ESPN and the College Football Playoff on Tuesday announced a finalized agreement granting the network exclusive rights through the 2031-32 season. Financial terms were not disclosed, but The Athletic has previously reported the deal is a six-year extension worth an average of $1.3 billion annually.
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Two seasons remain on ESPN’s original 12-year deal for the New Year’s Six bowls (two of them CFP semifinals) and national championship game. As part of the deal, ESPN adds the four new first-round games involved in the expanded 12-team format that begins this season. The six-year extension begins in 2026-27.
ESPN, which to this point has aired all CFP games on its flagship cable network, said it will move the national championship game to ABC beginning in 2026-27. The company also has the option to sublicense “a select number of games” to other networks beginning this season, potentially allowing the likes of Fox, NBC and CBS to become part of the CFP lineup. The parties have a commitment to air a minimum of one game per round on an over-the-air network beginning in 2026-27, a source briefed on the discussions told The Athletic.
The $1.3 billion annual average marks an increase from the $608 million average in ESPN’s original seven-game deal that began in 2014-15. In the 12-team format beginning this season, four of those bowls become quarterfinal Playoff games, with two other bowls hosting the semifinals on a rotation.
Network executives previously told The Athletic the deal will remain at the same dollar figure even if the CFP opts to expand the field from 12 to 14 teams. The CFP met with numerous potential media partners during recent negotiations, but no other network made a bid for any games.
“We look forward to enhancing our valued relationship (with the CFP) over the next two years, and then continuing it for six more as we embark on this new, expanded playoff era,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement.
The terms of the ESPN deal have been set for some time, according to executives, but the conferences had delayed approving it due to a lack of clarity over the future structure of the event. Finally last Friday, the nine continuing FBS conferences and Notre Dame signed off on a basic framework that includes uneven revenue distribution among the major conferences. Multiple sources briefed on the model confirmed the Big Ten and SEC will receive more than $21 million per school, the ACC around $13 million each and the Big 12 around $12 million each, with around $1.8 million for the Group of 5 conferences collectively. The remainder goes to independents, including more than $12 million for Notre Dame, and the Football Championship Subdivision.
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The CFP’s internal contract includes a look-in clause in 2028, allowing the parties to potentially reshape the agreement based on performance or further conference realignment, according to multiple people familiar with the negotiations.
— The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand and Chris Vannini contributed reporting.
(Photo: Vivien Killilea / Getty Images for ESPN & CFP)
