• by Wayne Friedman , March 20, 2024

Putting more of its stamp on high-level TV sports content, Walt Disney's ESPN has extended its College Football Playoffs through a $7.8 billion, six-year deal.

The new arrangement takes into account the expansion of its four-team, three-game configuration into 12 teams with a seven-game structure, starting with the upcoming season.

Under the new deal, ESPN's sister broadcast ABC network will get the national championship game starting in 2026 -- the first year of the new contract. In the previous 10 years of its current 12-year deal, ESPN aired the championship game. 

The CFP national championship game in which Michigan beat Washington earned $42.5 million in national TV advertising, according to estimates from EDO. According to Nielsen, it had 25.1 million viewers.

The two semifinal games posted similar results in terms of advertising revenue. The semifinal game between Washington and Texas at the Sugar Bowl pulled in $45 million in national TV advertising (and 18.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

The other semifinal game between Alabama and Michigan at the Rose Bowl took in $42.5 million in national TV ad revenue (and 27.8 million Nielsen-measured viewers).

In February, Walt Disney, Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery said they would launch a major new sports streaming platform later this year.

According to analysts, it will be priced at around $40 to $50 a month.

The CFP announcement also says Disney has the right to “simulcast” the playoff games across all company platforms -- presumably including any of ESPN or Disney's streaming platforms.

ESPN recently inked a new $920 million, eight-year deal with the NCAA for the rights to Division 1 women's basketball.