US pay-television sports broadcaster ESPN is finalising a deal for rights for the four-team US college American football playoff competition that will replace the season-ending Bowl Championship Series.
The deal will run for 12 years, from 2014-15 to 2025-26, and is worth $500 million (€394 million) per year, according to reports.
ESPN said that the deal is subject to “finalising documents and approvals.”
The rights cover the national championship game and semi-finals, as well as other post-season games that will be part of the new system.
ESPN will exploit the rights across all platforms in the US, including television, mobile, internet and via the Xbox Live games console. The deal also includes rights for distribution of the games in 3D and global rights to be exploited by the ESPN International division.
The broadcaster is the rights-holder for the current Bowl Championship Series in a four-year deal, from 2010-11 to 2013-14.