TNT Sports has so far aired the lowest-profile games of the College Football Playoff, but that will change in a big way starting next season.
TNT Sports officially announced Monday that it will begin carrying a College Football Playoff semifinal starting next season, a move that had been expected. As part of its sublicensing agreement with CFP rightsholder ESPN, TNT Sports already carries two of the four first round games and starting next season will carry two of the four quarterfinals. ESPN had the option — which it evidently exercised — to include a semifinal game as well.
So far, TNT has carried low-wattage games in windows airing directly opposite the NFL. But the addition of quarterfinal and semifinal games will considerably ramp up the quality of its inventory. Assuming there are no major changes to the schedule for next year’s playoff — far from a guarantee, given the ongoing debate over its future format — TNT Sports would presumably get a New Year’s Eve primetime game, a New Year’s Day game, and then a standalone primetime window the following week.
That inventory would also consist of several of the best-known bowl games, as the quarterfinals and semifinals rotate between the Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, Rose, Cotton and Peach. While it is a safe assumption ESPN would retain the Rose Bowl each year, TNT would presumably air at least some combination of the other five in three years remaining on the sublicensing deal.
Any changes to the CFP format would obviously not change the number of quarterfinal or semifinal games, nor would it necessarily change any of the current bowl affiliations. The Sugar Bowl was reported last month to be nearing a six-year extension to continue hosting CFP quarterfinal or semifinal games through 2032.
Under the current 12-team format, TNT Sports is now set to carry nearly half of the playoff games each year, with only the National Championship putting ESPN in the majority.
