How ESPN will use Bill Belichick for 'Prime Effect' ratings grab

How ESPN will use Bill Belichick for 'Prime Effect' ratings grab originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Bill Belichick hasn’t coached a down of college football in nearly 50 years. But this fall, the hoodie returns, this time as the face of North Carolina’s football program. ESPN is betting big on his presence to electrify college football, much like Deion Sanders did for Colorado in 2023. Coach Prime turned the Buffaloes into must-watch TV overnight. Now, Chapel Hill’s new leading man could be the next ratings magnet. According to Front Office Sports, ESPN has already lined up at least eight UNC games for its networks, and Belichick hasn’t even held a headset on game day yet.

The comparisons are almost too easy. Hall of Fame NFL coaching résumé? Check. Media magnet? Absolutely. Massive intrigue beyond Xs and Os? Without question.

Belichick, 73, shocked the sports world by signing on as UNC’s head coach in the twilight of his career. But it wasn’t just the college football world that noticed, it was ESPN, too. As Front Office Sports reported, the network is leaning in heavily. UNC’s season opener against TCU will be on primetime ESPN, with College Football Countdown broadcasting live from Chapel Hill. That’s the kind of spotlight Coach Prime enjoyed when he led Colorado into Fort Worth to upset TCU in 2023.

And the resemblance doesn’t stop there.

Coach Prime’s debut drew over 7.2 million viewers and was ESPN’s most-watched regular season game that year. Now, ESPN’s senior director of programming, Kurt Dargis, says the network is hoping for similar magic with Belichick:

“There’s definitely interest in him outside the typical college football fan… The potential is there.”

So far, five UNC games are already locked into ESPN properties, including key ACC matchups like Oct. 17 at Cal and Oct. 31 at Syracuse. ESPN+ and ACC Network, both owned by the company, will also host exclusive broadcasts. The rest of the Tar Heels’ games? Likely headed to the ESPN family, thanks to a $3.6 billion deal that extended ACC rights through 2036.

And just like Colorado under Sanders, UNC ticket sales are soaring. On3’s Brett McMurphy reports a total sellout, which is the earliest in school history. Belichick’s presence alone has turned a middling ACC program into a national story.

Even without a snap played, he’s delivering what networks crave: eyeballs and buzz.

ESPN’s real goal? A blockbuster Oct. 4 clash with Clemson. Dargis said the network has its “hopes and fingers crossed” that this becomes a College GameDay destination. If UNC is winning, there’s a good chance Belichick will land on ABC’s main stage.

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Deion Sanders changed college football’s media game with charisma and chaos. Bill Belichick brings pedigree, mystery, and unmatched NFL credibility. ESPN isn’t just hoping for lightning to strike twice, they’re betting on it. If Belichick can turn UNC into a winner, the Tar Heels might become college football’s new primetime obsession. One thing is certain: the cameras will be rolling.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 26, 2025, where it first appeared.