The upcoming college football season will see a new partnership between ESPN and TNT Sports that will change the landscape of playoff coverage. After reports in March suggested that ESPN would be the only outlet for the College Football Playoff, it seemed that the playoff coverage would be limited. However, ESPN needed to sublicense some playoff games to TNT Sports in order to recoup some of the massive amount of money they paid for control of the distribution rights. This deal allows TNT to air two first-round games this year, in 2025, and in future playoffs as well.
The agreement between TNT Sports and ESPN will last for five years, starting with the upcoming college football season. This partnership will give TNT the opportunity to broadcast select College Football Playoff games alongside ESPN. It is likely that other networks, such as Fox, CBS, and NBC, may also sublicense from ESPN in similar arrangements.
This development raises several questions about who will be part of the TNT studio show and broadcast booth for College Football Playoff coverage. Many fans believe that Charles Barkley, known for his entertaining commentary on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” would be a natural fit for TNT’s college football coverage. With this new partnership in place, it will be interesting to see how both the College Football Playoff and TNT’s college football coverage evolve over the course of this agreement.
