• by David Goetzl , June 12, 2009

Offering another signal that the amount of big-time sports on broadcast TV is receding rapidly, ESPN said it would shift the Rose Bowl -- an ABC staple for two decades -- to the cable network starting in January 2011.

ESPN will televise 15 other Bowl Championship Series games, including the Fiesta, Orange, Sugar, and BCS National Championship, as part of a new, multi-year agreement kicking off January 2011.

ABC will televise the 2010 Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 and the 2010 BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena, CA on Jan. 7.

ABC signed a reported eight-year, $300 million deal to carry the Rose Bowl and two BCS title games in 2004. While Fox has carried the other BCS games since 2007, ESPN recently picked up the rights to those starting in 2011.

"Fans will welcome ESPN's all-encompassing approach, and the additional opportunities and value resulting from our multi-platform presentation will benefit the college football community and our business partners," said John Wildhack, ESPN executive vice president, programming and acquisitions, in a release.

Sportscasts on ABC are controlled by ESPN. The Rose Bowl and BCS national title game this January will be on ABC for presumably the last time.

The Rose Bowl and BCS bowl games join the British Open and conference finals in the NBA playoffs as former broadcast events now exclusively on cable.