The ACC does not have its own standalone cable sports network, but that does not appear to be getting in the way of spreading the ACC brand across the country. On the eve of the ACC Football Kickoff, the ACC released a statement claiming the conference will have football games airing in an estimated 90 million homes this fall.
Part of this is having fun with numbers to make things sound better than they really are. For instance, not all 90 million home sin the country are going to be plugged into ACC football for the entire season. This is just more about the potential reach of the conference through various partnerships with broadcast outlets and more. But it sure sounds like a nice, juicy number when the SEC is getting pumped about reaching an estimated 45 million customers on the brand new SEC Network launching next month.
Do not take away from the growth of the syndicated ACC Network, because there has been some great progress made in a short period of time. According to the press release numbers, the ACC Network has increased the number of households it can reach from 27 million in 201 to 90 million in 2014.
“Our goal is to continue delivering ACC content to as many fans as possible,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford in a released statement. “We are proud of our partnership with ESPN, Raycom and the Fox regional networks. It’s these relationships that allow us to maximize the exposure for our schools and conference.”
With the growth being shown by these numbers and with the Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC dabbling to various degrees of success with their own respective networks, could an actual, standalone ACC Network still be on the way? The idea has been out there for a while now, and the model and framework is now in place with ESPN launching the SEC Network, assuming ESPN would be the broadcast partner for an actual ACC Network. Having a network would likely lead to a financial boost to the ACC, helping it catch up with other power conferences, and if a Division IV split comes of age, then having its own network may be in the ACC’s best interests for years to come.
Swofford may be asked about the idea when he opens the ACC Football Kickoff in Greensboro, North Carolina on Sunday, especially with the buzz surrounding the launch of the SEC Network. The question is whether the demand for 24-hour coverage of the ACC is there the way it is for the SEC. It may not be, but if the ACC were to launch its own network it would likely be able to boast some quality television markets at launch, including New York, Boston and Atlanta.
If you are an ACC fan, would you want to see an ACC Network made available, or is the syndicated coverage enough to satisfy your ACC football needs?
Image courtesy of ACC.