ESPN Packs Seventh-Consecutive CFP National Championship MegaCast With 14 Different Options

For the seventh consecutive year, the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T will be showcased through technology on ESPN, with the network’s best innovation deployed for the presentation of No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 3 Ohio State on Monday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. ET.

ESPN’s main telecast will headline the MegaCast production, as ESPN offers 14 total presentations of the CFP National Championship Game across ESPN networks. College football’s dramatic finale from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. will be available in more than 160 countries courtesy of ESPN’s networks and streaming platforms.

Innovation Reigns Supreme on Main ESPN Telecast
Hard Rock Stadium will be the hub of ESPN’s innovation on Championship Monday, including approximately 100 cameras providing every angle of college football’s biggest night. State-of-the-art technology includes:

• AllCam captures the entire field, allowing isolated shots on any player and activity on the field at all times.
• Pylon Cameras at each corner of the end zone with the back line pylons now having ability to pan, tilt and zoom – covering more of the end zone than ever before.
• Multiple Skycams include traditional and hi-sky, showcasing the action from various heights above the field.
• On-the-field views will be seen, as cameras will be attached atop the caps of the officials.
• Line-to-Gain will have multiple vantage points, as first down marker cam (high vantage) and pylon cam at the first down line (low angle) return to this year’s telecast.
• Virtual reality graphics that span across the entire field and can be seen by multiple cameras at the same time.

ESPN’s camera collection will include dedicated cameras on Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day at all times, as well as unique camera placements providing views of the teams as they enter the playing field. The Goodyear Blimp will provide aerial shots of Miami and Hard Rock Stadium.

More than 100 microphones will be placed throughout the stadium, capturing the sounds of the game and atmosphere of the crowd, enhancing the game telecast.

Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit Announce Seventh National Championship Together; Maria Taylor and Holly Rowe Report from Sidelines
Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will call their seventh CFP National Championship together, as their 25th college football season as a team comes to a close. Reporters Maria Taylor (Alabama) and Holly Rowe (Ohio State) will provide news and insight from the sidelines, as Taylor works her fourth CFP National Championship and Rowe covers her first for the main ESPN telecast after reporting on the ESPN Radio broadcast for the first six years of the championship.

ESPN rules analyst Bill Lemonnier will also cover Championship Monday. The former Big Ten referee is a veteran of several marquee assignments, including a number of prestigious bowl games.

Sports Emmy winner Herbstreit will hit the dozen mark from Hard Rock Stadium on Monday, as he covers his 12th overall college football national title game.

ESPN’s Seventh National Championship MegaCast
ESPN’s MegaCast production includes five additional presentations across its television networks, six more offerings available on the ESPN App and a 4K feed to complete the MegaCast.

CFP Live debuts this year on ESPN2, utilizing the NFL Live crew of Laura Rutledge, Marcus Spears, Dan Orlovsky, and Mina Kimes to bring their trademark analysis and wit to Championship Monday. Joining the quartet is ESPN college football analyst and NFL Draft expert Todd McShay, who will provide Draft projections and analysis throughout the game.

Film Room returns to the National Championship MegaCast on ESPNEWS, with SEC Network college football analyst and former BCS Champion head coach Gene Chizik, Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson, Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze, and North Carolina A&T’s Sam Washington joining the telecast. Follow every play of Alabama-Ohio State through the minds of those who live and breathe the game every day. Please note: the lineup of coaches is subject to change.

MegaCast mainstay SkyCast moves to ESPNU this year, with Jason Fitz and Mike Golic Jr. providing commentary and context out of commercial breaks before throwing back to the sounds of the game. The popular view from above the action and behind the offense on most plays will also have replays shown regularly throughout the presentation. Additionally, the Skycam viewing option will also be available in 4K on DIRECTV, Comcast and Optimum thanks to Samsung QLED.

The Spanish-language telecast (ESPN Deportes) and Hometown Radio (SEC Network and the ESPN App) remain staples of the MegaCast, while Refcast – an option that allows viewers to watch the game through former referees’ perspective — returns as a highlight of the ESPN App selections, with the All-22 viewing angle, Command Center, DataCenter, and High SkyCam also available digitally.

• Command Center (ESPN App)
  • Multi-angle presentation, which includes up to four different vantage points at any one time, with statistics and real-time drive charts supplementing the game action.
• DataCenter (ESPN App)
  • A catch-all viewing option, as ESPN’s main telecast will be surrounded by real-time stats, analytics, social media commentary and player information. ESPN commentators Zubin Mehenti and Brad Edwards will be featured on the feed.
• Hometown Radio (SEC Network and ESPN App)
  • Fans can listen to the local radio broadcast of each team, with their audio feed synced up with ESPN’s presentation. This MegaCast feed is made possible in conjunction with Alabama Radio Network Powered by Learfield/IMG College and Ohio State Sports Network Powered by Learfield/IMG College.
    • Alabama (SEC Network): Eli Gold, John Parker Wilson, Rashad Johnson, and Chris Stewart
    • Ohio State (ESPN App): Paul Keels, Jim Lachey, Matt Andrews, and Skip Mosic
• Refcast (ESPN App)
  • John Parry (former NFL referee) and Matt Austin (former SEC referee) join Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards and ESPN commentator Jason Benetti to break down the game, as Parry and Austin provide reaction and commentary from a referee’s perspective.
• All-22 (ESPN App)
  • Watch the game the same way players and coaches study film, with a vantage point high above the field of play. The angle allows for the 22 players on the field to be seen at all times, providing the ability to distinguish how plays develop.

ESPN Radio: Sean McDonough and Todd Blackledge Call Fifth CFP National Championship Together
Sean McDonough calls his fifth CFP National Championship on ESPN Radio, joining analyst Todd Blackledge, who has called the CFP National Championship all seven years on the platform. The radio broadcast is available throughout the country on more than 400 ESPN Radio stations, the ESPN App, ESPNRadio.com, SiriusXM, Apple Music, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn.

ESPN Deportes Provides Spanish-Language Call
The Spanish-language call of the game will be available on ESPN Deportes, with Eduardo Varela and Pablo Viruega announcing the action.

ESPN’s Innovative Initiatives Surround Social Media
ESPN will have a number of social media initiatives around the game, including viewers being able to receive a real-time photo from one of ESPN’s many cameras live during game action. Fans can tweet #CFPTwitterCam and they will instantly receive a photo in response from one of ESPN’s social media channels.