What ESPN's partnership with The CW means for Gonzaga in the Pac-12

When Gonzaga opted to join the new look Pac-12, it not only signaled the end of many historic conference matchups from their 40+ years in the WCC, but also the end of a longstanding relationship between the University and ESPN. At least, so we thought.

On Wednesday The CW Network - one of the prominent media partners in the Pac-12 - announced an agreement with ESPN to stream all CW sports broadcasts on the ESPN app.

The CW is set to broadcast 35 regular season men's basketball games and 15 regular season women's games, as well as the semifinals and championship of the women's basketball tournament over the next five years.

“Joining forces with ESPN is a monumental next step in the evolution of CW Sports,” Brad Schwartz, the president of The CW Network, 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 deal will be part of the ESPN Unlimited subscription, with The CW events being simulcast over the air and on the ESPN app. The CW is available via various cable television and streaming packages, making it one of the most accessible sports networks in the country.

“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," ESPN executive vice president Rosalyn Durant said. "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."

What it means for Gonzaga

Gonzaga has long had a positive relationship with ESPN, frequently filling late night programming for the network and doing big numbers. While fans were often frustrated with the network's refusal to expand two hour slots for games - resulting in many Zag games starting late and/or on a different channel - the partnership was positive for both parties.

Now ESPN will have a chance to show Gonzaga games once again, although it will be on the app rather than their main channel - and they won't get their pick of the litter anymore.

CBS is the flagship media partner with the Pac-12, with at least three regular season games going on CBS and a max of 17 regular season games on CBS Sports Network and Paramount+. They will get to pick which games they want, and it's fair to assume a huge chunk of Gonzaga's games will end up on these channels.

The CW then gets to pick their 35 regular season games, with USA Network gobbling up 50 games and the Pac-12 Tournament games through the semifinals.

Ultimately, fans who already had or are planning to have access to The CW will still be able to watch as normal, but can now watch another way with the ESPN Unlimited App, creating even more visibility for the new league as they get underway officially on July 1.

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