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ESPN Unlimited to Stream CW Sports Live Starting Summer 2026

5/1/2026

22 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

ESPN Streams CW

The CW Network and ESPN announced that the ESPN App will stream all CW Sports live events in Summer 2026.
The streaming is limited to ESPN Unlimited subscribers, excludes ESPN Select, and keeps linear broadcasts.
The deal covers ACC and Pac-12 football and basketball, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, WWE NXT, 2026 Arizona Bowl.
ESPN Programming EVP Rosalyn Durant said the agreement adds year-round live sports to the ESPN Unlimited plan for fans.

Summary

ESPN Powers CW

The ESPN-CW agreement lets The CW keep its ad inventory, using linear pass-through ads then dynamic insertion.
Both ESPN and Roku deals share revenue, letting the partners earn ad money while The CW sells its spots.
Nexstar raised its ownership of The CW to 81% from 75% in 2022, spurring a sports-first shift.
Cross-viewing climbed to 28% of weekday primetime fans also watching CW sports on weekends, up from 21%.

History

Historical Context

After Amazon first bought non-exclusive Thursday Night Football rights for $50 million in April 2017, the NFL’s 2022 media overhaul granted Amazon exclusive streaming of the package, paying roughly $1 billion annually. This move shifted the league from traditional broadcast partners such as ESPN and CBS toward hybrid digital-linear models, a trend echoed by the 2026 ESPN-CW deal that adds Roku-enabled ad sharing.

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ESPN Streams CW

The CW Network and ESPN announced that the ESPN App will stream all CW Sports live events in Summer 2026.
The streaming is limited to ESPN Unlimited subscribers, excludes ESPN Select, and keeps linear broadcasts.
The deal covers ACC and Pac-12 football and basketball, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, WWE NXT, 2026 Arizona Bowl.
ESPN Programming EVP Rosalyn Durant said the agreement adds year-round live sports to the ESPN Unlimited plan for fans.

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