By David Owen
May 14 – Major League Soccer (MLS) has secured a big financial boost, agreeing a new eight-year television and media rights partnerships with a total of three US networks.
The deals, with ESPN, Fox Sports and Univisión Deportes, cover MLS and US Soccer matches in the United States until the end of 2022.
No price-tag was stipulated, but the agreements are rumoured to be worth a combined $90 million a year, which would represent a significant increase, in line with the league’s growing stature.
All three networks will televise both US men’s and women’s international matches, with ESPN and Fox Sports splitting the English-language men’s national team broadcast package of approximately 10 games per year and sharing women’s national team games.
Univisión is the exclusive Spanish language broadcaster of international fixtures, showing all US men’s games and a minimum of four women’s matches a year.
A total of more than 125 MLS matches will be televised annually on the three networks.
“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,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
US Soccer President and FIFA Executive Committee member Sunil Gulati said US Soccer was “extremely pleased” to have extended its partnerships with the broadcasters.
ESPN has broadcast MLS matches since the league’s inception in 1996; the new deal will extend its partnership with the league to 27 seasons.
Univisión’s new agreement will extend the relationship between the Spanish-language network and the league to 20 seasons, while Fox Sports is returning to MLS after broadcasting its games from 2003 to 2011.
“ESPN remains firmly committed to world-class soccer and this agreement underscores our belief that this is an ascendant sports property,” said John Skipper, ESPN President and Disney Media Networks Co-Chairman.
Eric Shanks, Fox Sports President, said the deal represented “a giant leap forward in the exposure for, and the commitment to, soccer in the US.
“Not only are we making a significant financial commitment, but we also plan to mobilise Fox’s substantial promotional resources to raise awareness and grow the fan base for our nation’s premier soccer league and its national teams,” he added.
“Soccer is the number one sport for Hispanic Americans and we are proud to continue our longstanding partnership with both MLS and US Soccer,” said Juan Carlos Rodriguez, Univisión Deportes President.
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