Why isn't the Notre Dame game on NBC for the College Football Playoff?

Notre Dame will host Indiana in the first game of the expanded 2024-25 College Football Playoff, but the game isn’t on NBC like usual for the Fighting Irish.

Fans are accustomed to watching the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on NBC. But the game against Indiana is set to broadcast Friday on ABC at 8 p.m. ET, which is actually a historic change.

This is the first home game that Notre Dame has played without an NBC-owned broadcast since 1990, per Awful Announcing. Some of their games have aired on Peacock.

NBC has the broadcasting rights to Notre Dame football home games until 2029. But that deal does not include postseason games.

Disney’s ABC and ESPN own the rights to the College Football Playoff until 2031. However, TNT Sports will air some games as well due a sub-licensing agreement.

Curiously, this isn’t the first time that Notre Dame’s TV rights were involved in a deal between NBC and Disney.

In 2006, as part of an exchange for broadcaster Al Michaels when he switched booths, ESPN was also given expanded highlights to Notre Dame football.

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