TNT Sports to air two first-round College Football Playoff games via ESPN sublicense deal

TNT Sports is set to feature the College Football Playoff after reportedly agreeing to a deal with ESPN to sub-license two first-round CFP games during the 2024 and 2025 college football seasons. It will also broadcast two quarterfinal College Football Playoff games in 2026, 2027 and 2028.

In a press release, the executive director of the College Football Playoff, Bill Hancock, said:

"It is exciting to add TNT Sports, another highly respected broadcaster, to the College Football Playoff family. Sports fans across the country are intimately familiar with their work across a wide variety of sports properties over the past two decades, and we look forward to seeing what new and innovative ideas they bring to the promotion and delivery of these games."

ESPN executive vice president of programming and acquisitions Rosalyn Durant also commented on the partnership, saying:

"ESPN is pleased to sublicense to TNT Sports a select number of early round games of the College Football Playoff, an event we've helped to grow — alongside the CFP — into one of the preeminent championships. We're confident in the reach and promotion that this new agreement will provide as we enter the new, expanded playoff era." h/t ESPN Press Room

The money figure associated with this deal has not been publicly announced at the time of writing. However, we may have to wait until a quarterly report for either company to figure out the official price tag.

What does TNT Sports getting College Football Playoff games mean for viewers?

At the end of the day, there is very little difference in what viewers should expect out of this deal compared to how ESPN presents college football. While we do not know specifically which games are going to be part of this deal, we do know it will be early in the College Football Playoff.

The British group does not have a footprint with football outside of this new deal, so expect them to pull announcers that have experience broadcasting football, such as Kenny Albert and Alex Faust, who have broadcasted NHL games on TNT this postseason and have experience announcing football.

This is going to be an interesting transition but the group makes sure its studio shows are entertaining and informative while having excellent broadcasters on the call for the games.