The ACC Network will broadcast early-round tournament games for women's basketball and baseball beginning in 2023, with ESPN and ESPN2 carrying the championship games, the conference announced on Wednesday.
π¨ ANNOUNCEMENT! π¨
β The ACC (@theACC) August 17, 2022
Moving forward, all early-round ACC Womenβs Basketball Tournament and ACC Baseball Championship games will now be on @accnetwork - while ESPN or ESPN2 will continue to carry the Championship games!
π°β¬οΈ @SBJ | @SmittySBJ: https://t.co/ARasJLvbOR
The tournaments move to the ACC Network after an agreement was reached between ESPN and Raycom Sports, according to the Sports Business Journal. The tournaments were previously shown exclusively on Bally Sports South, which created commotion among markets that didn't receive that regional sports network.
Distribution issues arose regarding the conference tournaments to the rest of the regional Bally Sports networks, and the move to the ACC Network appears to be a universal solution.
βWe are thrilled," ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips told the SBJ. "This is a significant moment that will enhance these premier events and provide much-needed access to our fans. We appreciate ESPN, Raycom Sports and Bally for mutually agreeing to make this happen.β
The current media rights contract between the ACC and ESPN runs through 2036, which also coincides with a Grant of Rights to the league's 14 members.