ESPN recently partnered with the CW Network, to make the ESPN App the exclusive home for all CW Sports live events.
Customers will be able to access live coverage of sports that are considered more alternative compared to mainstream events, such as the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, WWE NXT, PBA Bowling, PBR Bull Riding, AVP volleyball and the 2026 Arizona Bowl.
This immediately creates a new angle for the ESPN App to entice a new demographic to its platform; while also providing something new for existing users who may have only engaged with mainstream sports up until this point.
What does the CW Network get out of this?
For the CW Network, this deal creates a new opportunity for its sports to connect with larger audiences. While the CW will continue its free over-the-air broadcast model nationwide, companies can advertise during ESPN's live broadcasts.
The sports will be complemented by the UI already developed for the ESPN App, including multiview and synchronized two-screen viewing options, swipeable short-form vertical video, personalized SportsCenters and integrated game stats.
Brad Schwartz, CW Network President, said: “Joining forces with ESPN is a monumental next step in the evolution of CW Sports.
“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.”
What does ESPN get out of this deal?
Rosalyn Durant, ESPN Programming & Acquisitions Executive VP, said: “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 power of brand loyalty among smaller communities of fans is not to be overlooked, and this connection could drive powerful customer acquisition
One of the most common complaints about legacy media is that they ‘do not keep up with the times’ and leave themselves vulnerable to stagnation. It would be all too easy for ESPN to focus solely on the most popular sports in the US, but that leaves little room for growth.
By signing a deal for more niche events, ESPN does not simply ‘grow’ its portfolio, but diversifies it – two very different things that not all operators truly understand.
This will bring in new demographics and perhaps even engage current ESPN App users by introducing them to sports that were not previously part of their roster.
Will CW Sports events be added for betting?
This is the critical question that underlines the entire deal between the two companies.
These are not your traditional football or hockey streams, but wrestling, bowling and even bull riding. Interestingly, these could be marketed as more ‘traditionally American’ than football or soccer, and it will be interesting to see if this will be the direction the companies take.
As for whether these sports will be integrated into the ESPN betting vertical, the press release remained ambiguous on the matter. The media company confirmed that CW Sports will launch on the ESPN App in the summer months of this year, and that ESPN hosts betting capabilities, but they were never mentioned together.
It is also worth noting that ESPN Bet has been repurposed over the last few months. The brand used to be part of a Penn Entertainment partnership, but this was dissolved last year when DraftKings took over as the Official Sportsbook and Odds Provider of ESPN.
Under this deal, DraftKings will power the betting tab in the ESPN App and offer customers special promotions for ESPN Unlimited, which is coincidentally the new home of CW Sports. Meanwhile, ESPN Bet will shift to a sports betting content brand that directs customers to the DraftKings sportsbook.
Can you bet on CW Network sports?
Before ESPN could integrate any betting opportunities alongside CW sporting events, it would have to clear any regulatory hurdles that stand in the way. For example, wagering on bowling is legal in the US, but this can only be done through licensed operators and varies from state to state.
As for getting licenses for these sports, that would be relatively easy for DraftKings as the exclusive Official Sportsbook and Odds Provider of ESPN.
It would certainly make sense for ESPN and DraftKings to push for this, as it would create a new betting revenue stream from customers that may not have considered it before. After all, if these sports are handled with the same weight as the NFL or the NBA with infographics and data, it creates that engagement point between the viewer and the app.
It also seems likely there are viewers who do not watch ‘typical’ sports such as football, but will engage with their favourite bowling team. The power of brand loyalty among smaller communities of fans is not to be overlooked, and this connection could drive powerful customer acquisition, retention and cross-selling opportunities in the future.
This is not the first time niche sports have been targeted by broadcasters. But, with ESPN in play, it could be the biggest opportunity in this area yet.
The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) was founded on April 12, 1992, in Scottsdale, Arizona, by a group of 20 bull riders who broke away from the traditional rodeo scene
