What is TNT Sports' College Football Playoff sublicensing deal with ESPN? What we know about the media rights contract

The College Football Playoff field is set to expand from four to 12 teams this season. The field will include the five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams. The four highest-ranked conference champions will receive a first-round bye. Consequently, the number of postseason games has increased from three games in the first ten years of the postseason format to eleven games now.

While ESPN holds the rights to the College Football Playoff, they have reached a five-year deal for TNT Sports to sublicense select postseason games. The financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed. The official press release from the College Football Playoff website stated:

"TNT Sports will present two first-round College Football Playoff games during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. In addition to the first-round games, TNT Sports will add two quarterfinal games each year –beginning with the 2026 season through the 2028 season. TNT will be the primary network televising the sublicensed CFP games, among additional TNT Sports distribution platforms.

"ESPN will present all other College Football Playoff games on its networks including the annual CFP National Championship Game. ESPN will also continue to manage the sponsorship program for the presentation of the CFP." [h/t collegefootballplayoff.com]

In the first year of the new format, the first-round games will be played on December 20 and 21, with the fifth through eighth-seeded teams hosting the ninth through 12th-seeded teams. The quarterfinals will take place at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on December 31 and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, and All-State Sugar Bowl, all on January 1.

The Capital One Orange Bowl and Goodyear Cotton Bowl will host the semifinals on January 9 and 10, respectively. Finally, the CFP National Championship Game will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on January 20.

What did TNT Sports say about sublicensing select College Football Playoff games?

TNT Sports has not broadcast college football games since the 2006 season. That is set to change this winter after the network reached a deal with ESPN to sublicense postseason games. In the official press release announcing the deal, Luis Silberwasser, who is the Chairman and CEO of TNT Sports, stated:

"We're delighted to reach this agreement with ESPN, providing TNT Sports the opportunity to showcase these College Football Playoff games on our platforms for years to come. TNT Sports aims to delight fans and drive maximum reach and engagement for these marquee games." [h/t collegefootballplayoff.com]

The network is reportedly in line to lose its NBA rights to NBC following the 2024-25 season. Adding the College Football Playoff could help TNT Sports stomach the loss.