01). "ESPN will make five football games streaming-only on ACCNX, limited to ACC Network subscribers". Awful Announcing. Retrieved 2019-08-02.
  15. Burrows, Ben (2019-10-25). "What's the difference between ACC Network and ACC Network Extra?". syracuse.com. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
  16. Ourand, John and Smith, Michael (2017-06-26). "ACC, ESPN still bullish on conference network". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved 2017-10-16.
  17. Steinberg, Brian (2017-10-05). "Disney, Altice Strike New Carriage Deal". Variety. Retrieved 2017-10-16.
  18. Haring, Bruce (2018-12-30). "Disney And Verizon Reach New Carriage Deal For Fios, Avoiding Blackout". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  19. Ovies, Joe (2019-03-12). "ACC Network gains distribution deal with DirecTV". WRAL. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  20. Cain, Brooke (2019-11-05). "A guide to finding and watching the new ACC Network". newsobserver.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  21. "Who carries the ACC Network? Channel listings, game schedule". ajc.com. August 29, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  22. Hayes, Dade (2019-08-14). "Disney And Charter Forge Carriage Deal, Smoothing Path For ACC Network Debut". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
  23. Berman, Mark (August 29, 2019). "Dish reaches ACC Network deal in time for Clemson game". roanoke.com. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  24. Berman, Mark (September 4, 2019). "Cox strikes deal to carry ACC Network". roanoke.com. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  25. Cain, Brooke (2019-09-29). "College sports fans can celebrate: ACC Network is finally available on AT&T U-verse". newsobserver.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  26. Furones, David (2019-09-07). "Miami-UNC game day arrives with no ACC Network deal for Comcast, AT&T Uverse". sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  27. Decock, Luke (2020-08-23). "Some great, some bad, but overall the first year of the ACC Network was a success". newsobserver.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  28. Barnes, Jess (October 29, 2020). "Comcast Lost 273,000 Cable Customers in Q3 2020". cordcuttersnews.com. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  29. "ACC fans considering leaving Comcast in order to watch new ACC Network". The News Leader. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  30. Hayes, Dade (November 30, 2021). "Comcast And Disney Reach Carriage Deal, Adding ACC Network To Xfinity". Deadline. Retrieved March 5, 2024.