ESPN and the College Football Playoff announced a definitive agreement Tuesday that will give the network exclusive rights through the 2031-32 season. Financial terms were not disclosed, however Atlético It was previously reported that the deal is a six-year extension worth an average of $1.3 billion per year.
ESPN’s original 12-year contract for six New Year’s Day bowls (two of them CFP semifinals) and the national championship game still has two seasons remaining. As part of the deal, ESPN will add four new first-round games that will be included in the expanded 12-team format starting this season. The six-year extension will begin in 2026-27.
ESPN, which has aired every CFP game on its cable network thus far, said it will broadcast the national championship game on ABC in 2026-27. The company also has the option of giving a “select number of games” to other networks starting this season, allowing companies like Fox, NBC and CBS to become part of the CFP schedule. The sides have committed to broadcasting at least one match per round on one network from 2026-27, a source briefed on the discussions said. Atlético.
The $1.3 billion annual average represents an increase from the $608 million average of ESPN’s original seven-game deal, which began in 2014-15. In the 12-team format starting this season, four of those bowls will be quarterfinal playoff games, and the other two bowls will have semifinals on a rotating basis.
Network leaders previously said Atlético the deal will remain at the same dollar value even if the CFP chooses to expand the field from 12 to 14 teams. The CFP has met with several potential media partners during recent negotiations, but no other networks have made a bid for any of the games.
“We look forward to building on our valued relationship (with the CFP) over the next two years and then continuing it for another six years,” ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement.
Terms of the deal with ESPN have been in place for some time, but conferences have delayed approval due to a lack of clarity about the future structure of the event, executives said. Finally, last Friday, the nine FBS conference and Notre Dame signed off on a basic framework that includes an unequal distribution of revenue among the major conferences. Multiple sources briefed on the model have confirmed that the Big Ten and SEC will each receive more than $21 million per school, the ACC about $13 million and the Big 12 about $12 million each, with about U.S. $1.8 million for the conferences Group 5 will collectively receive. . The rest goes to independents, including more than $12 million for Notre Dame and the Football Championship Unit.
The PCP’s internal agreement includes a transparency clause in 2028 that would allow parties to amend the agreement based on performance or subsequent conference renewals, according to several people familiar with the negotiations.
– AtléticoAndrew Marchand and Chris Vannini contributed reporting.
(Photo: Vivienne Killilea/Getty Images for ESPN and CFP)
2024-06-06 02:11:26
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