The Walt Disney Company’s sports network ESPN has acquired exclusive rights to the Spanish La Liga in the USA. ESPN’s eight-year deal gives it full access to La Liga’s English- and Spanish-language rights in America through 2029. Signed prior to the 2021/22 season, ESPN’s record-breaking agreement was reported to be worth $175 million per year, totaling about $1,4 billion. Live La Liga matches in USA are expected to be televised on linear ESPN networks, including the flagship ESPN channel and ESPN Deportes, as well as on ABC.
All fixtures are to be aired in high definition both on TV and digital platforms. Detailed match highlights along with analysis and studio programs such as SportsCenter and Fuera de Juego will continuously enrich the viewers experience, every season. This is in addition to game previews, half-time talks, postgame and magazine shows. La Liga content will additionally be distributed on ESPN’s social media pages in USA. Naturally, every La Liga game shown on ESPN will be accessible via partner streaming services in America.
2023-24 season update:
ESPN and LaLiga embark on their third consecutive year of collaboration for the 2023-24 football season. As part of the comprehensive coverage strategy, the network is introducing "La Peña de LALIGA" on ESPN Deportes. This program is tailored to provide an in-depth perspective on the league, offering analyses, debates, and insights featuring notable figures such as Hugo Sanchez and Mario Kempes. On the digital side, ESPN's strategy encompasses a team of reporters based in Spain, ensuring timely coverage of major teams, including FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético de Madrid. ESPN has outlined an extensive social media strategy to supplement the broadcast and digital coverage, providing real-time updates and exclusive content across platforms.
Over-the-top (OTT) sports subscription service ESPN+ will stream live Spanish Segunda Division matches in USA, including promotion playoffs. ESPN secured both English- and Spanish-language rights for Spain’s second-tier soccer league through 2029.
ESPN has secured a four-year extension with the English Football Association for the exclusive U.S. media rights to the Emirates FA Cup, covering the 2024-2028 seasons. This agreement ensures that all 79 matches per season, from the First Round to the Final at Wembley Stadium, will be available on ESPN+. The deal also includes the FA Community Shield, maintaining ESPN+ as the platform for premier domestic cup competitions. This extension continues a partnership that began in the 2018-19 season, offering extensive live English FA Cup coverage, highlights, and additional content across ESPN platforms in the USA.
The 2024 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season is broadcast in the USA across ABC and ESPN platforms. This media rights deal marks a continued expansion of TV coverage for the NWSL in its 12th season. A total of 20 NWSL matches have been scheduled on linear ABC and ESPN channels and their associated OTT services. ABC has agreed to air four games, which include the season-opener and three playoff matches. ESPN has picked seven NWSL matches to broadcast, while ESPN2 has opted for nine games. Furthermore, ESPN Deportes is extending the NWSL reach to Spanish-speaking audiences, broadcasting 13 matches. Live NWSL 2024 streaming is available in the USA on ESPN+ on mobile devices, game consoles and smart TVs.
ESPN has secured the rights to the Spanish Super Cup in the USA. The Spanish Super Cup matches will be available not only on ESPN's streaming platform ESPN+ but also on the network's linear channels, including ESPN, ESPN 2, and ESPN Deportes. This comprehensive coverage ensures that fans can enjoy the excitement and drama of the Spanish Super Cup on their preferred ESPN platform, whether through streaming or traditional television channels.
ESPN has announced the renewal of its exclusive domestic coverage of the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup competitions after extending its rights deal with the RFEF (Spanish Soccer Federation) for another five years. The agreement ensures that ESPN continues broadcasting 65 Copa del Rey matches per season exclusively on its streaming platform ESPN+ in English and Spanish until the 2026-27 season.
ESPN has acquired multi-platform broadcast rights to the German Bundesliga in USA, which will run from 2020 through 2026. The broacaster will cover every game live on its streaming service ESPN+, whereas its linear TV networks will telecast select Bundesliga games every season. The deal also includes exclusive programs and match highlights.
