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Finebaum: Miami always finds a way to lose in November (0:34)
Paul Finebaum explains why he wasn't surprised that Miami lost to SMU. (0:34)
The first round of the 12-team College Football Playoff will start at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 19 on ABC and ESPN, followed by a tripleheader Dec. 20 that starts at noon, the CFP, ESPN and TNT announced Tuesday.
ESPN, which has owned the exclusive rights to the playoff since its inception in 2015, is in the second year of its current expanded package, which includes all four games of the CFP first round with two of the games sublicensed to TNT Sports.
On Dec. 20, ABC and ESPN will broadcast the first game of Saturday's tripleheader at noon, while TNT will present games at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m., respectively. All games on ESPN networks will be available on the ESPN App, while the first-round games airing on TNT and truTV will also be streamed on HBO Max.
Each of the four first-round games will be played on campuses to be announced on Selection Day, Dec. 7.
"We are pleased to work with both ESPN and TNT Sports to deliver these first-round games to fans across the country in premier viewing windows," CFP executive director Rich Clark said in a news release. "We also appreciate the collaboration with the National Football League in coordinating schedules to best serve fans of both college and professional football. This all reflects the growing reach and excitement surrounding the new playoff format, and we look forward to showcasing the best of college football on both networks."
Further scheduling details, including full MegaCast information, will be announced later this year.
Last season, the inaugural CFP first round delivered 10.6 million average viewers across ESPN networks and TNT Sports. The quarterfinals scored multiyear viewership highs, while the semifinals produced the most-watched Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on record (20.6 million viewers) and the second-most-watched Capital One Orange Bowl in nearly 20 years (17.8 million viewers).
The 2025 CFP National Championship between Ohio State and Notre Dame attracted 22.1 million viewers, the most-watched non-NFL sporting event over the past year. The showdown peaked with 26.1 million viewers.
It was announced in April that ESPN will present each of the four playoff quarterfinals, the two semifinals and the national championship game on Jan. 19, 2026, at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.
