Warner Bros. Discovery Becomes Latest to Show Interest in College Football Playoff Rights
Most media outlets are expected to at least take an interest in CFP broadcasts, but WBD could be in a great position to land them.
Warner Bros. Discovery executives know that live sports are a big draw for their viewers. The company confirmed that much this month when it launched the Bleacher Report add-on on its flagship streamer Max at no additional cost to subscribers.
- ESPN has exclusive CFP rights until 2026.
- The playoffs expand to 12 teams in the 2024 season.
- Apple, Amazon, NBC, and others have all expressed interest thus far.
But a new report from the New York Post indicates that WBD may not be satisfied with the number of live sports it is showing on Max currently, despite the fact that its lineup will soon include regular season games from the NBA and NHL, as well as the MLB postseason. The Post reports WBD could be a player for rights to the expanded College Football Playoff (CFP) when the playoffs expand to 12 teams in 2024.
It’s ESPN’s World, For Now
ESPN holds the rights to the full CFP now, and will continue to do so for the next couple of years. It can choose to bring on another broadcast partner for CFP games in 2024 and 2025, but starting in 2026 the rights go up for grabs to the highest bidder. Once the slate expands to 12 teams, there will be 11 CFP games each season.
ESPN already holds the rights to show SEC, ACC, and Big 12 rights, and figures to be an active participant in bidding on the expanded CFP. The channel could use its current broadcasting agreement to leverage an extension of CFP rights, but it would make sense financially for CFP to try and distribute its games across as many different partners as it can, in order to drive up prices.
Stiff Competition
If WBD does intend to get in on the bidding for CFP games, it won’t be the only firm. NBC has already had meetings with the NCAA to express its interest, and Amazon and Apple have both done likewise. Each of these companies would offer different advantages and drawbacks, but each has a streaming platform ready to go in order to bring games directly to consumers.
WBD is in a strong position to pursue the CFP, however. Last year’s well-publicized content cuts to what was then called HBO Max have put WBD in a strong financial position, which will be aided further by a recent price increase for discovery+. Max is likely to rise in price in the near future as well, which means the company will have the cash necessary to make a meaningful bid for CFP rights when the time comes.
Fans should expect just about every media outlet to express preliminary interest in the CFP in the next few months. But WBD may be in a better position than most to turn preliminary interest into a viable bid, and now that it offers live sports on Max as well as on its linear channels TNT and TBS, it can demonstrate it has the ability to reach a diverse group of college football fans.
Max
Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library, along with exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Thanks to the B/R Sports add-on, users can watch NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.