ESPN $7.8B Deal Extends Exclusive College Football Playoff Coverage Thru 2031-32
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 03:16PM NYSJ Sports-Entertainment Business News Service
March 19, 2024: In the midst of college basketball March Madness, ESPN has signed a deal that will impact college football for nearly the next six years.
ESPN and the College Football Playoff have signed a pair of media agreements that “ensures ESPN will continue as the exclusive, worldwide rightsholder to college football’s premier postseason event through the 2031-32 season.”
The new six-year pacts were valued at $7.8 billion.
ESPN, the exclusive home of the CFP since its inception in 2015, expands its current package for the final two years (through the 2025-26 season).
It adds all four of the new First Round games each year to ESPN’s existing New Year’s Six (now Quarterfinals and Semifinals) and the CFP National Championship rights in the new 12-team playoff that will launch this Fall.
In addition, ESPN has secured a new, six-year agreement – beginning in the 2026-27 season – for the entire CFP.
That includes exclusive rights to all rounds of the expanded playoff – first round, quarterfinal, semifinal and National Championship, as well as continued exclusive rights to all ancillary programming connected to the playoff, such as the CFP Selection Show and weekly Top 25 Rankings Shows.
The agreements with the CFP follow ESPN’s eight-year deal with the NCAA unveiled in January, which encompasses exclusive rights to 40 NCAA Championship events.
“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,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said via the network.
“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.”
According to ESPN, “Before agreeing to the media rights deal with ESPN, the nine FBS commissioners and Notre Dame leadership had to first agree to sign a memorandum of understanding last week that outlined in broad terms what the next contract would look like.
“They agreed to move forward with a new revenue distribution plan that will codify the further financial separation of the expanded Big Ten and SEC from everyone else in college athletics.”
Beginning in the 2026-27 season, ESPN will broadcast the CFP National Championship on ABC in addition to offering its signature MegaCast presentation across ESPN platforms.
In all, the new agreement includes expansive rights to simulcast or MegaCast CFP games across all Walt Disney Company platforms, including TWDC Direct-to-Consumer offerings.
The new, six-year agreement also "provides expanded sales and sponsorship opportunities that will cement Disney Advertising as the exclusive seller of the College Football Playoff Official Partner Program and broaden Disney Advertising’s ability to connect more brands to the fandom and reach of the College Football Playoff."
In both the amended two-year agreement and new six-year extension, the CFP provides ESPN with the right to sublicense a select number of games.
“We are delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with ESPN,” CFP executive director Bill Hancock said via the organization. “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.”
ESPN, NCAA Sign $920M Extension: Record 40 Men’s, Women’s Championships
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