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CBS SPORTS ANNOUNCES MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-PLATFORM RIGHTS AGREEMENT WITH ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Widest Distribution of EFL Ever in the U.S. Annually with Matches Airing on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network Through 2027-28 Season
Opening Weekend Coverage on August 9-12 Features EFL Championship and League One Action Including Birmingham City, Burnley, Leeds United, Wrexham and more
Carabao Cup Round One Matches Begin August 13-14 with Premier League Clubs Joining the Competition in Round Two Action
CBS Sports and the English Football League (EFL) today announced an exclusive, multi-year, multi-platform rights agreement for CBS Sports to offer the widest distribution of EFL matches ever in the United States. CBS Sports will air at least 250 EFL matches each season across the Championship, League One, League Two, Carabao Cup and Bristol Street Motors Trophy beginning in August and continuing through the end of the 2027-28 season. Matches will air on Paramount+ with select matches airing on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.
With 1,891 fixtures each season, the EFL is home to some of the most respected, popular and successful football competitions in the world, captivating supporters across the globe. At the end of the 2023-24 season, the EFL ranked as the highest-attended League body in Europe with 21.5 million fans welcomed through the turnstiles for a Championship, League One or League Two fixture.
"The exciting action and prestige of the EFL, as the oldest league in the world, adds tremendous value to CBS Sports' premium soccer portfolio," said Dan Weinberg, executive vice president of Programming, CBS Sports. "With the EFL's compelling storylines and growing popularity coupled with our first-class coverage, we look forward to further elevating this league in the U.S. CBS Sports continues to be the premier destination for European football fans in this country with Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network as must-haves with their wide array of soccer properties and robust year-round match coverage."
"Appetite for football in the North American markets has been growing year on year, and this partnership with CBS Sports and their leadership in covering the sport marks a significant milestone," said Trevor Birch, chief executive officer at the EFL. "The EFL is already broadcast to a global audience of 400 million across 182 territories, beaming into more than 250 million homes outside of the UK.
"We believe that American fans will embrace the excitement, tradition, and competitiveness that is embodied by our EFL competitions. This is an exciting time for the League and our Clubs, and we look forward to sharing our matches with viewers across the United States."
CBS Sports' live EFL coverage will feature:
· A minimum 155 Championship matches
· A minimum 38 League One and League Two matches
· All 15 Play-Off matches
· A minimum 30 Carabao Cup matches
· Three Bristol Street Motors Trophy matches
CBS Sports can select further matches for broadcast, no later than two weeks out, with EFL Clubs able to stream remaining fixtures for international fans.
CBS Sports' opening weekend Sky Bet EFL coverage includes:
All Times ET
Blackburn Rovers vs. Derby County Friday, Aug. 9 at 3:00 PM Paramount+ CBS Sports Network
Preston North End vs. Sheffield United Friday, Aug. 9 at 3:00 PM Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network
Oxford United vs. Norwich City Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7:30 AM Paramount+
Leeds United vs. Portsmouth Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7:30 AM Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network
Middlesbrough vs. Swansea City Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7:30 AM Paramount+
Cardiff City vs. Sunderland Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7:30 AM Paramount+
Queens Park Rangers vs. West Bromwich Albion Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7:30 AM Paramount+ CBS Sports Network
Milton Keynes Dons vs. Bradford City Saturday, Aug. 10 at 10:00 AM Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network
Birmingham City vs. Reading Saturday, Aug. 10 at 12:30 PM Paramount+
Wrexham vs. Wycombe Wanderers Saturday, Aug. 10 at 12:30 PM Paramount+ & CBS Sports Network
Sheffield Wednesday vs. Plymouth Argyle Sunday, Aug. 11 at 11:00 AM Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network
Luton Town vs. Burnley Monday, Aug. 12 at 3:00 PM Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network
Carabao Cup Round One action begins Tuesday, August 13.
CBS Sports will announce additional matches and studio coverage details for the start of the 2024-25 EFL season in the coming weeks.
EFL clubs feature more than a dozen rostered American players, including Haji Wright (Coventry City), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), and Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City). Additionally, Wrexham, Burnley, Leeds United, Birmingham City and Swansea City are among 26 EFL clubs boasting notable American investment.
In addition to airing live matches, CBS Sports Golazo Network will provide analysis and commentary of EFL competition throughout its live studio programming, including MORNING FOOTY, CBS SPORTS GOLAZO MATCHDAY and SCORELINE. The first-of-its-kind, free, 24-hour soccer streaming network in the U.S. offers fans unparalleled coverage of all top domestic and international soccer competitions. The Network is available on connected TV and mobile devices through Paramount+, the CBS Sports App and Pluto TV, on CBSSports.com, and as a channel on The Roku Channel, Amazon FreeVee, Local Now and Plex.
CBS Sports will also provide additional editorial coverage of EFL competitions on CBSSports.com, the Golazo Starting XI newsletter and across its @CBSSportsGolazo social accounts.
CBS Sports' extensive soccer portfolio features more than 1,500 live matches per year across its various platforms including EFL; the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League and UEFA Youth League; NWSL; the United Soccer League; Concacaf national team competitions; Argentina's Liga Profesional de Fútbol; the Scottish Professional Football League; AFC Champions League and more.
Relevent Sports represents the EFL as part of a four-year media, content and marketing agreement with the League across the Americas.
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About the EFL:
The EFL (English Football League) is the world's original league football competition. It is the largest single body of professional clubs in European football and is responsible for administering and regulating the Sky Bet EFL, Carabao Cup and Bristol Street Motors Trophy, as well as reserve and youth football. The EFL, EFL Trust and our member clubs are at the heart of communities across the country, providing shared experiences for all and using the power of sport to improve lives.
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