ESPN and the Atlantic Coast Conference announced plans to launch a jointly owned linear network in 2019 as well as an all-digital offering – ACC Network Extra – next month.
The ACC and ESPN officially launched the venture at the conference’s annual Football Kick-Off media event in Charlotte, N.C. News that the network was in the works has been out for days.
According to both ESPN and the ACC, the partnership is part of an extension to the conference’s existing sports rights agreement with ESPN to 2036. ESPN is the ACC’s exclusive worldwide rights holder.
Beginning in August, fans can access more than 600 exclusive live events from across the conference via digital live-events channel ‘ACC Network Extra,’ immediately available to users who have access to ESPN3 via WatchESPN and the ESPN app. More than 1,300 ACC events will be distributed across the platforms in 2019 when the linear network launches.
