ESPN reaches 12-year agreement for new college football playoff games

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ESPN will be the place to see college football playoff games...for at least the next 12 years.

The cable network has signed the dotted line for a 12-year agreement to air playoff games including national championships and semifinals.

The deal will kick in at the end of the 2014 regular season and continue through the end of the 2025 regular season.

Combined with previous deals for the Rose, Sugar and Orange Bowls, it also includes other bowl games that will be part of the rotation to host the semifinals.

The games will appear on ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Mobile TV and online on WatchESPN.

“Because of college football’s widespread popularity and the incredible passion of its fans, few events are more meaningful than these games,” ESPN President John Skipper said in a statement. “We are ecstatic at the opportunity to continue to crown a college football champion on ESPN’s outlets for years to come, the perfect finale to our year-round commitment to the sport.”

Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the BCS, added, “We are delighted to continue our relationship with ESPN for 12 more years. ESPN’s outlets provide numerous opportunities to bring this iconic event to the fans. Folks are going to love this playoff and the attention ESPN will give to it.”

Dave Lewis
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Dave Lewis has been a Los Angeles-based entertainment writer and editor for nearly ten years. Originally hailing from Minneapolis, he moved to L.A. in 1996 to attend USC, before working for various periodicals and web sites including a lengthy stint at Variety.com. He joined the HitFix staff in 2011.