Four-year partnership will air MLS matches via all ESPN platforms to key markets
NEW YORK
(March 1, 2019)
– Major League Soccer announced today it has partnered with leading sports broadcaster ESPN to televise MLS across all ESPN platforms in Latin America (Spanish-speaking) and the Caribbean. The partnership, which commences with the start of the 2019 season and runs through 2022, kicks off this Saturday, March 2.
As part of the agreement, which kicks off with MLS’ 24th season, ESPN will carry all of the league’s 408 regular-season matches, the MLS All-Star Game presented by Target, all of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, and MLS Cup. Games will air live on ESPN linear networks across Spanish-speaking Latin America and the Caribbean, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN Caribbean, and ESPN Play, ESPN’s multiscreen live and on-demand broadband service in the region. In addition, ESPN will air highlight programs.
“Major League Soccer has made a significant investment in attracting world-class talent from across the Americas. This new partnership with ESPN will allow us to showcase these players to one of the most soccer-savvy audiences in the world,” said Seth Bacon, Senior Vice President of Media for MLS. “We know that ESPN’s multi-platform approach to distributing content will give fans more opportunity than ever to engage with MLS.”
"This agreement with MLS reflects our steadfast commitment to deliver world-class soccer content to fans across Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Michael Walters, vice president, Programming and Acquisitions, ESPN. "We are thrilled to continue expanding our content offering and build on the success we have had over the years in showcasing marquee soccer leagues to fans in the region.”
A mix of young, dynamic and world-class players – such as Josef Martinez, Gonzalo ‘Pity’ Martinez, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Carlos Vela and Wayne Rooney – have made MLS their “league of choice,” and the influx of attacking players has arguably made MLS one of the most exciting leagues in the world, with more goals per game than any major international league, and more quality goal-scoring chances created per game than any top European league.
MLS continues on a strategic expansion that has transformed the landscape of professional soccer in North America, with six new clubs debuting in the last four seasons, and three more clubs - Inter Miami CF, Nashville SC and Austin FC - joining in the next two seasons. Four top-flight stadiums (Avaya Stadium/San Jose, Calif., Banc of California Stadium/Los Angeles, Audi Field/Washington D.C. and Allianz Field/Minnesota) have been built in the same timeframe.
ESPN’s MLS coverage to Spanish-speaking Latin America and the Caribbean kicks off Saturday, March 2, with exclusive live telecast of Philadelphia Union vs Toronto FC at 1 p.m. ET at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pa. ESPN’s MLS commentator team will feature Richard Mendez and Robert Sierra as play-by-play commentators, alongside legendary MLS stars Hérculez Gómez and Alejandro Moreno providing analysis.
ABOUT MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer features 27 clubs throughout the United States and Canada, including future expansion teams in Nashville, Miami and Austin. The League plans to have 28 clubs in the coming years. For more information about MLS, visit www.MLSsoccer.com.
