The worldwide leader is going even more "mega" with its coverage of the college football title tilt on Jan. 12.
Although network assigments have yet to be finalized, ESPN will expand the "megacast" from the final BCS championship game in 2014 with the upcoming College Football Playoff Naitonal Championship Game from AT&T Stadium.
ESPN will air a different versions of the game on each of its TV networks: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic and ESPN Goal Line. The SEC Network will also be in mix if top-ranked Alabama reaches the final.
ESPN3 will also feature “multiple options” according to the network.
ESPN will air the traditional coverage of the game, along with ESPN Radio, ESPN International networks and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.
Among the options, some of which were featured last year,: The “Film Room,” which features ESPN experts as well as guest coaches and players providing in-depth X and O analysis; “ESPN Voices,” which allows fans to eavesdrop on multiple ESPN on-air personalities representing a wide cross-section of sports and shows discussing the game; “Sounds of the Game,” an announcer-free telecast with only the natural sounds of the game and coverage of the halftime performances by each band; and “Command Center” which will provide enhanced statistics utilizing a split screen application with live game action and immediate replays of every play.
ESPN will also play in the social media space, with Facebook and Twitter part of its overall presentation game plan.
Such cross-network gambits are becoming increasingly common. In addition to the 2014 BCS Megacast for Florida State's last-second triumph over Auburn, Turner presented the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four across three networks, TBS, TNT and truTV, last spring. For its part, Fox complemented its coverage of Game 1 of the 2014 National League Championship Series, with a stats-driven telecast on Fox Sports 1.
The title game will pit the winners of the semifinals, which ESPN will air on New Year’s Day: No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 3 Florida State and No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Ohio State.
