The College Football Playoff has a new contract for 2026 and beyond, paving the way for its extension with ESPN to finally be made official. Plus: the ESPN-Fox-WBD joint venture has an experienced CEO; ESPN announces some coverage plans for the MLB season; and more.
CFP management committee agrees to new deal, paving way for ESPN extension
The College Football Playoff Management Committee has reached an agreement that will extend the CFP into the 2026 season and beyond, ESPN was first to report Friday. The move will allow the CFP to move forward with its media rights extension with ESPN, which had been on hold until a new agreement was reached. Per ESPN, the format agreed to on Friday guarantees that the playoff will consist of at least 12 teams moving forward, though a rumored increase to 14 is said to be preferred. The four major conference champions and highest ranked Group of Five team are to be guaranteed slots in the field.
The CFP expands to a 12-team format beginning this season, but this season and next are still part of the original playoff agreement reached a dozen years ago. Prior to Friday, the sides had yet to reach an agreement that would keep the playoff going past the 2025-26 season.
Apple, Hulu, veteran Distad named CEO of ESPN-WBD-Fox venture
Former Apple and Hulu executive Pete Distad has been named CEO of the new ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery joint streaming venture, it was announced Friday. Distad has extensive experience with streaming services in general, sports streaming in particular, and launching a joint venture. With Apple, where he worked from 2013 through last May, he was oversaw the launch of the Apple streaming box and associated apps, including Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass. With Hulu from 2007 through 2013, he was part of the launch team for what was at the time a joint venture of Disney, Fox and NBC.
Distad will report to a board of directors consisting of representatives from all three companies and oversee an independent management team that he will assemble.
Kay staying on ESPN MLB coverage despite A-Rod departure
ESPN will continue using Michael Kay as a Major League Baseball play-by-play voice despite the end of his “Kay-Rod” partnership with Alex Rodriguez. Kay will call ESPN’s MLB International Series game from London and a Wild Card playoff series with a new partner. Rodriguez, according to The Hollywood Reporter last year, is moving to Fox exclusively starting this season.
The end of “Kay-Rod” also means that ESPN will resume airing “Statcast” alternate presentations of Sunday Night Baseball this season. With Jason Benetti long gone to Fox Sports, the Statcast presentations will feature Orioles voice Kevin Brown on play-by-play.
ESPN also said Thursday that it plans to begin including win probability in its MLB score bug and that it will send Karl Ravech and Eduardo Perez on-site for the Seoul-based season openers next week.
Plus: AFL on NFL Network, Amina Smith, Olympics in theaters
— NFL Network said this week that it has reached agreements to carry Arena Football League games this season, marking the first time that the league has carried the AFL since 2011. The 30-game AFL schedule begins April 27 with Orlando-Albany. In addition, NFL Network is set to carry the full five-week “OT7” seven-on-seven football league run by the Overtime media company.
— ESPN has hired NBC Sports Boston reporter Amina Smith as a SportsCenter anchor, the company announced Friday. Smith had been with NBC Sports Boston since 2021.
— NBC Sports announced this week that portions of its daytime Summer Olympics coverage will air live in AMC-owned theaters. Tickets will be required for the airings, which will be available in 160 AMC locations.
