ESPN Secures Exclusive Rights to College Football Playoff through 2031

ESPN and the College Football Playoff (CFP) have reached a landmark agreement, sealing a six-year deal worth $1.3 billion annually. This agreement guarantees ESPN the exclusive rights to broadcast the 12-team playoff until the 2031 season. While the deal is not yet finalized pending the resolution of outstanding format and revenue distribution issues, two reliable sources have confirmed this development to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Disney's ESPN was the first to report the offer of $1.3 billion per year, with The Athletic further confirming that an agreement has been reached on these terms. Although the network declined to comment on the matter, CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock assured that negotiations are ongoing.

Under the current agreement, the playoff will expand from four teams to 12 starting from this season onward. This expansion will take place within the framework of ESPN's existing 12-year contract, which extends until the 2025-26 season. As part of this initial contract, ESPN provides $608 million for seven games per year, including two playoff semifinals, a championship game, and four other major bowl games.

With the introduction of more games in the playoffs, the value of the final two years of the original deal is expected to rise accordingly. Furthermore, discussions surrounding expansion often revolved around the possibility of involving multiple television partners. While networks like Fox, Comcast's NBC, Warner Bros. Discovery, and streaming platforms expressed interest in collaborating with the CFP, it appears that ESPN will continue as the primary broadcaster. However, there is a possibility that ESPN may sublicense some of the playoff games to other networks.