ESPN has announced its multiyear extension with the German Football Association (DFB) to become the exclusive home of the German Cup, also known as the DFB-Pokal, until 2026. This groundbreaking agreement ensures that ESPN+ subscribers can access at least 40 DFB-Pokal matches live each season, streamed exclusively in English. Additionally, select games, including the Semifinals and the Final, will be available on both ESPN networks and ESPN+ with English and Spanish commentary.
ESPN has acquired the rights to the German Supercup until 2026, following a deal with the German football association. The matches will be available to stream live in English language on the ESPN App in USA.
ESPN+ has acquired the broadcasting rights for the Belgian Pro League, bolstering its status as the go-to streaming service for soccer in the United States. ESPN+ is expected to stream up to three games per week. The five-year agreement with ESPN covers North, Central, and South America, including the Caribbean. This strategic move by the Belgium Pro League aims to expand its presence in the US market and develop its product alongside ESPN in the coming years.
ESPN+ has significantly broadened its coverage of the English Football League (EFL) by securing an exclusive, multiyear extension for the media rights to the Sky Bet League Two. With this agreement, ESPN+ ensures that fans in the United States can witness a minimum of 20 live regular-season matches from the fourth-tier professional league in English football.
American direct-to-consumer OTT service ESPN+ has secured the media rights for the Scottish Premiership, Scotland's top professional soccer league. The deal consists of English- and Spanish-language coverage of the matches, starting from the 2020-21 season. As part of the agreement, ESPN+ is set to feature at least one Scottish Premiership match per week. Additionally, they have agreed to provide coverage of select games from the Scottish Championship, Betfred Cup, and Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Cup.
ESPN+ has secured streaming rights to select matches from the Scottish League Cup. As a result of the deal between ESPN and the Scottish FA, soccer fans in the USA can watch this cup competition on various mobile devices starting from the 2020-21 season. The acquisition of Scottish League Cup rights further expands the diverse range of soccer content available on ESPN+ in America, as the latter has already taken hold of the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Championship digital rights.
ESPN+ has secured the rights to broadcast select matches from the Scottish Championship, commencing from the 2020-21 season. As part of the agreement, ESPN+'s streaming service may provide coverage of live games from the second tier of Scottish football.
ESPN+ has secured an exclusive, multiyear extension of media rights for the Sky Bet Championship, the second-tier professional league in English football, as part of its English Football League (EFL) coverage. The agreement was announced before the 2022-23 season and guaranteed at least 147 regular season matches from the Sky Bet Championship to be broadcast live on ESPN+, significantly expanding the coverage compared to the previous season.
As part of its extensive English Football League (EFL) coverage, ESPN+ has reached an exclusive, multiyear extension for the media rights to the Sky Bet League One. The agreement ensures that fans in the United States can follow the excitement of the third-tier professional league in English football. With a minimum of 20 live regular-season matches from the Sky Bet League One, ESPN+ continues to offer comprehensive coverage of the EFL, showcasing the talent and competitiveness of the clubs in this division.
ESPN+ has secured a broadcasting deal for the FA Cup, the oldest single-knockout cup competition in soccer. As part of this multiyear agreement, ESPN+ is set to stream 79 FA Cup matches exclusively every season. This comprehensive coverage extends beyond live matches, as ESPN+ may also provide highlights shows, match previews, and live draws for each round.
ESPN+ has included the Scottish Cup in its portfolio of soccer competitions. The American OTT platform is set to offer its paying subscribers access to live Scottish Cup matches and highlights.
ESPN+ has obtained broadcasting rights to stream select matches from the Scottish Challenge Cup in the USA, starting from the 2020-21 season. Coverage of the seasonal competition may include highlights and on-demand access to match replays.
