BURBANK, Calif.—The CW Network has announced major streaming deals with ESPN and The Roku Channel that will greatly expand the availability of its sports and entertainment programming on major streaming platforms.
In terms of sports, The CW and ESPN reported that they are teaming up to make the ESPN App the exclusive streaming home for all CW Sports live events, combining premium sports offerings into a single viewer-friendly experience through this groundbreaking agreement.
All CW Sports will broadcast live on The CW Network as well as stream live on the ESPN App for fans with an ESPN Unlimited subscription plan, including live coverage of college football and men’s and women’s basketball from the ACC, Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, WWE NXT, PBA Bowling, PBR Bull Riding, AVP volleyball and the 2026 Arizona Bowl.
Fans with an ESPN Unlimited plan subscription will have the opportunity to watch all CW Sports offerings live on any device with the ESPN App as a complement to The CW’s free over-the-air broadcast model nationwide.
CW Sports on the ESPN App is expected to launch in Summer 2026.
“Joining forces with ESPN is a monumental next step in the evolution of CW Sports,” said Brad Schwartz, president, The CW Network. “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.”
In addition, the network announced a partnership with Roku launching in Fall 2026 that will bring CW entertainment programming to The Roku Channel for next-day streaming.
The agreement will bring scripted and unscripted CW programming to more than half of U.S. broadband households via a CW-branded hub on The Roku Channel. Additionally, new installments of WWE NXT will be made available to stream on The Roku Channel every Wednesday following its live Tuesday night broadcast on The CW.
“Partnering with Roku supercharges the reach and accessibility of The CW’s premium entertainment content,” Schwartz added. “By combining The Roku Channel’s expansive audience with The CW’s nationwide linear footprint, we’re bringing together the best of broadcast with the best of streaming to unlock unprecedented scale for our content, our audience, and our advertisers.”
In addition to the fresh next-day premium broadcast content, The CW hub on The Roku Channel will feature over 800 hours of CW library content.
