Disney has announced that ESPN has exercised its option to extend its base rights agreement with the ACC to continue as the league’s media partner through the 2035-36 academic year.

In its 72nd year, and 18 members strong, the ACC stands as one of the most competitive and revered intercollegiate conferences in the nation. ACC members including Boston College, Cal, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest, are dedicated to upholding the league’s founding values of academic excellence, athletic competition at the highest level, and integrity. The ACC supports 28 NCAA sports, with 15 for women and 13 for men, and its member institutions span 12 states.

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D said in a statement regarding the extension:

“We appreciate the ongoing partnership with ESPN and their enduring commitment that further solidifies the ACC as a premier league in all facets. The extension showcases the importance of our long-standing relationship, and I want to personally thank the entire ESPN team for their leadership and dedication to our collective future. In addition, I want to thank our ACC Board of Directors who have been involved throughout this entire process. The resolve from both parties to further enhance the partnership through innovation and creativity to continue to drive additional value remains our top priority.”

Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN also added:

“We are pleased to extend our media rights agreement with the ACC through 2036, continuing our longstanding relationship. We remain committed to serving the ACC, its member schools, student athletes and fans via comprehensive live game coverage, storytelling and broad exposure across our unprecedented array of networks and platforms, including ACC Network. The ACC is a pillar of ESPN’s leading commitment to college sports and we are thrilled to continue the partnership over the next decade.”

The ESPN and ACC relationship has spanned more than 35 years and includes ACC Network, which was launched in August of 2019. ACC Network, a collaboration between ESPN and the ACC, is one of only three national and fully distributed conference networks.

ESPN and ACC signed a contract in 2016 and had the option to extend the deal to 20 years. If they had not signed a new deal, ESPN would have lost its rights in 2027.    This deal will keep ACC content available on ESPN for years to come and is likely going to continue to be a major part of its upcoming ESPN Flagship streaming service, which launches in the Fall and will also be available within Disney+.

What do you think of ESPN extending its deal with the ACC? Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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