Eastern College Athletic Conference Launches “ECAC Network,” an over-the-Top Streaming Platform to Bring Fans the Best of Its Sports and Campus Content

The Eastern College Athletic Conference, in partnership with Media R3alm, has launched the ECAC Network, an over-the-top streaming platform that will give students, athletes, fans, families and alumni the best of the conference’s sports action, campus content and sports and lifestyle entertainment.

The announcement was made today by ECAC Commissioner Dan Coonan and Media R3alm Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Bates.

“The ECAC Network is a big step forward in delivering a compelling experience for fans across the conference and a powerful tool for our member schools to amplify their sports and campus experiences,” said Coonan. “Bringing to life rich campus cultures and dynamic social media engagement really symbolizes what this conference has always been about.”

Bates said, “Excitement and engagement around college sports continues to grow at every level and especially amongst the loyal fans of Division II and Division III schools. The ECAC Network will be a single destination that shines a spotlight on this unique legion of student-athletes both on the field and around campus.”

The ECAC Network platform is a web-based, mobile-optimized progressive web application that fans can easily access across any device. Best-in-class streaming technology ensures an uninterrupted viewing experience for live and on-demand content, plus active community engagement.

The network will be free to users in its initial launch phase this year. Media R3alm and Learfield are currently in talks together with potential advertising and sponsorship partners for the network.

Kicking off the championship action on the network will be next weekend’s third annual ECAC Division III Football Fest from Delaware Stadium at the University of Delaware. The weekend-long series of activities from Friday, November 17 through Sunday, November 19 will feature live network coverage of all four bowl game matchups as follows:

• Friday, November 17 at 7:30 PM: Clayton Chapman Bowl
• Saturday, November 18 at 11 AM: Asa S. Bushnell Bowl
• Saturday, November 18 at 5 PM: Scotty Whitelaw Bowl
• Sunday, November 19 at 12 PM: James Lynah Bowl

Bowl matchups and rosters will be announced live on the ECAC Network’s Bowl Selection Show at Noon ET on Monday, November 13.

Future sports programming on the network will include live coverage of most of the conference’s DII and DIII men’s and women’s championships and there are plans for live Games of the Week from across the ECAC. On-demand replays of recent games will also be available.

In addition to the slate of sports programming, ECAC Network will deliver a compelling array of campus content. From interesting classroom lectures, to interviews with the leading voices in education, to commentary from legal scholar and TV personality Jack Ford, the network will give viewers a more comprehensive look at the unique blending of academics, issues and culture across the conference.

Entertaining content from partners including DangerTV, Sportskool and Ed Randall’s “Talking Baseball” will also be available on the site.

ABOUT THE ECAC

Established in 1938, the ECAC is the nation's largest Conference, ranging in location from Maine to Georgia, and westerly to Missouri. The ECAC hosts numerous championships in men's and women's sports across Divisions I, II and III, offering opportunities for thousands of student-athletes. For more information, visit www.ecacsports.com.

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