So, you’re sitting there on New Year’s Day, or maybe the day after if the calendar is being weird, and you’re wondering: will the Rose Bowl be on ABC this year? It’s a fair question. For decades, the "Granddaddy of Them All" was synonymous with Keith Jackson’s voice and that iconic ABC sports logo. It felt like a law of nature. If the sun was setting over the San Gabriel Mountains, you were watching it on Channel 7.
But things changed. Sports media became a multi-billion dollar chess match.
Honestly, the short answer is usually no. In the current media landscape, ESPN is the primary home for the Rose Bowl Game. However, because Disney owns both ESPN and ABC, there’s often a bit of "simulcasting" magic that happens, leading to a lot of confusion for fans just trying to find the kickoff.
The Disney Connection: Why You Think the Rose Bowl is on ABC
Here is the thing. ESPN has held the exclusive rights to the College Football Playoff (CFP) and the New Year's Six bowls for a long time. Their current deal runs through the 2031-2032 season. Because the Rose Bowl is a crown jewel of that rotation, ESPN is the gatekeeper.
But check this out.
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Disney isn't dumb. They know that ABC reaches more households than a cable subscription does. Occasionally, they will "megacast" the game. This means they put the main broadcast on ESPN but might throw a different version—or the exact same feed—onto ABC to juice the ratings. It happened recently during the 2024 semi-finals where they experimented with putting high-profile games across every screen they owned.
If you are looking for the game today, your first stop should always be ESPN. If you don't have cable, you're likely looking for an ABC broadcast to pick up with an antenna. Sometimes you get lucky; most of the time, you're headed to a streaming service like Fubo or Sling.
The CFP Expansion and How It Changes Everything
Everything we knew about bowl season just got tossed in a blender. With the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams, the Rose Bowl isn't just a traditional Big Ten vs. Pac-12 (RIP Pac-12) matchup anymore. It is now a permanent fixture in the playoff bracket.
This shift is massive.
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In the new 12-team format, the Rose Bowl will alternate between being a quarterfinal and a semifinal. Because of this high stakes "win or go home" energy, the broadcast rights are more protected than ever. ESPN recently inked a $7.8 billion extension to keep the CFP through 2032. While they have the option to sub-license some of these games to other networks (like TNT Sports, which is now getting some early-round games), the Rose Bowl remains ESPN’s prized possession.
They aren't giving that up to ABC for free unless it serves a very specific corporate strategy.
What about the "Pac-12" tie-in?
Wait. The Pac-12 basically dissolved.
That historical tie-in where the winner of the Big Ten played the winner of the Pac-12 in Pasadena? It's gone. Now, you might see a matchup like Ohio State vs. Georgia or Oregon vs. Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Because these matchups are national draws, the "Will the Rose Bowl be on ABC" question becomes a hot topic for bars and restaurants that might not have the right cable packages.
Streaming vs. Broadcast: Finding the Game Without Cable
If the game isn't on ABC and you don't have a traditional cable box, you aren't totally out of luck. You just have to be a bit more tech-savvy.
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- ESPN+ is not the answer. This is a common trap. Just because you pay for ESPN+ doesn't mean you get the live Rose Bowl broadcast. ESPN+ usually hosts "alternate" feeds—think Coaches Film Room or the Skycam view—but rarely the actual game with the main announcers.
- YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV. These are your best bets. They carry ESPN and, in most markets, your local ABC affiliate. If Disney decides to simulcast, you're covered both ways.
- The ESPN App. If you have a friend's cable login (we’ve all been there), you can authenticate the app. It's usually a more stable stream than some of those shady "free" sites that pop up on Reddit.
Why the ABC Tradition Still Matters to Fans
There is a certain nostalgia to college football on ABC. The "Saturday Night Football" music, the crispness of the over-the-air signal—it just hits different. When fans ask "Will the Rose Bowl be on ABC," they are often asking because they want that old-school feel. They want the game to feel "big."
For a long time, the Rose Bowl fought to stay on New Year’s Day at 2:00 PM PT. They valued that "sunset through the stadium" shot more than almost anything else. But the CFP doesn't care about sunsets as much as it cares about TV windows. Sometimes the Rose Bowl gets pushed to a different time slot or even a different day if Jan 1st falls on a Sunday (to avoid the NFL).
In those weird years, the broadcast schedule gets even more chaotic.
Final Verdict for the Upcoming Season
If you are looking for the Rose Bowl, turn on ESPN. That is your 99% guarantee. If you see a promo saying it's on ABC, consider it a bonus. The 12-team playoff era has prioritized cable and streaming revenue over traditional "free" broadcast television. It’s the reality of the sport now.
Actionable Steps for Kickoff Day
To make sure you don't miss a single snap while flipping through channels, follow this checklist:
- Check the Official CFP Schedule: Don't trust your DVR's "suggested" list. Go to the College Football Playoff official site 48 hours before the game to see the confirmed network.
- Test Your Stream: If you’re using a trial of a streaming service, log in at least an hour early. ESPN's servers are notorious for lagging during the first five minutes of the Rose Bowl because millions of people are trying to log in at once.
- Check for Simulcasts: Open your local ABC affiliate’s guide. If the Rose Bowl is listed there as well as ESPN, use the ABC feed. The "Over-the-Air" (OTA) signal from an antenna is actually higher quality (less compression) than what you get through a cable box or a stream.
- Confirm the Date: Remember the "Never on Sunday" rule. If New Year's Day is a Sunday, the Rose Bowl will be played on Monday, January 2nd. This changes the TV lineup significantly.
- Audio Sync: if you hate the TV announcers, you can usually find the home radio calls on the Varsity Network app. It takes some pausing and unpausing to sync the audio with the TV, but it’s worth it for a better experience.
The Rose Bowl remains the most beautiful game in sports, regardless of which three-letter acronym is in the corner of your screen. Just make sure you're tuned in before the flyover.