SWAC TV is expanding beyond its own app. The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced Sept. 17 that it is launching a dedicated, free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel, putting SWAC TV’s live events and original programming on six additional platforms at no cost to viewers: Prime Video, Plex, Xumo Play, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV and Dingo TV. The conference said it will announce more platforms.
The move builds on a first year in which SWAC TV topped 60 million minutes watched, with Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland saying the platform’s event count would roughly double this season, from about 480 events to 1,000. It also adds to the advertising inventory behind the conference’s media-for-equity partnership with Mercurius Media Capital, announced in June, under which companies in the firm’s portfolio use SWAC TV ad inventory in exchange for equity stakes rather than cash.
What Is Changing
SWAC TV launched Aug. 1, 2025, as a free app carrying all 18 SWAC-sponsored sports. The FAST channel adds a second way to watch: instead of requiring viewers to download SWAC TV directly, the same programming will also run as a linear channel inside Prime Video, Plex, Xumo Play, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV and Dingo TV.
The conference has partnered with Triple B Media to operate and distribute the channel. Triple B Media runs a portfolio of niche sports and entertainment networks, including Billiard TV, Bowling TV, SLVR Sports and Entertainment, and PowerSports World, and was named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in both 2025 and 2026.
“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,” McClelland said in the announcement. “The growth in our viewership has positioned us to take this significant next step and provide even greater access to our content on platforms that millions of consumers use every day.”
“Very few collegiate conferences have the ability to offer a dedicated FAST channel featuring their own programming,” McClelland added. “This provides us with another significant platform to showcase our student-athletes, member institutions and the SWAC brand to audiences across the country.”
“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,” said Brendan Canning, Triple B Media’s co-founder and chief commercial officer. “FAST distribution provides an opportunity to build upon that momentum by making SWAC programming available to an even broader audience without a paywall.”
The FAST channel begins live sports programming Saturday, Sept. 19, coinciding with week three of the 2026 college football season. It will carry events from SWAC’s 12 member institutions across all 18 conference-sponsored sports. The conference said it will announce additional programming, scheduling, and platform details throughout the 2026-27 academic year.
What Changes for Viewers and Advertisers
The FAST channel does not change what SWAC TV produces. It changes where viewers can watch that programming, placing it inside apps and devices already installed on millions of televisions rather than requiring a separate download.
It also adds ad inventory. SWAC TV already routes some advertising through the Mercurius Media Capital partnership, in which portfolio companies use SWAC TV ad slots in exchange for equity rather than cash. A wider footprint across FAST platforms means more inventory to sell directly or route through that structure.
McClelland said the FAST channel puts SWAC TV among a small group of collegiate conferences operating a channel built entirely around their own programming.
