GREENSBORO — The ACC and ESPN are staying quiet regarding specifics of a possible broadcast agreement for the cable sports network to air the league’s football and basketball games.
The Raleigh-based Triangle Business Journal reported Monday that the two had a pending deal worth $1.86 billion over 12 years.
ESPN previously paid the ACC roughly $40 million a year for its football broadcast rights, according to previous reports, and basketball has drawn about $30 million a year for broadcast rights.
The ACC would take in $155 million annually for its football and basketball programming under the possible ESPN deal, more than doubling its money for broadcasts, according to the Business Journal.
Neither organization would directly address the negotiation.
“We remain in active discussions, but can’t comment beyond that,” said Mike Humes, a spokesman for ESPN.
His words echoed those of Amy Yakola, spokeswoman for the ACC.
“We’re not in a position to confirm or comment on any of the details,” she said Monday.
The Business Journal said that ESPN would be able to choose from the ACC’s full selection for Thursday football games and for ABC broadcasts of Saturday and other night games. The Duke-UNC basketball game would stay on ESPN and the network would continue airing weekday and Saturday games, the Journal reported. There was no word on whether Fox Sports Net would keep showing Sunday basketball games.
Citing unidentified sources, the Business Journal reported that the cable network edged Fox Sports in negotiations last week during the ACC spring meetings in Amelia Island, Fla.
A spokesman from Fox did not return a phone message Monday.
The Business Journal said that Charlotte-based Raycom is expected to continue syndicating the ACC’s football and basketball package, but it would sublicense those games from ESPN.
Officials at Raycom did not return messages Monday.
Yakola said that she does not expect any formal announcement of a broadcast deal before midweek.
ACC television contracts for basketball last through 2010, and the league’s football deals run through 2011.
Contact Gerald Witt at 373-7008 or gerald.witt@news-record.com
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