The CW eying Holiday Bowl, Poinsettia Bowl rights but Fox remains in the mix

Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Holiday Bowl and the newly returned Poinsettia Bowl, jointly operated by Sports San Diego, are both looking for a media partner, and The CW might just answer the call.

Late last month, college football insider Brett McMurphy of On3 reported that Fox Sports, which has televised the Holiday Bowl since 2017, would not bid on this year’s game. McMurphy also noted that ESPN, which broadcasts most college football bowl games and was the home of the Holiday Bowl from 1986 to 2016, is not interested.

According to Austin Karp at Sports Business Journal, The CW has emerged as a potential suitor for both games, and Fox hasn’t completely shut the door on the Holiday Bowl either.

“We have not had one group say they were not willing to take the call,” Excelsior Sports and Entertainment’s Tag Garson, who is assisting Sports San Diego in its media search for both bowl games, told SBJ. “When Fox passed on our final offer, it allowed us to go into the marketplace, and we have been talking to everyone. … We’re not leaving any stone unturned. … We’ve only been in the marketplace for a couple of weeks, so this is very new.”

The CW currently has the rights to the Arizona Bowl as well as ACC, Mountain West, and Pac-12 regular-season games.