The Southwestern Athletic Conference is taking another major step toward expanding the national visibility of HBCU athletics.

SWAC TV is launching a dedicated free, ad-supported streaming television channel—commonly known as a FAST channel—across several leading platforms. The expansion will make SWAC programming available at no additional cost through:

• Prime Video
• Plex
• Xumo Play
• Amazon Fire TV
• Google TV
• Dingo TV

Additional streaming platforms are expected to be announced later, giving fans even more opportunities to follow the conference from virtually anywhere in the country.

Live Football Programming Begins September 19

The expanded SWAC TV channel will officially begin carrying live sporting events during Week 3 of the 2026 college football season on Saturday, September 19.

Fans will also have access to original programming and additional content highlighting the conference’s 12 member institutions and 18 sponsored sports. For supporters who live outside their favorite school’s local market, the expansion creates another way to follow conference teams without purchasing an additional sports package or streaming subscription.

Growing Demand Creates a Bigger Opportunity

According to the conference, increased viewership and engagement with SWAC TV’s live and on-demand programming helped create the opportunity for broader distribution.

The new FAST channel will complement the conference’s existing SWAC TV platform and its separate media-rights agreement with ESPN. While ESPN will continue carrying selected regular-season games and SWAC championship events, the conference-owned platform provides another national outlet for events and programming that may not receive traditional television coverage.

The combination gives the SWAC an opportunity to place its biggest events on major ESPN networks while continuing to build and control its own digital media platform.

“Expanding SWAC TV across leading FAST platforms represents a transformative moment for our Conference and is a direct reflection of the tremendous support our fans have shown for SWAC programming.”— SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland

McClelland also emphasized how uncommon it is for an athletic conference to operate its own dedicated FAST channel. That distinction could prove significant as college conferences search for new ways to reach viewers in an increasingly fragmented media environment.

More Exposure for SWAC Student-Athletes

The expansion is bigger than simply giving fans another place to watch football.

A nationally distributed SWAC TV channel can create additional exposure for student-athletes competing in sports that traditionally receive limited television coverage. It can also introduce the conference’s programs, campuses, traditions and personalities to viewers who may not already follow HBCU athletics.

For the SWAC’s member institutions, that visibility can support recruiting, alumni engagement, sponsorship opportunities and overall brand recognition.

The conference has partnered with Triple B Media to operate and distribute the FAST channel. Triple B Media specializes in television-network operations and global content distribution and works with several sports-focused streaming channels.

“The Southwestern Athletic Conference has built an incredibly passionate and engaged audience, and the continued growth of SWAC TV demonstrates the demand that exists for this content.”— Brendan Canning, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Triple B Media

A Major Moment for HBCU Sports Media

HBCU sports audiences have historically faced challenges locating games across multiple networks, apps and streaming services. Making SWAC TV available on widely used platforms could eliminate some of those barriers while placing the conference in front of millions of potential viewers nationwide.

It also gives the SWAC a valuable asset that it can continue developing beyond live games. Original shows, historical features, documentaries, coach and player interviews, press conferences and behind-the-scenes programming could all help the conference keep viewers engaged throughout the year.

The announcement represents another important investment in the SWAC’s media future—and another opportunity for the conference to control how its athletes, institutions and traditions are presented.

SWAC TV’s arrival on major FAST platforms is not just an expansion of where fans can watch. It is an expansion of who can discover the conference.

Programming schedules and additional platform information will be released throughout the 2026–27 academic year.

Source: Read the official Southwestern Athletic Conference announcement.