In a significant development for women's soccer, American broadcaster ESPN has acquired the rights to show the Women's FA Community Shield. This agreement allows ESPN to stream exclusively the Women's Community Shield match on ESPN+. The one-match contest was re-introduced in 2020 after a hiatus since 2008.
ESPN has secured the broadcasting rights for the Men's FA Community Shield, one of the highly anticipated fixtures in English soccer. As part of this agreement, the annual match is set to be exclusively aired on ESPN+, the network's OTT subscription streaming platform. The Men's Community Shield traditionally marks the beginning of the English soccer season.
ESPN has secured the broadcast rights for Liga MX (Men) matches in the United States. The agreement lets ESPN air live Liga MX games on their linear TV channels and digital platforms, providing fans with comprehensive coverage of Mexico's top-tier soccer league. Throughout the period of the deal, viewers in the USA can anticipate live game broadcasts, expert analysis, and engaging highlights. As part of ESPN's commitment to delivering the excitement of the Mexican Liga MX to a broader audience, live matches may be slated on ESPN Deportes (TV), ESPN+, the ESPN App, and ESPN Deportes Radio.
ESPN has acquired exclusive broadcasting rights for Liga MX Femenil matches in the United States. The agreement allows ESPN to showcase select matches from the women's league, providing live game broadcasts, highlights, analysis, and more. With this move, ESPN aims to boost the visibility and popularity of Liga MX Femenil, exposing it to a broader audience. Soccer fans in the USA can look forward to an enhanced viewing experience of women's soccer on ESPN's platforms, including mobile apps and OTT streaming services.
ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will show 28 matches from the 2020 MLS Is Back Tournament on television in USA. ESPN will broadcast 22 games live, including the opening game and Final, in addition to all matches scheduled for 9am ET. ESPN2 will show six MLS matches live, including a game from the quarterfinals and semis. ESPN Deportes will televise all 28 matches from the MLS Is Back Tournament with Spanish-language commentary. All 28 MLS matches will be streamed live on the ESPN App.
ESPN has acquired multi-platform broadcast rights for the USL Championship through the 2022 season in USA. With the deal including both English- and Spanish-language telecasts, coverage for 19 linear games—consisting of 18 regular-season fixtures plus the USL Championship Final—will be aired by ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU or ESPN Deportes annually. Matches not aired by any of these TV networks will be available to stream live on ESPN+, and also from within the ESPN App, on computers, mobile devices and smart TVs.
US broadcaster ESPN has secured multi-platform broadcast rights for the USL League One. English-language telecasts will be brought to viewers by ESPN2, ESPNEWS or ESPNU, whereas ESPN Deportes will provide Spanish-language broadcasts. Live streaming of USL League One games will also be available on direct-to-consumer video service ESPN+ and accessible from within the ESPN App.
ESPN+ has acquired the broadcasting rights of the Swedish Allsvenskan League in the USA. The deal sees ESPN+ streaming 30 matches live from April through November.
Direct-to-consumer streaming service ESPN+ has secured bilingual rights to the Spanish Copa del Rey in USA, following a multi-year deal with the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The OTT broadcaster will air up to 65 matches live every season with English- and Spanish-language commentary. ESPN+’s selection of games will include fixtures featuring top Spanish clubs such as FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. All the Copa del Rey action carried by the service will be available for ESPN subscribers to watch live on the ESPN App, directly from their mobile devices and connected TVs.
ESPN owns the exclusive English-language multi-platform broadcast rights for the UEFA Nations League in the USA. The deal starts with the inaugural 2018-19 season and runs until the 2020-21 season.
ESPN and ESPN Deportes will each broadcast 15 matches per year in the US, while ESPN+ will exclusively show up to 10 live games in both English and Spanish.
