ESPN To Live-Stream CFB Bowl Games, National Championship In Movie Theaters

By Barry Janoff

Photo: Theater Sports NetworkAugust 29, 2023: Calling it “the next great frontier for live sporting events,” ESPN and Theater Sports Network have signed a deal with MetaMedia to serve as the exclusive live-streaming partner for regular season Atlantic Coast Conference college football, New Year's Bowl games and the CFB semi-finals and National Championship in U.S. cinemas.

The New Year's Six Bowl games include the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, the Capital One Orange Bowl, the CFP Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game, and the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T.

In all, the agreement includes approximately 75 games during the 2023-24 college football season.

Financial terms of the alliance were not disclosed.

The concept is intended to take people who can’t get to a stadium out of their livingrooms and into a group environment with other fans, replicating being at the game itself.

"We believe movie theaters are the next great frontier for live sporting events, and we are elated with this unprecedented agreement with ESPN,” Scott Daw, president and COO of Theater Sports Network, said via the company, “We look forward to bringing these games to ACC football fans.

MetaMedia is a global, cloud-based entertainment delivery platform for cinemas, drive-ins, and other out-of-home venues. MetaMedia said it is currently connected to more than 5,000 screens across the U.S. and Canada, including in each of the Top 50 cities.

ACC games that air on ESPN platforms are available for Theater Sports Network distribution in the away team markets or in both home and away markets for neutral site games.

The cost of attendance to watch the games will be determined by participating local theaters (details here).

The alliance is scheduled to begin this weekend: Sept. 2 with Virginia at Tennessee and North Carolina at South Carolina; Sept. 3 with LSU at Florida State and Sept. 4 Clemson at Duke.

See full schedule here.

“We believe that theaters have the ability to generate excitement around live sporting events,” said Daw.

“These events will replicate the feel of a football stadium experience as fans gather and fill theaters to watch the games on the big screen. As we move forward, we hope to add games from additional college football conferences as well as other live sporting events."

ESPN previously teamed up with Cinemark in 2021 and 2022 to make the NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal games and National Championship game available to fans in cinemas.

"We believe that Theater Sports Network has identified an unmet demand for families and fans to view live sports on massive movie theater screens,” Jason Brenek, CEO of MetaMedia, said via the company. “And are thrilled to be selected as their live-streaming partner."

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