or


[05/12/14 - 09:52 AM]
ESPN Extends Rights to MLS and U.S. National Teams
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.

[via press release from ESPN]

ESPN Extends Rights to MLS and U.S. National Teams

Eight-Year Agreement Includes FIFA World Cup Qualifying Matches; ESPN3 to Carry MLS Out-of-Market Matches

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.

ESPN and Soccer in the United States:

ESPN is committed to offering comprehensive coverage of the world's premier soccer events in the United States. ESPN is the English-language television home - and other languages, except Spanish - in the U.S. for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The media company is also the English- and Spanish-language home of the UEFA European Football Championship through 2016, and a collection of FIFA World Cup qualifying matches from UEFA nations - Spain, Germany, France and more. ESPN's multimedia platforms also provide extensive coverage of myriad top-tier international leagues and Major League Soccer in the U.S., as well as telecasts of the United States National Team and Mexican National Team matches, including the FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, international friendlies, and more.

Through ESPN FC, the company's multi-language, multi-country and multi-platform soccer brand, ESPN offers fans a comprehensive coverage of soccer across the world. The brand's digital hub, ESPNFC.com, is the no. 1 soccer-specific site in the U.S., and has expanded to include ESPN FC on TV, a daily global soccer news and information program.

About Soccer United Marketing

Founded in 2002, Soccer United Marketing (SUM) is the preeminent soccer business company in North America. SUM holds the exclusive rights to the most important soccer properties in the region, including: all commercial rights to Major League Soccer; the United States Soccer Federation; promotional and marketing rights to Mexican National Team games played in the United States, and the CONCACAF Gold Cup�. SUM also manages promotional and marketing rights in the United States for Mexico's most popular sports team, Club Deportivo Guadalajara (Chivas).

SUM 's corporate portfolio also includes MLS Digital Properties, the only soccer advertising network of its kind, covering all facets of the sport in the U.S., and which allows advertisers to reach millions of soccer fans via online advertising and sponsorships campaigns. These global properties are represented by SUM's slogan: One Sport. One Company.� For more information, please visit www.SUMworld.com.





  [may 2014]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[07/18/25 - 09:09 AM]
"Bobby's Triple Threat" Is Back With Brand-New Addition to Bobby Flay's Hand-Picked Trio of Culinary Titans
The 10-episode season premieres Tuesday, September 2 at 8pm ET/PT on Food Network and streaming the next day on HBO Max.

[07/18/25 - 08:06 AM]
Jaw-Dropping Custom Builds and Outrageous Family Antics Collide in "Truck Dynasty" Premiering Tuesday, August 12 at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel
Florida's Apocalypse Manufacturing owner Joe Ghattas is a self-made boss in the custom truck industry, known for his bold designs and loyal following that includes hardcore enthusiasts, world-famous rappers, sports superstars, and elite supermodels.

[07/18/25 - 08:01 AM]
Hallmark Channel Adds Hit Series "Gilmore Girls" to Its Lineup Beginning August 25
Just in time for the fall, the Gilmore family and the beloved residents of Stars Hollow will add twice the warmth and joy to Hallmark Channel's widely adored slate of heartfelt programming.

[07/18/25 - 07:36 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Wes Anderson's "The Phoenician Scheme" Beginning July 25
From Oscar-nominated writer and director Wes Anderson, the film stars Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton and Michael Cera.

[07/18/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford - Official Teaser Trailer - Netflix
Two of boxing's most dominant forces, Saul "Canelo" Álvarez and Terence Crawford will face off in a once in a lifetime fight for the unified Super Middleweight championship on Saturday, September 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

[07/17/25 - 10:01 PM]
Video: "Final Draft" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Twenty-five athletes, most retired, compete to win 30M yen to launch their second career. Can they overcome tough physical and psychological challenges?

[07/17/25 - 07:04 PM]
Video: Preview - Summer Nights 2025 - Coming in August
Tune in for all-new movie premieres this August on Hallmark Channel Saturday nights at 8/7c!

[07/17/25 - 04:15 PM]
"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" to End After 2025-26 Broadcast Season
Colbert announced the news during tonight's taping at the Ed Sullivan Theater.

[07/17/25 - 02:17 PM]
Thrilling True Crime Docu-Series, "True Crime Story: Smugshot," Returns to SundanceTV Thursday, August 14
Created and executive produced by award-winning documentary filmmakers Amy Bandlien Storkel and Bryan Storkel, the six-episode series spotlights entitled individuals involved in elaborate criminal behavior.

[07/17/25 - 01:31 PM]
Netflix: What We Watched the First Half of 2025
This report, which captures ~99% of all viewing in the first half of 2025, shows that people watched a lot of Netflix - over 95B hours - spanning a wide range of genres and languages.

[07/17/25 - 01:16 PM]
Freida Pinto to Star in Netflix's "Unaccustomed Earth"
Inspired by the internationally beloved Jhumpa Lahiri short story collection of the same name, "Unaccustomed Earth" is an epic, soapy, and culturally vibrant drama about a tight-knit Indian American community navigating love, desire, and belonging.

[07/17/25 - 01:06 PM]
Samuel L. Jackson to Headline His First TV Series As Paramount+ Greenlights "NOLA King," The First Spinoff of the Hit Series "Tulsa King"
Jackson's character, Russell Lee Washington Jr., will be introduced in the upcoming, highly anticipated third season of "Tulsa King," slated to premiere in September.

[07/17/25 - 12:53 PM]
New Series "The Mother Flip" Premieres Saturday, August 16 at 12pm ET/PT on A&E's HomeMadeNation
Best friends and savvy flippers Kristy Etheredge and Rebecca Franchione, along with contractor Roy Salinas, transform the worst homes in Texas' Hill Country into big profits.

[07/17/25 - 12:11 PM]
AMC Networks' August Highlights Include "Nautilus," "Irish Blood," "Kidnapped," "The Furry Detectives" and More!
The month also features new seasons of Sundance TV's "True Crime Story: Smugshot," and We TV's fan-favorite series "Life After Lockup."

[07/17/25 - 11:35 AM]
ESPN "Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Capital One" Schedule Update: Division Leaders Collide as Detroit Tigers Visit Philadelphia Phillies on August 3
This marks the third "Sunday Night Baseball" appearance of the 2025 regular season for the Tigers and the fourth appearance for the Phillies.