What Raycom Sports does

Raycom Sports is a U.S.-based national sports media production and events company founded in 1979 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It produces hundreds of live sports events annually for top collegiate athletic conferences (most prominently the ACC and Big 12), professional sports teams (Carolina Panthers, Portland Fire, College Park Skyhawks), and broadcast partners. Its core services span live production, content development (daily and long-form programming), multi-channel programming and distribution (streaming, broadcast, cable, syndication, social), project and event management, and brand partnerships. The company operates dedicated digital networks for the ACC (ACCDN) and Big 12 (Big 12 Studios), and runs a sponsorship and media sales unit branded as Gray Sports + Entertainment.

Underlying technology consists of a video content production and distribution platform supporting live event capture, digital content creation, and multi-channel distribution. Distribution leverage is a defining feature: content flows through parent Gray Media's television station footprint, ESPN national broadcast, regional sports networks, FAST channels, social platforms, and syndication partners. Raycom has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Gray Media (formerly Gray Television, NYSE: GTN) since its 2018 acquisition, and executives hold dual titles across both entities.

Raycom's business model is B2B enterprise with multiple revenue streams: production fees and media rights for live events, content licensing and distribution royalties, digital advertising across conference platforms and FAST channels, and sponsorship/activation revenue through Gray Sports + Entertainment. Pricing is custom and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales, targeting collegiate conferences, professional teams, network/broadcast partners, and brands/agencies seeking access to passionate sports audiences.

Name

Raycom Sports

Legal name

Raycom Sports

Website

https://raycomsports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Raycom Sports is a Charlotte-based national sports media production company that produces live events and digital content for the ACC and Big 12 conferences, professional sports teams, and broadcast partners, distributing through Gray Media, ESPN, and regional sports networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Media Production

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports FAST Channels & Free Ad-Supported Streaming (MPAKAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Streaming Distribution & App Platforms (CTV, Mobile, Web) (MPAKAOAL), College & University Sports Networks (Conference/School-Owned) (MPABAJAD), Media & Broadcast Sponsorship (In-Game Broadcast, Streaming Sponsorship) (MPAKALAF), Sports Digital Audio Broadcasts (Live Radio, Play-by-Play, Podcasts) (MPAKAOAG)

Keywords

• Sports media production
• Live event broadcasting
• Content distribution services
• Sponsorship media sales
• Digital sports networks

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Live Event Production: Produces hundreds of live games annually for collegiate athletic conferences and professional teams, generating revenue through production fees and media rights arrangements.
2. Content Distribution: Distributes original programming nationwide through Gray Media, national broadcast, ESPN, regional sports networks, and other outlets. Revenue generated through content licensing and distribution agreements.
3. Digital Content & FAST Channels: Leads content creation and distribution for ACC and Big 12 across official platforms and FAST channels, generating digital advertising and streaming revenue.
4. Sponsorship and Media Sales: Gray Sports + Entertainment delivers marketing solutions for brands through premium content and live experiences via sponsorship, activation, and engagement programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Raycom Sports produces live sports game broadcasts and original video content for collegiate athletic conferences (ACC, Big 12), professional sports teams, and broadcast network partners. The company distributes programming across streaming, broadcast, cable, syndication, and social channels, and operates dedicated digital networks (ACCDN, Big 12 Studios). Its sponsorship and media sales unit, Gray Sports + Entertainment, sells brand partnerships, sponsorships, activation, and engagement programs tied to premium live sports content.

Product overview

Raycom Sports operates as a national sports media production and events company offering a comprehensive suite of services centered around live game production, content development, programming distribution, project management, and brand partnerships. The company is organized around a core services model (Live Production, Content Development, Programming & Distribution, Project Management, Brand Partnerships) with specialized sub-brands including Gray Sports + Entertainment for sponsorship and media sales, Big 12 Studios for Big 12 conference content, and the ACC Digital Network (ACCDN) for ACC conference digital distribution. The company leverages Gray Media's infrastructure to distribute content across broadcast, streaming, cable, syndication, and social channels, serving collegiate athletic conferences, professional teams, and network partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gray Sports + Entertainment: Sponsorship and media sales unit delivering marketing solutions for brands through premium content and live experiences.
• ACC Digital Network (ACCDN)
• Big 12 Studios

Products and services

• Live Production
• Content Development
• Programming & Distribution
• Project Management
• Brand Partnerships

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaycom Sports leads digital content creation and distribution for the ACC across official platforms and FAST channels, producing live events and original programming for the conference.
• Big 12 ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaycom Sports manages digital content and distribution for the Big 12 across official platforms and FAST channels, including production of daily live show BIG 12 Today.
• TuneIncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to produce BIG 12 Today, a daily live show that won a Bronze Telly Award, distributed through TuneIn's audio streaming platform.
• Gray MediaflagshipTechnology or IntegrationRaycom Sports is a subsidiary of Gray Media. Distribution through Gray Media's television stations, national broadcast reach, and Gray Sports + Entertainment sponsorship unit.
• ESPNcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContent distribution partner for national broadcast of sports programming produced by Raycom Sports.
• Regional Sports NetworkscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCable distribution network partners for regional sports content produced by Raycom Sports.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Playfly Sports: Playfly Sports manages multimedia rights, sponsorship sales, and content production for high school and collegiate athletic properties; closely overlaps with Raycom's collegiate partnership and Gray Sports + Entertainment sponsorship work.
• JMI Sports: JMI Sports represents collegiate athletic programs and conferences on multimedia rights, sponsorship, and content; operates in the same niche as Raycom Sports with overlapping clients.
• Learfield (Learfield IMG College): Learfield is the dominant U.S. collegiate multimedia rights holder and produces/distributes official content for university athletic departments; directly comparable to Raycom's ACC/Big 12 conference-managed content and sponsorship model.

Emerging players

• SIDEARM Sports (Learfield): SIDEARM Sports builds and operates official athletic websites, apps, and digital content platforms for universities — directly comparable to Raycom's ACC Digital Network and Big 12 Studios digital platform/FAST model for college properties.
• Stadium Sports Network: Stadium is a digital/streaming sports network focused on college and professional content; comparable to Raycom's FAST and digital college sports distribution, though smaller and emerging.

Broad incumbents

• Endeavor / TKO Group: Endeavor's sports properties (including TKO and IMG) handle rights representation, content, and sponsorship across sports; broad incumbent comparable on the content/sponsorship/IP side of Raycom's business.
• Fox Sports (FOX): Fox Sports operates major national sports programming across broadcast, cable, and digital; a broad incumbent that produces and distributes live sports content on similar channels as Raycom.
• TNT Sports (Warner Bros. Discovery): TNT Sports holds major U.S. sports rights and distributes content across linear and streaming (including college sports); broad incumbent comparable to Raycom on distribution and content production.
• CBS Sports (Paramount): CBS Sports produces and distributes college and professional sports programming across broadcast and digital; a broad incumbent comparable to Raycom's linear + digital distribution mix.
• ESPN (Disney): ESPN is the largest U.S. sports broadcaster and a distribution partner for Raycom, but also the dominant incumbent in college sports rights and content; broad comparable for scale, channels, and monetization mechanics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/raycom-sports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Raycom Sports