Historic deal to bring HBCU Sports to over 70 percent of U.S. homes

HBCU sports will be available to even more fans this season.

HBCU-focused media company HBCU+ and black-owned cable network Impact Network have announced a partnership to broadcast HBCU+'s slate of sports and entertainment content. Impact Network will be the exclusive linear home HBCU+ owned by Urban Edge Network.

HBCU+ content will air on Saturday afternoons starting in September. Urban Edge Network will produce full-scale pre-game and post-game coverage for the games aired on Impact Network affiliates. HBCU+ broadcasts content from 36 HBCUs, including Grambling State University, Norfolk State University and all of the schools in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. Impact Network will also broadcast volleyball, basketball and other HBCU sports from the represented schools as well as programming that highlights HBCU life and culture.

Representatives from HBCU+ and Impact Network spoke highly of the deal in a statement obtained by ClutchPointsHBCU.

“We are both proud and excited to have this partnership and expand our reach by adding 75 million homes. This completes our marketing 360 strategy for our new NBA G League and HBCU + partners,” said Hardy Pelt, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Urban Edge Network.

Royal Jackson, Executive Vice President of Impact Network, added, “As a multi-generational platform, it’s an honor for Impact Network to be able to serve the African-American and HBCU communities on multiple levels from HBCU alumni to students and future recruits.”

In addition to Impact Network, games from HBCU+ will be broadcasted on the HBCU+ app. The app is available on smart TVs as well as in the Apple & Google Play App stores.

The schedule of games and programming will be released soon.