Raman and various photoluminescence (PL) techniques were employed to investigate the role of nitrogen doping on the optical spectra of chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) diamond films and to determine the origin of the characteristic broadband luminescence which is observed from approximately 1.5 to 2.5 eV and centered at ∼2 eV. The PL transitions attributed to the zero-phonon lines (ZPL) of nitrogen centers are observed at 1.945 and 2.154 eV. A new possible nitrogen center at 1.967 eV is also observed as well as the band A luminescence centered at ∼2.46 eV. The experimental results preclude the possibility of the broadband PL being due to electron-lattice interaction of the nitrogen ZPL centers. We establish the presence of an in-gap state distribution in CVD diamond films attributed to the sp2 disordered phase and show that its optical transitions are the likely cause of the broadband luminescence. A model of the in-gap state distribution is presented which is similar to models previously developed for amorphous materials.