The Emirates FA Cup will be coming exclusively to ESPN+ as part of a new rights agreement.
What’s happening:
- A multi-year rights agreement has been reached in the US for ESPN+ to be the exclusive presenter of the Emirates FA Cup. The agreement will allow the streaming service to present all 79 matches, including the FA Cup final, to its subscribers.
- Additionally, the FA Community Shield, the annual football match between FA Cup and Premier League titleholders to start the English football season, is also part of the deal.
- Coverage of the 2018-2019 season will begin on Saturday, November 10 all the way through the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in London on May 18, 2019.
- Fans will also be able to enjoy additional content on ESPN+ and other ESPN platforms including:
- FA Cup highlights shows
- FA Cup preview shows
- Live coverage of the FA Cup draws
- Semifinals and final matches of the FA Youth Cup live on ESPN+
The FA Cup:
- The Football Association Challenge Cup is an annual knockout competition in English soccer.
- The competition began during the 1871-72 season and is open to all registered – professional and non-professional – teams in England. During the 2018-2019 season more than 700 clubs will compete in the FA Cup.
- Over the years, the competition has grown as fans of lower-division teams anxiously root for their clubs to become “giant-killers” that upset higher-ranked teams. The “Magic of the FA Cup,” replete with Cinderella runs by teams and stirring scenes as clubs from lower levels of English soccer challenge Premier League clubs, has turned the competition into the world’s most famous knockout Cup in domestic soccer.
What they’re saying:
- Burke Magnus, Executive Vice President, Programming and Scheduling, ESPN: “Acquiring the FA Cup – the oldest national football competition in the world – further demonstrates our commitment to making ESPN+ a must-have for soccer fans in the U.S. With its storied tradition and world-class players and teams, FA Cup will be a signature property in ESPN+’s ever-expanding soccer portfolio.”
- Tom Gracey, The FA’s Senior Broadcast Manager: “The Emirates FA Cup remains the world’s most famous domestic cup competition, with unrivaled appeal both at home and abroad. Thanks to ESPN+, we are delighted that football fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy premium coverage of the competition from the First Round, through to The Final.”
- Hillary Mandel, SVP, North America, IMG Media: “ESPN is building an outstanding portfolio of top class football from around the world and, in the FA Cup, they have the world’s oldest and most prestigious club tournament. The competition is very special, featuring the minnows of the lower leagues against the likes of the Premier League elite, providing many giant-killings over the years as well as some great cup finals at Wembley. In ESPN, the FA has a great partner who will both showcase and maximize awareness of the competition for the US audience.”