ESPN has reached a comprehensive multimedia agreement with Soccer United Marketing (SUM) for the rights to Major League Soccer and U.S. National Team matches through 2022, announced today by John Skipper, ESPN President and Co-chairman, Disney Media Networks, and Don Garber, Major League Soccer Commissioner and CEO of Soccer United Marketing.
The eight-year agreement, beginning in 2015, includes English-language rights for the United States National Teams’ FIFA World Cup qualifying matches (men and women) – up to 10 matches per year. ESPN2 will televise 34 regular-season matches as part of the “MLS Game of the Week” series on Sundays at 5 p.m. ET, six playoff MLS matches each year, and the MLS All Star game and the MLS Cup in alternating seasons. ESPN Deportes will also present 34 MLS regular-season and six playoff matches with Spanish-language commentators. As part of the agreement, Fox Sports will offer additional Major League Soccer and US Soccer National Teams’ content on its networks.
Additionally, ESPN3, the multiscreen sports network in more than 92 million homes, will have exclusive rights to carry Major League Soccer matches outside the home markets of participating teams. The out-of-market matches, a popular offering among MLS fans, is currently available only through the MLS Live and MLS Direct Kick packages. ESPN3’s out-of-market telecasts will exclude matches carried by the league’s other national TV partners – FOX Sports and Univision.
“ESPN remains firmly committed to world-class soccer and this agreement underscores our belief that this is an ascendant sports property,” said Skipper. “We are proud to continue our longstanding relationship with MLS and US Soccer, and the broad media rights we have acquired, including enhanced digital rights, will benefit all our platforms.”
Commissioner Garber said: “We are honored to partner with ESPN, FOX and Univision to form the most comprehensive U.S. media rights partnership in the history of soccer in our country. The commitment from our television partners in terms of structure, length and magnitude is unprecedented, and these new partnerships are another strong indicator of the League’s continued growth and the overall fan interest in our sport.”
ESPN signed its first MLS agreement in 1994 – two years before the league’s debut in 1996 – and has been the primary national television network for Major League Soccer ever since.
Highlights of the agreement:
MLS:
- ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3 will televise 34 regular-season matches, up from 26
- ESPN Deportes acquires the rights to carry all 34 ESPN/ESPN2 matches with Spanish-speaking commentators
- ESPN3 acquires out-of-market rights to more than 200 MLS matches per season
- ESPN International will have rights to carry all 34 ESPN2 “MLS Game of the Week” series
- ESPN networks will televise six MLS playoff matches
- ESPN will televise MLS All Star and MLS Cup in alternating years
- Extensive media rights for all ESPN media platforms such as SportsCenter, ESPN FC on television and digital platforms, et al, including in-progress highlights
- ESPN will partner with Soccer United Marketing to create new soccer events for fans
U.S. National Teams:
- Up to 10 U.S. National Team matches each year featuring the men’s and women’s programs on an ESPN network, including home FIFA World Cup qualifying matches
- International rights placing U.S. National Team matches on ESPN International networks
- Extensive media rights for all ESPN media platforms such as SportsCenter, ESPN FC on television and digital platforms, etc.