ESPN and the College Football Playoff have reached a "handshake agreement" to air a 24‑team postseason starting in the 2027 season, pending board approvals. The deal, negotiated after a 30‑day window, expands the field to 19 at‑large teams, Power 4 conference champions, and the top Group of 6 team, while canceling the Power 4 championship games. ESPN will pay roughly $345 million extra each year for five years, but recoup $140 million from those cancelled games, effectively adding only $205 million to its current $1.3 billion annual fee.
Fox expects about $50 million annually from the Big Ten title game’s cancellation. The expanded format gives seeds 1‑8 a first‑round bye and a home game, reshaping incentives and intensifying competition for lower‑ranked teams. This follows a $7.8 billion, six‑year contract signed in March 2024 and marks the biggest change to the playoff since its expansion from four to 12 teams two seasons ago.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing