ESPN and The CW Partner to Stream Sports Content
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ESPN and Nexstar's CW broadcast network have announced a deal to stream approximately 800 hours of sports annually on ESPN's direct-to-consumer service. The CW will provide exclusive sports inventory, including college athletics, WWE, and professional bull riding, while managing the advertising sales.
Facts First
- ESPN will stream approximately 800 hours of CW sports content annually on its direct-to-consumer subscription service.
- The CW will manage advertising sales for the games streamed on ESPN.
- The CW matches will stream exclusively on ESPN and not be available on The CW's linear TV channels.
- The CW has access to ACC, Mountain West, Pac-12, and WWE content that ESPN does not currently hold rights for.
- The CW and Roku have a separate partnership to bring CW entertainment programming to The Roku Channel starting in Fall 2026.
What Happened
ESPN and Nexstar's CW broadcast network announced a deal on Wednesday. ESPN will receive approximately 800 hours of sports inventory annually from The CW for its direct-to-consumer subscription service. The CW will oversee the sales of advertising revenue tied to those games. The CW matches will stream exclusively on ESPN and will not be available on The CW's linear TV outlets. The CW has access to ACC games, Mountain West games, Pac-12 games, and WWE content that ESPN does not have access to. ESPN does not currently have a major rights deal with NASCAR or Professional Bull Riders.
Why this Matters to You
You may have more sports content available on ESPN's streaming service, including college football, college basketball, and WWE fights that were previously exclusive to The CW. This could affect your choices for watching sports if you subscribe to ESPN's service or bundled offerings from Disney, Fox Corp., or Warner Bros. Discovery. The CW's advertising sales for these games may influence the commercial breaks you see during streams.
What's Next
The CW's sports inventory will begin streaming on ESPN's service. The CW and Roku have a separate partnership launching in Fall 2026 to bring CW entertainment programming, including shows like 'Policy 24/7' and 'Scrabble,' to The Roku Channel for next-day streaming.