Report: College Football Playoff, ESPN in talks about new 8-year contract

The future of College Football Playoff media rights appears to be coming into focus. ESPN is in talks with the CFP about a new eight-year contract, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Heather Dinich.

According to the report, ESPN is discussing paying $1.3 billion for the rights to the College Football Playoff starting in 2026. It would also include the final two years of the current agreement, which would make it an eight-year partnership.

A potential sublicense is also on the table, according to Thamel and Dinich’s report. That would allow ESPN to sell the rights to some of the games to other networks, including potentially FOX Sports. John Ourand, formerly of the Sports Business Journal and now with Puck News, also predicted that could happen as a result of the new deal.

According to CFP executive director Bill Hancock — who’s preparing to retire — that decision would be up to the commissioners. He also confirmed the exclusive negotiation window with ESPN is over.

“I have to say, this is a negotiation, and so I’m not going to be able to tell you much about it,” Hancock said. “We’re happy with where we are and not quite to the finish line yet.”

More on the relationship between ESPN and the College Football Playoff, other potential suitors

ESPN has held the exclusive rights to the CFP since its inception in 2014, and that deal is set to expire after the 2025 season. Negotiations took a few turns as things went along, though. Most notably, the field will expand from four teams to 12 next year — although the exact format is still in the works — after the initial plan was to expand after the TV contract expired.

Under the 12-team model, early round games would be on campus sites. Those games could be in play if ESPN decides to sell some rights. News of a potential deal between ESPN and the CFP came just minutes before kickoff of the final national championship of the four-team playoff.

While ESPN was in contention to maintain the exclusive rights to the CFP, other networks were rumored to be suitors, as well. Front Office Sports reported FOX was considering a “massive” bid for the rights to the CFP. There were also talks about a Super Bowl-like rotation among rights holders, which would include NBC Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery, among others. According to Dinich and Thamel, the latter was the preference of the FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick.

One of the signs FOX could make a run at the CFP’s rights, according to FOS, was a comment from company CEO Lachlan Murdoch. He said the network wouldn’t bid on the rights to the NBA, which is also preparing to go through negotiations with its deal set to expire soon. ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery are expected to be suitors.