The 12-team College Football Playoff bracket was revealed Sunday, and this year's postseason comes with a change that matters for advertisers. For the first time, one game in every round will be simulcast on ABC, putting playoff football on free, over-the-air television across the country.

In Pittsburgh, that's WTAE. And the timing couldn't be better, running straight through the holidays and into the new year.

01 | Playoff Football, Right Through the Holidays

The games airing on ABC and ESPN include:

•         First Round: Saturday, Dec. 19, at noon

•         Quarterfinal: Friday, Jan. 1, at 4 p.m.

•         Semifinal: Friday, Jan. 15, at the Sugar Bowl

•         National Championship: Monday, Jan. 25, in Las Vegas

That's live, high-stakes football on the days families are home together, from the last shopping weekend before Christmas through the end of January.

02 | The Audience Is Proven

Last season, the playoff's 11 games averaged 16.3 million viewers, and the national championship drew 30.1 million.

Those are the kinds of numbers that explain why the playoff is spreading to broadcast. Live sports remain one of the few places where large audiences still gather at the same time.

03 | Holiday Timing Works in Your Favor

The Dec. 19 first-round game lands on the final Saturday before Christmas, one of the busiest shopping days of the season. The New Year's Day quarterfinal reaches families at home during the break.

For retailers, restaurants, auto dealers and healthcare advertisers, those are moments when viewers are relaxed, engaged and thinking about what comes next.

04 | Local Fans, Local Connection

Western Pennsylvania is college football country. Whether fans follow a regional program or simply love the sport, playoff games bring them together around the TV.

An ad placed in that environment, on the local station they already trust, feels like part of the game day, not an interruption to it.

Make the Postseason Part of Your Plan

The College Football Playoff on ABC gives advertisers live reach at exactly the right time of year. Pair it with holiday and new year messaging, and your brand can stay in front of Pittsburgh fans from mid-December through late January.

Connect with Hearst Pittsburgh to add College Football Playoff coverage to your holiday and Q1 plan.

Sources: ABC: 2026-27 CFP broadcast schedule · ESPN Press Room: CFP broadcast schedule · Sports Illustrated: CFP schedule and viewership