ESPN and The CW agree to streaming deal, creating more access for Pac-12 sports

Boise State leaving Mountain West for Pac-12 this summer

Pac-12 | Photo courtesy of Pac-12

Pac-12 fans will have another way to watch football games this fall. 

On Wednesday, The CW Network and ESPN announced an agreement to stream all CW sports broadcasts on the ESPN app. 

The CW is slated to broadcast 13 Pac-12 football games, 35 regular-season men’s basketball games, 15 regular-season women’s basketball games and the semifinals and championship round of the Pac-12 women’s basketball tournament per season over the next five years. 

“Joining forces with ESPN is a monumental next step in the evolution of CW Sports,” The CW Network president Brad Schwartz said in a press release. “The CW now offers more than 800 hours of premium live sports per year. This agreement extends the reach of CW Sports and enables us to capture audiences across the best of broadcast and the best of streaming, ensuring fans can access live CW Sports wherever they are and on whatever device they prefer. This new partnership will allow us to connect seamlessly with our audiences everywhere—from football and basketball to motorsports, professional wrestling, bowling, bull riding, and much more to come as CW Sports continues its exciting march forward.”

Added ESPN executive vice president of programming and acquisitions Rosalyn Durant: “Bringing CW Sports to the ESPN App is another step in delivering more value, choice and flexibility for fans, expanding the range of live sports available within our streaming ecosystem.This agreement gives fans even more live sports to watch year-round within the ESPN Unlimited plan, while extending the reach of CW Sports to new audiences. As we continue to evolve ESPN’s direct-to-consumer experience, collaborations like this allow us to better serve fans by making more of the sports they love available in one place.”

The reborn Pac-12 has nine members signed up for the 2026-27 athletics season: current members Oregon State and Washington State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State of the Mountain West, Gonzaga of the West Coast Conference and Texas State of the Sun Belt. The nine-team conference will officially form on July 1. 

The new streaming deal will be part of the ESPN Unlimited subscription. All CW broadcasts will also be available over-the-air and via various cable television and streaming packages on The CW Network. 

The Pac-12 has also signed media rights deals with USA Network and CBS. 

USA Network will air 22 regular-season football games, 50 regular-season men’s basketball games and five to 10 women’s basketball games each year. 

A minimum of three regular-season football and men’s basketball games will air live on main CBS per year. CBS Sports Network and Paramount+ will be the primary home of Pac-12 regular-season football and men’s basketball. 

Every Pac-12 home football game will air on one of CBS, CBS Sports Network, The CW or USA Network through the 2031 athletics season.