The decision makers at ESPN know a potential ratings gold mine when they see it and that's why they are all-in on Bill Belichick's Tar Heels.
ESPN already has five of UNC's games committed to their family of channels and a report from Front Page Sports suggests there could be as many as ten Tar Heel games under the umbrella of the Worldwide Leader in Sports.
“We have to wait and see, the potential is there,” ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions Kurt Dargis said. “There’s definitely interest in him outside the typical college football fan. Deion was such a phenomenon. I still can’t believe some of the numbers we got that first year he was there. It’s too early to say.”
ESPN networks are poised to show 8, if not 10, of Bill Belichick’s first games as North Carolina head coach, sources tell FOS.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) July 23, 2025
Can ESPN recreate the “Deion effect?”
“We have to wait and see. The potential is there.”
There are a lot of similarities to the promotional aspects between UNC and Colorado. Both programs made the decision to open the locker rooms in year one. Colorado had a docuseries on Amazon Prime and UNC is doing something similar with Hulu.
Colorado has continued to tell its story with a ton of social media content, primarily through TikTok and YouTube. UNC isn't there yet, but that could be coming.
Deion Sanders has always been in the self-promotion game. He is a classic pitchman that can draw attention. Belichick also draws attention, but unlike Deion, his attention comes from being somewhat mysterious and not saying things.
His relationship with Jordon Hudson has been the subject of a lot of scrutiny and conspiracies, but there have never been any clear answers and with Belichick you're unlikely to get them.
Sources tell @PabloTorre that Bill Belichick's girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, is now banned from UNC's football facility.
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) May 9, 2025
One Belichick family source adds: "There is deep worry for how detrimental Jordon can be for not just North Carolina but Bill's legacy, reputation — everything… pic.twitter.com/59xQQtqyc0
So, the off-field element with Belichick is high to begin with. The hardcore football fans are naturally curious to see how the most successful coach in NFL history can translate to the college game. With Deion there were questions about his coaching style, his staff and how he would handle FBS competition in a Power 4 conference.
There are no such questions about Belichick as a coach - he's one of the best to ever do it. But there's plenty of intrigue about how he can relate to college athletes and succeed in an environment where the players are gaining more and more control.
It all makes for great television and ESPN wants you to see every minute of it.