Lyke wants Panthers fans to ask for ACC Network

Heather Lyke at Pitt Studios

Pitt Athletic Director Heather Lyke is making an appeal to Panther Nation to tell cable providers, “I want my ACC Network.”

The fledgling network, owned by the ACC and ESPN, debuted on Aug. 22. It will provide 24-hour, seven-day-a-week broadcasting of sporting events involving the Atlantic Coast Conference’s 15 member schools.

The University opened up the new Pitt Studios at the Petersen Events Center in December 2018 in anticipation of the network’s debut this fall.

The problem is that not all cable companies have agreed to carry the network yet, including the largest provider in this area, Comcast Xfinity.

In her Lyke Lights column on Aug. 19 for Pitt Athletics, Lyke said Pitt fans can go to GetACCN.com to see if their local cable provider is set to carry the ACC Network. If your provider is not listed, you can contact them to request it carry ACCN as part of its channel lineup.

Currently, Comcast Xfinity, DISH Network, CenturyLink, Frontier Communications, Armstrong Cable and others are not carrying ACCN. Contact them at:

  • Comcast Xfinity: 800-934-6489

  • DISH Network: 800-333-3474

  • CenturyLink: 866-642-0444

  • Frontier Communications: 855- 617-4470

  • Armstrong Cable: 877-486-4666

Agreements have been reached with four national providers to carry ACC Network — DIRECTV, YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV and PlayStation Vue. Deals also are in place with Charter/Spectrum, Google Fiber, Verizon Fios, TVision, Optimum, Suddenlink, and more than 60 other providers.

The Panthers’ first game of the season — 7:30 p.m. Aug. 31 against Virginia — will be broadcast on ACCN. The network kicks off its college football coverage with defending national champion Clemson against Georgia Tech at 8 p.m. Aug. 29.

The ACC Network said it plans to broadcast 450 live contests in its first year, including 40 regular-season football games, 150 men’s and women’s basketball games and 200 other regular-season competitions and tournament games from across the conference’s 27 sponsored sports.

Check out this Post-Gazette article for an extensive look into the building of the ACC Network.

— Susan Jones