ESPN has secured English-language U.S. TV rights for the UEFA Euro 2020. The network’s family of channels will combine with Disney-owned network ABC to air all 51 matches from the group stage to the Final. Flagship channel ESPN will show 39 Euro 2020 matches live on television in high definition, whereas ESPN2 will telecast seven games. Both networks will produce 30-minute pregame, halftime and postgame reaction shows for every match they cover. An exclusive program named EURO Tonight will also be broadcast by both ESPN and ESPN2 every matchday after the conclusion of the final fixture. Further news and updates will be provided on daily sports program SportsCenter in the mornings. All UEFA Euro 2020 matches aired on TV by linear networks will be streamed live on the ESPN App.
ESPN+ will stream the Scottish League Cup live in USA, following a successful deal that covers both English- and Spanish-speaking subscribers. The Disney-owned OTT service will show live Scottish League Cup games through 2021.
OTT subscription service ESPN+ has acquired US media rights to the Scottish Championship in English and Spanish. The one-season deal, which runs through 2021, means that ESPN+ will regularly stream Championship matches—all of which may be available to watch live on the ESPN App.
Sports subscription streaming service ESPN+ will show 18 matches of the D1 Arkema in USA, during the 2020-21 season. The broadcast deal for the French women’s league was made following a partnership between ESPN, Canal+ and Atalanta Media.
Direct-to-consumer streaming service ESPN+ will show live Scottish Challenge Cup matches in USA during the 2020-21 season. The one-season agreement is also expected to make the Challenge Cup available to subscribers on the ESPN App.
OTT streaming platform ESPN+ has secured English- and Spanish-language American rights to the Scottish Premiership. The Disney-owned direct-to-consumer service will stream at least one Scottish Premiership game every week, during the 2020-21 season. All of ESPN+’s Premiership coverage is expected to be available to subscribers on the ESPN App.
ESPN+ has acquired the streaming rights of the Indian Super League in the US territory. The agreement will permit ESPN+ to stream 60 live matches (five games per match week) of the Indian Super League to it's US subscribers.
ESPN Networks has acquired the TV and Streaming broadcast rights for the SuperCoppa Italiana. In the agreement, the Coppa Italia Final and the Supercoppa Italiana will air live on the ESPN networks (ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNEWS), in addition to ESPN Deportes’ live Spanish-language presentation of the matches.
ESPN has acquired the multi-platform broadcasting rights of the Coppa Italia in the US territory. As per the rights agreement, ESPN+ will stream 24 Coppa Italia matches each year of the agreement. Coverage of the Coppa Italia in the USA will comment with the round-of-16 matches in January 2019 through the two-leg, semifinal series in February. The Coppa Italia Final and the Supercoppa Italiana will air live on the ESPN networks (ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNEWS), in addition to ESPN Deportes’ live Spanish-language presentation of the matches.
ESPN+ has exclusive English-language broadcast rights for the English FA Cup, through the rights-cycle period from 2018 until 2021. ESPN+ will stream 79 FA Cup matches per season on its subscription-based digital streaming platform.
ESPN has acquired multi-platform broadcast rights to the Italian Serie A in the United States. The deal, which was signed ahead of the 2018/19 season, will bring over 340 exclusive Serie A matches every season to the broadcaster’s direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service, ESPN+. As an OTT platform dedicated to expanding the sports viewing experience of ESPN subscribers, ESPN+ will stream an average of nine live matches every week, every season. ESPN linear networks, on the other hand, will organize to telecast a Serie A TIM Match of the Week, every matchday. Television broadcasts of the Italian Serie A in USA will be carried out by ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS in English, whereas ESPN Deportes will show the matches in Spanish. Throughout the year, ESPN will offer additional Serie A-related programming, such as news bulletins and match highlights. The full action is expected to be available for subscribers to watch live and on demand online, as well as through the official ESPN App for Android and iOS mobile phones and tablets.
ESPN has acquired the multi-platform broadcast rights (Internet, TV and Mobile Streaming) for the SKY Bet EFL 2018-21 seasons in the USA. The England Championship matches will be aired on ESPN's digital platforms channels (ESPN3, WatchESPN ESPN+)
