Atlantic Coast Conference

ACC Network to be introduced in 2019, conference reaches deal with ESPN through 2036

Courtesy of The ACC

The ACC Network has been a key talking point for the conference in recent months and now a deal with ESPN means it is set to launch in 2019.

The Atlantic Coast Conference and ESPN have agreed to a 20-year deal through the 2035-2036 academic year that will be highlighted by the creation of the ACC Network, which will be introduced by August 2019, according to multiple reports. ESPN first reported this news.

The agreement guarantees that each of the ACC schools’ media rights would remain with the ACC regardless of school affiliation, which makes it seem unlikely that any of the schools will leave the conference.

News of the deal comes less than two full weeks after Syracuse hired John Wildhack as the new Director of Athletics. Wildhack came over from ESPN where he worked for over 30 years, most recently as the executive vice president for programming and production.

When asked last week in an interview with ESPN if he would have a role in the creation of the ACC network, Wildhack said that he’d support it but would defer to conference commissioner John Swofford about how involved he would be. Swofford is expected to provide an update at the ACC’s Football Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday.

In an interview last week with The Daily Orange, Wildhack stressed that Syracuse should align with the conference and use ESPN3 as an example of how broadband technology can be utilized.



Although the full version of the network won’t launch until Aug. 2019, the digital version should be live by this fall according to the report.





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