Media Intelligence
College Football Broadcast & Media Trends
Follow the national schedule from linear TV dominance to streaming expansion, prime-time concentration, and the networks that keep shaping Saturday.
Season Snapshot: 2026
2026
15 tracked games with 0.0% on streaming and 60.0% in prime time.
Lead Partner
ABC
9 games, 60.0% of the latest season.
Broadcast Cadence
A compact view of how the current season is tilting before you drop into the long-range charts.
Night Window
Early Afternoon
3 games, 20.0% of the latest-season kickoff mix.
Top Network Era
ESPN+
3,927 total appearances across the tracked sample.
Games Tracked
21,931
Across 24 seasons and 64 broadcast partners.
Streaming Share
0.0%
Latest-season kickoffs placed on digital-first platforms.
Prime-Time Share
60.0%
Share of the latest-season slate kicking after 7 p.m. ET.
Coverage Range
2003 – 2026
Tracked from the BCS era into the expanded-playoff calendar.
What stands out
The clearest shifts in the broadcast map
Use the headline notes to orient before moving into the time-series views below.
- ESPN+ has carried 3,927 broadcasts across 24 seasons, the most of any network in the dataset.
- ABC owned 5 prime-time windows in 2026, good for 55.6% of the night slate.
Network momentum
Who owns the national windows
Compare how the biggest television partners rise and fall across the modern era.
ESPN+ leads the modern era, with ESPN3 and ESPN close behind.
Media mix evolution
Linear television is no longer the only Saturday stage
Stack the schedule by distribution type to see when streaming and specialty feeds began taking real share.
Prime-time regulars
Programs that keep getting the marquee slot
These teams command the night windows most often, and the trend line shows how that attention rises and falls.
| Rank | Program | Prime-time games | Share of schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | USC | 230 | 68.9% |
| #2 | LSU | 227 | 66.6% |
| #3 | Boise State | 213 | 72.0% |
| #4 | Fresno State | 177 | 72.5% |
| #5 | Arizona | 176 | 73.0% |
| #6 | Oregon | 175 | 56.6% |
| #7 | Stanford | 168 | 64.1% |
| #8 | Alabama | 162 | 43.7% |
| #9 | BYU | 162 | 60.9% |
| #10 | UCLA | 159 | 58.5% |
Window specialists
Who shows up in each national slot
Some programs dominate the noon inventory while others almost live under the lights.
Morning Kickoff
- Hawai'i15 (7.0%)
- Louisville10 (4.7%)
- Air Force9 (4.2%)
Early Afternoon
- Northwestern155 (1.1%)
- Pittsburgh155 (1.1%)
- Syracuse154 (1.1%)
Late Afternoon
- Alabama147 (1.0%)
- Georgia137 (1.0%)
- Florida State135 (0.9%)
Prime Time
- LSU225 (1.6%)
- USC171 (1.2%)
- Alabama162 (1.2%)
Late Night
- Fresno State104 (5.5%)
- Arizona99 (5.3%)
- Arizona State94 (5.0%)
Unscheduled
- Oregon1 (50.0%)
- UCLA1 (50.0%)
Network favorites
The teams each partner leans on most
Counts below represent total program appearances on each network.
ABC
2,440 total- Ohio State102 (4.2%)
- Oklahoma100 (4.1%)
- Texas94 (3.9%)
- Michigan85 (3.5%)
- Florida State83 (3.4%)
- Clemson80 (3.3%)
FOX
972 total- Ohio State53 (5.5%)
- Oklahoma47 (4.8%)
- USC44 (4.5%)
- TCU40 (4.1%)
- Michigan38 (3.9%)
- UCLA38 (3.9%)
CBS
824 total- Alabama101 (12.3%)
- Georgia78 (9.5%)
- Florida68 (8.3%)
- LSU64 (7.8%)
- Auburn56 (6.8%)
- Tennessee50 (6.1%)
NBC
374 total- Notre Dame132 (35.3%)
- Michigan14 (3.7%)
- USC14 (3.7%)
- Michigan State13 (3.5%)
- Purdue11 (2.9%)
- Navy10 (2.7%)
ESPN+
7,854 total- North Dakota State81 (1.0%)
- UT Martin73 (0.9%)
- South Dakota State70 (0.9%)
- Austin Peay66 (0.8%)
- Tennessee Tech65 (0.8%)
- Youngstown State65 (0.8%)
ESPN3
7,590 total- New Mexico State83 (1.1%)
- Troy82 (1.1%)
- Akron81 (1.1%)
- Arkansas State81 (1.1%)
- Idaho78 (1.0%)
- Miami (OH)77 (1.0%)
ESPN
4,440 total- Clemson99 (2.2%)
- Virginia Tech89 (2.0%)
- LSU86 (1.9%)
- Florida State82 (1.8%)
- Miami82 (1.8%)
- Alabama81 (1.8%)
ESPN2
2,958 total- Northern Illinois47 (1.6%)
- South Florida47 (1.6%)
- Toledo47 (1.6%)
- Boise State44 (1.5%)
- BYU44 (1.5%)
- Purdue43 (1.5%)
ESGP
2,688 total- Vanderbilt52 (1.9%)
- North Carolina50 (1.9%)
- Kentucky47 (1.7%)
- New Mexico State47 (1.7%)
- Syracuse47 (1.7%)
- Hawai'i45 (1.7%)
Latest season
Season Snapshot: 2026
In 2026, networks televised 15 tracked FBS games. Streaming owned 0.0% of kickoffs, while 60.0% fell into the night spotlight.
Streaming share
0.0%
Prime-time share
60.0%
Top broadcast partners
The latest-season outlets carrying the most inventory.
| Rank | Outlet | Games | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | ABC | 9 | 60.0% |
| #2 | ESPN | 6 | 40.0% |
Kickoff window mix
How the current season is spreading across the day.
- 20.0%
Early Afternoon
3 games
- 20.0%
Late Afternoon
3 games
- 60.0%
Prime Time
9 games