Streaming Giants Interested In College Football Playoff Rights: REPORT

Apple and Amazon reportedly are in the hunt to secure the broadcast rights to the College Football Playoff.

The College Football Playoff currently consists of four teams, three games and the rights are held by ESPN. However, the rights distribution will likely change when a new contract is negotiated for the 2026 CFP with the field sitting at 12 teams. The expansion to 12 happens next year.

While ESPN and Fox will certainly be in the mix battling it out for games, some of the action might move to streaming.

Apple and Amazon targeting College Football Playoff rights.

Front Office Sports reported Apple and Amazon "have had preliminary discussions with the College Football Playoff about acquiring rights to the 12-team slate."

Both companies are trying harder and harder to get into the sports market. Apple already broadcasts MLB and MLS games, and Amazon owns the rights to "Thursday Night Football."

Now, both are kicking the tires on adding the College Football Playoff, and that could be bad news for traditional networks.

Is streaming a realistic option?

Apple and Amazon have incredibly deep pockets. Both companies essentially have unlimited cash to make any move they want.

Meanwhile, Disney is heading in the wrong direction, and ESPN has been on a downward spiral for years. Can Disney really afford to spend dollar for dollar with Amazon and Apple? Seems very unlikely.

Having said that, will fans want games to be on streaming? It's still several years away, and the landscape can always change. However, it's safe to assume most older fans don't want to be fiddling around with streaming apps when they're used to just turning on the TV.

Either way, Apple and Amazon's pursuit of the CFP rights will be fascinating to follow as they can offer an incredible amount of cash that will be hard for ESPN to match.