Warner Bros Discovery's TNT signs deal with ESPN for College Football Playoff

[May 23, 2024]  (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery's TNT network has signed a five-year deal with Walt Disney-owned ESPN to broadcast select College Football Playoff games, starting from the upcoming college football season.
 
Walt Disney said on Wednesday TNT will present two-round games for two years and include two quarter-final through 2028 season. 

Sep 16, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; A general view of the ESPN College GameDay set prior to the game between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Colorado State Rams at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo

TNT will broadcast the sub-licensed College Football Playoff games among additional TNT Sports distribution platforms, Disney said.

The announcement comes at a time when TNT could lose the National Basketball Association's media rights, which it began airing in 1984. Earlier this month, CEO David Zaslav said the company "was hopeful" it would reach an agreement with the NBA to keep the league on Max and TNT.

NBA rights are considered central to Warner Bros Discovery's efforts to drive growth in its streaming business and retain cable customers.

Comcast's NBCUniversal is planning to pay an average of about $2.5 billion a year to broadcast a package of NBA games, the Wall Street Journal had reported last month.

Moreover, Walt Disney, Warner Bros Discovery and Fox Corp are set to launch their sports-streaming service Venu Sports this fall, in a bid to attract younger audience.

(Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru)

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