ESPN, ACC Strike Deal on Football, Basketball Rights

ESPN and
the Atlantic Coast Conference have struck a 12-year deal on rights to college
football and basketball.

The
deal extends from 2011-12 through 2022-23.

Raycom will
continue to syndicate ACC games over-the-air and on regional cable through a
sublicensing deal.

Among the
highlights are Saturday afternoon and primetime Thursday college football
games, no more local market blackouts of men's basketball games, and additional
ACC coverage on ESPN International, ESPN Classic and elsewhere.

"Some of
ESPN's most memorable moments have featured the ACC and we're proud to extend
our long-term relationship with this great conference and Raycom," said George
Bodenheimer, president of ESPN and ABC Sports in announcing the deal.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.