TechGraphs’ Guide to Watching the College Football Playoff Semifinals: Return of the Multicast? by Alec Denton December 31, 2015 While shifting technological, media, and economic sands may be signaling the approaching end of ESPN, the Worldwide Leader’s not dead yet, and it’s closing out 2015 with a bang. Along the lines of last year’s inaugural College Football Playoff Megacast, ESPN will be leveraging its multi-channel capabilities to deliver a variety of simulcasts for the two semifinal games taking place tonight, as well as the other four major bowl games– the Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, and Peach Bowls– spread across today and tomorrow. Although there won’t be as many options tonight as were available during last year’s championship game Megacast, it’s good to see the network continuing to take advantage of its resources by expanding coverage of these games. Viewing details on each of the “New Year’s Six” bowls are below. Peach Bowl: Teams: #18 Houston vs. #9 Florida State Time and location: December 31, 12:00 pm, Atlanta, Georgia Primary television: ESPN Alternate television: Spider cam feed on ESPN3/WatchESPN Audio: ESPN Radio, ESPN Radio app Spanish-language television: ESPN Deportes Trophy presentation: ESPNEWS, ESPN3/WatchESPN app Orange Bowl (playoff semifinal): Teams: #4 Oklahoma vs. #1 Clemson Time and location: December 31, 4:00 pm, Miami, Florida Primary television: ESPN Alternate television: Spider cam feed and home or away audio plus ESPN visual on ESPN3/WatchESPN Audio: ESPN Radio, ESPN Radio app Spanish-language television: ESPN2, ESPN Deportes Trophy presentation: ESPNEWS, ESPN3/WatchESPN app Cotton Bowl (playoff semifinal): Teams: #3 Michigan State vs. #2 Alabama Time and location: December 31, 8:00 pm, Dallas, Texas Primary television: ESPN Alternate television: Spider cam feed and home or away audio plus ESPN visual on ESPN3; Finebaum Film Room, featuring in-studio analysts and guests, as well as live viewer telephone calls on SEC Network Audio: ESPN Radio, ESPN Radio app Spanish-language television: ESPN2, ESPN Deportes Trophy presentation: ESPNEWS, ESPN3/WatchESPN Fiesta Bowl: Teams: #8 Notre Dame vs. #7 Ohio State Time and location: January 1, 1:00 pm, Glendale, Arizona Primary television: ESPN Alternate television: Spider cam feed on ESPN3/WatchESPN Audio: ESPN Radio, ESPN Radio app Spanish-language television: ESPN Deportes Trophy presentation: ESPNEWS, ESPN3/WatchESPN Rose Bowl: Teams: #6 Stanford vs. #5 Iowa Time and location: January 1, 5:00 pm, Pasadena, California Primary television: ESPN Alternate television: Spider cam feed on ESPN3/WatchESPN Audio: ESPN Radio, ESPN Radio app Spanish-language television: ESPN Deportes Trophy presentation: ESPNEWS, ESPN3/WatchESPN Sugar Bowl: Teams: #16 Oklahoma State vs. #12 Ole Miss Time and location: January 1, 8:30 pm, New Orleans, Louisiana Primary television: ESPN Alternate television: Spider cam feed on ESPN3/WatchESPN Audio: ESPN Radio, ESPN Radio app Spanish-language television: ESPN Deportes Trophy presentation: ESPNEWS, ESPN3/WatchESPN The big addition here is the simulcast of the ESPN Deportes Spanish-language television broadcast on ESPN2 for both semifinal games. ESPN also plans “cross-platform coverage” of the national championship game, which it will announce next week. At a minimum, I expect a return of the general “film room” coaching analysis channel, a televised (i.e., not just online) alternate camera feed, and, in the unfortunate event that Alabama topples Michigan State tonight, the SEC Network Finebaum broadcast for the January 11 championship game. (Header image via Wikimedia Commons)