2025 College Football Playoff Broadcast Schedule Announced by ESPN and TNT

College football fans are buzzing right now. The College Football Playoff (CFP), ESPN, and TNT Sports just dropped the full broadcast schedule for the 2025 CFP First Round.

It’s the second year for the expanded 12-team Playoff format, and honestly, the matchups look wild. There’s more access than ever, with ESPN still holding exclusive rights but letting TNT Sports air two of the first-round games.

So, if you’re planning to watch, you’ve got more choices than ever. Here’s what’s coming up for college football enthusiasts.

2025 CFP First Round Broadcast Schedule

The 2025-26 College Football Playoff kicks off on Friday, December 19. The first matchup airs at 8 p.m. ET on both ABC and ESPN.

Then on Saturday, December 20, things really pick up. There’s a tripleheader starting at noon ET on ABC and ESPN.

TNT’s got your back for the last two games of the day. Those are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET.

Plenty of coverage, so you won’t have to miss a thing—unless you want to, I guess.

Streaming Options

Prefer streaming? You’ve got some solid options:

• ESPN App: All ESPN network games will stream here.
• HBO Max: TNT and truTV broadcasts will be on HBO Max.

So, whether you’re at home or on the go, you’re covered. Watch however and wherever you want.

Campus Sites and Selection Day

The four first-round games are happening at campus sites, but nobody knows where yet. Those locations get announced on Selection Day, which is Sunday, December 7.

That wait just adds to the hype. Fans are counting down to see where their teams end up.

Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and National Championship

Back in April, ESPN confirmed they’ll air every Playoff Quarterfinal, both Semifinals, and the 2026 CFP National Championship. The national title game is set for Monday, January 19, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

It’s Miami’s first time hosting since 2021. Before that, Atlanta gets the 2025 championship matchup, which last happened in 2018.

Partnerships and Viewership

CFP Executive Director Rich Clark seemed pretty pleased about the ESPN and TNT Sports partnership. He said it helps get the games to fans nationwide during prime viewing hours.

They’ve also coordinated with the NFL to avoid schedule conflicts, which is thoughtful. The Playoff’s new format is clearly getting a lot of attention.

Last season, the first-ever 12-team Playoff drew an average of 10.6 million viewers for first-round games on ESPN and TNT Sports. Quarterfinals hit multi-year highs for several bowl matchups.

The CFP Semifinals featured the most-watched Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic ever, pulling in 20.6 million viewers. The Capital One Orange Bowl wasn’t far behind, with 17.8 million tuning in—the second-best in almost 20 years.

Record-Breaking National Championship

The 2025 CFP National Championship between Ohio State and Notre Dame wrapped things up with 22.1 million viewers. That’s the most-watched non-NFL sporting event of the year, which is kind of wild.

At its peak, the game had 26.1 million people watching. College football’s never been bigger, has it?

Conclusion

The 2025-26 College Football Playoff is shaping up to be something special for fans everywhere. With the new 12-team format, there’s just a lot more to look forward to.

Broadcast coverage will be handled by ESPN, TNT Sports, and even the NFL, which is kind of wild if you think about it. This means tons of ways to watch—on TV or streaming, whatever suits you best.

Kickoff lands on December 19. That’s not far off, and honestly, the excitement is already building up.

Want to see the full broadcast schedule or just stay in the loop? Check out the official announcement.