The Atlantic Coast Conference launched its own television station earlier this month, the ACC Network. College football now takes center stage on the channel with five different games slated to be broadcast during the sport's opening weekend of play.
But where can the channel be found and who may be locked out?
The site GetACCN.com allows potential viewers to find out if the channel is available in their area and by which providers. The network has already received some backlash, however, because Cox cable, Comcast/Xfinity and Dish Network still haven't hashed out deals with the ACC Network going into this weekend.
ACC fans that have DirecTV, YouTube TV streaming, Playstation Vue and Hulu Live TV streaming service should be able to watch the conference's action this weekend without problem.
According to the ACC Network's website, "Carriage agreements are also in place with the following video providers: Google Fiber, Optimum, Suddenlink, Spectrum TV, TVision, Verizon Fios, members of the NCTC, NRTC and Vivicast, among others. All ACCN games will also be available on the ESPN app to authenticated subscribers."
Defending national champion No. 1 Clemson will be highlighted on the network when the Tigers host Georgia Tech at 8 p.m. EST Thursday. That matchup is one of five games on the channel this weekend.
At 8 p.m. Friday, Wake Forest will host Utah State in an intriguing game featuring teams with two exciting quarterbacks. Three more contests are on tap starting at noon Saturday when North Carolina State hosts in-state rival East Carolina, Virginia Tech travels to Boston College at 4 p.m. for a league tilt and Virginia travels to Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. for another conference opener.
The ACC network is scheduled to air 1,300 live events annually across its TV and digital offerings from around the conference’s 15 member schools and 27 sponsored sports.
“We continue to look ahead to the launch of the ACC Network with great anticipation and this is another step in the process,” ACC Commissioner John Swofford said via a release this summer. “Showcasing all of our outstanding programs remains a top priority, and our partnership with ESPN allows fans to have greater access than ever before. I also commend our schools who have done an outstanding job in their preparations for a successful launch.”
Additional ACC Network details are expected to be announced throughout 2019.
Owned and operated by ESPN in partnership with the Atlantic Coast Conference, approximately 450 live contests – including 40 regular-season football games, 150 men’s and women’s basketball games and 200 other regular-season competitions and tournament games from across the conference’s 27 sponsored sports – will be televised annually, plus a complement of news and information shows and original programming.
ESPN has been televising ACC content since 1979 and has exclusive rights to every conference-controlled game across sports and championships.