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The Syracuse Orange men’s and women’s basketball teams both start their 2025-26 seasons this week, and things could not be more complicated for fans hoping to watch the first games. The first games aren’t on cable TV, and a dispute between YouTube TV, ESPN, and parent companies Google and Disney, means some fans are dealing with gameday blackouts. Fans who are scrambling to watch the Syracuse basketball season openers on ACC Network Extra can still catch the games for free using a variety of methods. Here’s everything you need to know. What is ACC Network Extra? ACC Network Extra, a.k.a. ACCNX, is a streaming-only “channel” exclusive to ESPN.com and ESPN apps. However, it still requires a cable subscription or live TV streaming subscription to access. ACC Network Extra is essentially an overflow channel for Atlantic Coast Conference basketball, football and more college sports games that don’t air on the main ACC Network TV channel. This will not be the last time a Syracuse basketball game is broadcast on ACC Network Extra this season, and ACCNX is also a regular home for other Syracuse Orange sports, including soccer, football and lacrosse. How do I get ACC Network Extra? If your cable TV or internet TV package includes the ACC Network channel, you already have access to ACC Network Extra. NOTE: Due to an ongoing dispute with Google, Disney-owned sports channels such as ESPN, ACC Network and ACCNX are currently excluded from the YouTube TV streaming service. If you don’t have cable TV, you can get ACC Network (which includes ACCNX access) through a variety of live TV streaming services, including fuboTV (free trial), DirecTV (free trial) and Sling (half off first month). BEST BET: fuboTV (free trial) fuboTV is a comprehensive live TV streaming service that offers more than 230 channels including ESPN, ESPN2, ACC Network, unlimited Cloud DVR and the ability to watch on up to 10 streams at once. Crucially, it even includes college sports networks, like ACC Network, in its base pricing. It has a sports focus, and even has its own exclusive fubo Sports channels that carry exclusive international soccer games and other sports. For a limited time, fuboTV is offering its first month for just $54.99 after your free trial. After that, the price is $84.99 per month. It even includes a complimentary subscription to ESPN Unlimited, which you can also enjoy during your free trial. Does ACCNX cost anything? There is no additional cost for ACCNX if you already have ACC Network. However, ACC Network is typically included on more premium cable or live streaming packages. For example, if you want ACC Network with Sling, you’d need the Sports Extra package, which costs an additional $11 per month. I have ACC Network. Now how do I find the game on ACC Network Extra? If you’re watching on a web browser, head to ESPN.com/watch. Click “Browse” in the menu bar, scroll down to “Channels,” then look for ACCNX and click it. Then, look for your game and click to enjoy. When prompted to log in with your cable or live TV streaming service credentials, do so. If you’re watching on an ESPN app, select “Watch” from your home screen, scroll down to “Channels” and look for ACCNX. Select the game, and be prepared to log in with your cable or live streaming service provider. Which Syracuse Basketball games are on ACC Network Extra? While a handful of games still have their channel listed as TBA, the following Syracuse basketball games are slated for ACCNX at the start of the season. Binghamton @ Syracuse, Monday, November 3, 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (STREAM) Delaware State @ Syracuse, Saturday, November 8, 1 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (STREAM) Stonehill College @ Syracuse, Monday, December 22, 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (STREAM) The following Orange women’s basketball games are also slated for ACCNX: Stony Brook @ Syracuse, Tuesday, November 4, 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (STREAM) UAlbany @ Syracuse, Friday, November 7, 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (STREAM) Canisius @ Syracuse, Tuesday, November 11, 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (STREAM) Wagner @ Syracuse, Sunday, November 16, 2 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (STREAM) Howard @ Syracuse, Sunday, November 30, 2 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (STREAM) Syracuse @ SMU, Sunday, December 7, 3 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (STREAM) Colgate @ Syracuse, Wednesday, December 10, 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (STREAM) Binghamton @ Syracuse, Tuesday, December 16, 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (STREAM) Mercyhurst @ Syracuse, Friday, December 19, 10:30 a.m. on ACC Network Extra (STREAM) A full season schedule can be found here. I’m a YouTube TV customer. Can I still access ACCNX? No. As of right now, YouTube TV customers that try to use their credentials to login on ESPN.com will be denied access. YouTube TV customers can sign up for free trials of live TV services such as fuboTV (free trial) or DirecTV (free trial) to enjoy the games until the Google-Disney dispute is resolved. Is there any other way to watch the games? Yes. ESPN recently rebranded its ESPN Plus service into ESPN Unlimited, which carries all previously-exclusive ESPN Plus live games, in addition to every game appearing on ESPN-owned channels such as ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ACC Network and more. That includes games on ACC Network Extra. That service costs $35.99 per month, but new subscribers can get a year at $29.99 per month when they sign up now.
