Joel Klatt calls out ESPN for CFP broadcast quality, relationship with one conference

Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt called out ESPN for its College Football Playoff broadcast quality and relationship with one conference. Klatt said the networks should be evenly distributed throughout the postseason and not just dominated by ESPN.

As it stands for the CFP, every game is presented by ESPN, with licensing distributed to TNT for two of the first round games. Other networks that routinely broadcast college football, such as FOX and CBS, do not have any playoff games.

“They chose the wrong path when it comes to the presentation of this playoff,” Klatt said on his podcast. “There is no playoff that should be a single television partner. It just shouldn’t. Because the presentation is important, in particular, when you’re down to this point in the sport where you’re trying to showcase games …

“Let’s face it, it’d be better if every network was giving an A-level broadcast versus a single presenter, in particular when that single presenter has a deep relationship with just one conference within college football … That’s how you know this isn’t a Fox-ESPN thing for me, because I don’t think it would be great if we at Fox solely had the College Football Playoff. That wouldn’t be good for the sport, and it’s not good the way that it is right now. It just isn’t.”

If you look at the NFL, the games are distributed between FOX and CBS, with NBC, ESPN and Amazon Prime getting playoff games as well. Then, the Super Bowl is rotated between FOX, CBS and NBC with ESPN/ABC getting back into the rotation starting next year.

With Klatt, who broadcasts on FOX Sports and does the Big Noon game every Saturday with Gus Johnson, his point is that the CFP should have some variety. His argument is ESPN broadcasts primarily SEC games, sprinkled in with some other conferences such as the ACC.

But the Big Ten, which is the other “Big Two” of the Power Four, is done by FOX, CBS and NBC. Regardless if you think there is network bias towards a conference or vice versa, Klatt wants that perception eliminated.

But until the College Football Playoff itself, which has a weekly rankings reveal show on ESPN, distributes its content to other major player networks, the broadcast rights will remain with the four-letter-network. Other major spots split up the networks when it comes to their postseason, but the CFP has yet to get to that point.