ESPN and the College Football Playoff (CFP) have reached an agreement that will ensure ESPN remains the exclusive media rightsholder of college football’s post-season through the 2031-32 season.
“ESPN has worked very closely with the College Football Playoff over the past decade to build one of the most prominent events in American sports. We look forward to enhancing our valued relationship over the next two years, and then continuing it for six more as we embark on this new, expanded playoff era,” said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. “This agreement further solidifies ESPN as the home of college football, as well as the destination for the vast majority of major college championships for the next eight years.”
ESPN, which currently holds the right to the College Football Playoff Semifinals, New Year’s Six, and the College Football National Championship, is adding the four First Round CFP games through the 2025-26 season.
“We are delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with ESPN,” said CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock. “It’s a significant day for the CFP and for the future of college football. The depth of coverage that ESPN gives to the sport throughout the season is second to none. There is no better platform to showcase this iconic championship as we move into the new 12-team format because ESPN’s people love college football every bit as much as we all do.”
Under a new six-year agreement that begins with the 2026-27 season, ESPN has secured the rights to the entire slate of College Football Playoff games. That agreement extends through the 2031-32 season.
“This new agreement solidifies the broadcast future of the College Football Playoff for many years to come,” said Chairman of the CFP Board of Managers and Mississippi State University President Dr. Mark Keenum. “ESPN has been a key piece of the overwhelming success of the playoff during these first ten years. The addition of ABC to this expanded relationship is just the next step in the continued growth of one of the top sporting events of the year.”
ESPN also announced that beginning with the 2026-27 season, the College Football Playoff National Championship will be broadcast on ABC and will also feature a MegaCast on the ESPN platforms.
Honestly wish someone else would have gotten involved. I find ESPNs coverage to be really lousy anymore.
Chosing the SEC model and putting all the games on one network instead of the NFL / Big Ten model of spreading the games around. No mention of how many Billions are in the contract!
The CFP would be better served being divided among the big 4 networks.
Under such a format, ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC would each get one first round game and one quarterfinal, so that there is no conflict caused by the end of one game overlapping with the start of another. Although in the event of expansion to 14 teams you could put the extra games in the first round on ESPN and The CW.
The last two rounds would air on the same network, alternating among the big 4 networks. In addition to Megacasts for games on ABC, games on CBS and NBC could employ something similar with their respective co-owned cable networks, and Fox to a lesser degree with FS1 and FS2.
Z-Man very unhappy,very unsatisfied & very insensitive.
Even as A Big Ten Fan I still like to watch ESPN College Football coverage with teams like Gerogia Bulldogs,Syracuse Orange,Oklahoma State Cowboys & Arizona State Sun Devils.