ESPN and BCS agree to 4-year deal for T.V., Radio and Digital Rights

The New York Times reports that ESPN placed the highest bid to win the rights to broadcast college football’s Bowl Championship Series (BCS) from 2011 to 2014. Neither officials with the BCS or ESPN would comment on the exact terms of the agreement.

Fox Sports, the current BCS rights-holder refused to offer more than $100 million a year for television, radio, digital, international and marketing rights. Digital rights include operation of the official BCS website and the simulcasting of games online and for mobile devices. It is rumored that ESPN agreed to pay $125 million for these rights.

The end of the ESPN deal coincides with 2014, through which the BCS agreed to keep their current championship system in place. The commissioners of the BCS decided to put off considering a playoff system, like Obama has suggested, until the end of the next television deal.