ESPN gets 12/yr rights to the College Football Playoffs
ESPN will be the television home for the college football playoff that begins after the 2014 season, thanks to a 12-year deal announced on Wednesday.
The deal covers the national championship game and semifinals as well as bowl games that will be part of the semifinal hosting rotation in years they don't host a semifinal game. Earlier, ESPN announced deals with the Rose, Sugar and Orange Bowls.
The deal goes through the 2025 regular season (2026 bowl games).
ESPN president John Skipper and Bill Hancock, the executive director of the BCS and committee setting up the college football playoff, announced the deal in principle, which includes rights on TV, radio, mobile TV and WatchESPN. ESPN also gets the rights to the games in 3D, on ESPN Deportes and internationally. It is subject to finalizing documents and approvals.
"Because of college football's widespread popularity and the incredible passion of its fans, few events are more meaningful than these games," Skipper said in a statement. "We are ecstatic at the opportunity to continue to crown a college football champion on ESPN's outlets for years to come, the perfect finale to our year-round commitment to the sport."
ESPN will televise the BCS Championship Game after the conclusion of this season (Jan. 7, 8:30 p.m. ET) and for one more year before the playoff system takes over.
Please bring back Keith Jackson.
November 21st, 2012 at 2:13 PM ^
November 21st, 2012 at 2:33 PM ^
Why does this always get thrown around? More of the Big Ten's big games are on ESPN than the SEC. The SEC has a big contract with CBS, and many of their headline games are on that channel. Every major Big Ten game is on ESPN. Why wouldn't ESPN want Michigan or Ohio State in the National Championship? Please explain.
November 21st, 2012 at 3:16 PM ^
BigTen network. Pac12 network. Longhorn TV. See the pattern. This leads to loss of ESPN control of viewership which means less money for ESPN. ESPN has big long contract with the SEC. BigTen network was started because of ESPN trying to strongarm them into a bad contract.
November 21st, 2012 at 3:51 PM ^
But ESPN is still our primary TV carrier, so they get first pick for the Big Ten games they want. Big Ten Network only exists to televise the games that ESPN passes on.
November 21st, 2012 at 5:11 PM ^
Don't believe for a second that they plan on keeping it that way.
November 21st, 2012 at 6:02 PM ^
Who's they? I doubt the Big Ten wants BTN to be their primary TV partner - the Big Ten also benefits from games on ESPN/ABC. If all of our games were on BTN, we'd get a lot less exposure than we do now, since non-Big Ten fans either don't get BTN or don't know where it is. BTN is a great way to handle second-tier games because the league gets to keep a lot more of the money for the second-tier games, but it will never be the best way to handle the big ones.
November 21st, 2012 at 9:05 PM ^
November 21st, 2012 at 4:34 PM ^
Um, CBS Network?
November 21st, 2012 at 3:15 PM ^
and Notre Dame
EDIT: I'm aware they have a tv contract, but that hasn't stopped ESPN from sucking NDs dick as hard as they possibly can. Like hourly ND spotlights midweek, and every talking head wanting them in the BCS Championship since week 3 even. Guess they're making a play for the ND ratings or something.
November 21st, 2012 at 5:01 PM ^
They televise the away games for ND, so games like USC, Oklahoma, and BC make ESPN/ABC more money when ND is in the hunt.
November 21st, 2012 at 2:13 PM ^
All hail the Mothership.
November 21st, 2012 at 2:14 PM ^
So, literally ESPN. Why not ABC? Not an issue for me but for some that don't have cable (I know, wake up people, but there are many out there that don't think it's worth it) they miss these games. Both owned by Disney, so why not put these games on a network channel?
November 21st, 2012 at 2:21 PM ^
When you watch a game on ABC, you are watching "ESPN on ABC".
November 21st, 2012 at 2:28 PM ^
Yeah, I imagine these games will actually be played on ABC, but the contract is with ESPN (not that it's really any different).
November 21st, 2012 at 2:35 PM ^
Which is fine, but when it's on the actual ABC channel, it reaches a bigger audience. And like stated below, maybe they will put them on ABC. Though, the past few years the MNC game, Oregon-Auburn and Bama-LSU, has been on the actual ESPN channel. We shall see.
November 21st, 2012 at 2:42 PM ^
Although you're right that ABC reaches a larger audience, you also need to look at what the game is replacing. Many BCS bowls, as well as the MNC game, are on week nights. So if the game is on ABC, you gain all of the viewers of that game, but lose all of the viewers who were going to watch 4 hours or so of normal primetime viewing. When you put it on ESPN, all you lose are the people who were going to watch Sportcenter or something (but those people are probably watching the MNC game anyway). So it's probably a better choice for Disney for those games to be on ESPN, even if a handful of people won't get to see it.
November 21st, 2012 at 5:41 PM ^
It's ESPN's way of convincing those who don't have cable to get cable.
Give a man a fish he eats for a day vs Teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime
November 21st, 2012 at 2:15 PM ^
I'm actually happy about this. ESPN does CFB best. Every time a bowl game is on Fox or CBS - the coverage sucks balls.
November 21st, 2012 at 2:27 PM ^
I'd rather have shit coverage than 4 SEC teams in the playoff every year
November 21st, 2012 at 2:41 PM ^
Those are not your only two choices, nor are they mutually exclusive.
November 21st, 2012 at 3:17 PM ^
I'm not sure those two things are really connected in any way. No matter who covered the NCG, ESPN would still pimp the SEC in the regular season.
November 21st, 2012 at 2:30 PM ^
Money ruins sports, it's that simple.
November 21st, 2012 at 2:36 PM ^
Yeah, money ruins sports. It was way better when like 5 Michigan football games and almost none of the basketball games were on national TV every year instead of all of them. It was way better when I had 2 choices of which game to watch on a Saturday instead of 8.
Those were the days.
November 21st, 2012 at 2:39 PM ^
why can't I pick the games I want to watch without subsidizing eight seperate choices?
;)
in the end, open systems always win.
November 21st, 2012 at 4:23 PM ^
November 21st, 2012 at 10:38 PM ^
November 21st, 2012 at 3:29 PM ^
It's hard to find a Michigan football game on TV.
November 21st, 2012 at 3:48 PM ^
So are you now agreeing with me? You said money was ruining sports, and I'm saying that money is improving it by putting it on TV a lot more.
November 21st, 2012 at 3:31 PM ^
I wish they could be on ABC, but ESPN ditched that model of putting BCS games on them starting with last year. It is a real shame. I can't remember the reasoning behind it, I think the 18+ demographics are better for cable, but I'm not sure.
Anyway, ESPN has some good broadcasters who I'll enjoy watching during the playoffs. Brent, Sean McDonough, and Brad Nessler are very good broadcasters. I can't wait to hear Brent go
You are looking live
November 21st, 2012 at 3:39 PM ^
Brent Musburger? I just want to make sure we are listening to the same broadcaster, cause that guy annoys me ALMOST as much as Spielman did last year.
November 21st, 2012 at 3:43 PM ^
spielman is a stupid troll. I wish we could call Jake Long and he could pancake his ass.
November 22nd, 2012 at 12:05 AM ^
I swear to the football gods that if I turn on the BCS playoffs and hear pam ward's voice...