In the United States, sports are televised on various broadcast networks, national and specialty sports cable channels, and regional sports networks. U.S. sports rights are estimated to be worth a total of $22.42 billion in 2019, about 44 percent of the total worldwide sports media market. [1] U.S. networks are willing to pay a significant amount of money for television sports contracts because it attracts large amounts of viewership; live sport broadcasts accounted for 44 of the 50 list of most watched television broadcasts in the United States in 2016. [2]
Among these television contracts, NBC holds a $7.75 billion contract, signed in 2014, to air the Olympic Games through the 2032 games, [3] making it a major source of revenue for the International Olympic Committee. [4] The broadcast deals of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), running through 2032 (and including its most significant property, the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament — colloquially known as "March Madness"), were worth $8.8 billion in 2018. [5]
The U.S. is home to four of the top five professional sports leagues by revenue in the world: Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), and National Hockey League (NHL). The NFL has the largest television contracts, and earns over $6 billion annually from its contracts with Fox, CBS, NBC, ESPN and DirecTV for the 2014 through 2022 seasons. [6] MLB earns $1.5 billion annually from its contracts signed in 2012 with ESPN, Fox, and Turner Sports (TBS) for the 2014 through 2021 seasons. [7] In 2014, the NBA signed a nine-year television deal with ABC/ESPN and TNT that generates annual league television revenues of $2.66 billion beginning with the 2016–17 season, [8] while the NHL earns $625 million annually from seven-year contracts signed in 2021 with ESPN and Turner Sports to last until the 2027–28 season. [9] [10]
Since the 1960s, all regular season and playoff games broadcast in the United States have been aired by national television networks. Until the broadcast contract ended in 2013, the terrestrial television networks CBS, NBC, and Fox, as well as cable television's ESPN, paid a combined total of US$20.4 billion to broadcast NFL games. [11] From 2014 to 2022, the same networks paid $39.6 billion for exactly the same broadcast rights. [12] The NFL thus holds broadcast contracts with four companies (Paramount Global, Comcast, Fox Corporation, and ESPN Inc.—which is majority owned by The Walt Disney Company, respectively) that control a combined media cross-ownership in the United States. League-owned NFL Network, on cable television, also broadcasts a selected number of games nationally. In 2017, the NFL games attracted the top three rates for a 30-second advertisement: $699,602 for NBC Sunday Night Football , $550,709 for Thursday Night Football (NBC), and $549,791 for Thursday Night Football (CBS). [13]
For the 2020 NFL season, two extra wild card playoff games are being added to the schedule; CBS and NBC acquired rights to these new games, with both paying roughly $70 million each. [14]
Package | Rightsholder | Extent of coverage | Current contract term |
---|---|---|---|
AFC | CBS |
| 2023–2033 [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] |
NFC | Fox |
| |
Sunday Night Football | NBC |
| |
Monday Night Football | ESPN/ABC |
| |
Thursday Night Football | Prime Video Twitch |
| 2022–2033 [19] |
NFL Network |
|
Rightsholder | Extent of coverage | Current contract term |
---|---|---|
YouTube TV | NFL Sunday Ticket | 2023– [22] |
NFL+ | Streaming of in-market and national games on over-the-top subscription; merger of NFL Game Pass and previous streaming via Yahoo Sports. | 2022–???? [23] |
Westwood One has exclusive national radio rights through an unspecified multi-year period starting in the 2022 season. As of 2022 [update] , Westwood One airs coverage of nationally telecast primetime games, as well as all playoff games and other NFL events. [24] [25]
Compass Media Networks, ESPN Radio, and the Sports USA Radio Network have national radio rights to regular season Sunday afternoon games sublicensed from Dial Global.
Each NFL team has local television stations with rights to preseason games and radio stations with rights to all games.
Sirius XM has exclusive satellite radio rights to home, away, and, if available, national broadcast radio feeds of all games. It also has rights to online streaming of games for its subscribers starting with the 2011 season.
College football coverage is dependent on negotiations between the broadcaster and the college football conference or team. The televised games may change from year-to-year depending on which teams are having a strong season, although some traditional college rivalry games are broadcast each year. Some games are traditionally associated with a specific event or holiday, and viewing the game itself can become a holiday tradition for fans.
Post-season bowl games, including the College Football Playoff, are presently all televised, most of them by the ESPN networks. [26] The television broadcast rights to all six CFP bowls and the National Championship are owned by ESPN through at least the 2025 season. [27] In November 2012, ESPN reached a 12-year deal to broadcast the remaining three bowls, the championship game, as well as shoulder programming such as ranking shows; as a whole, the contract is valued at around $470 million per year, or nearly $5.7 billion for the life of the contract. [28]
Regular-season
Post-season
Radio
Since 2023, CBS Sports Network holds the television rights to 34 games from the CFL. All games are produced by TSN. [33] Games not picked up by CBSSN, including the Grey Cup, air for free on CFL+. [34]
Sirius XM Canada's radio broadcasts of the CFL are available in the United States. [35]
The new incarnation of the XFL divided its broadcast rights between ESPN on ABC/ESPN and Fox Sports under a three-year deal. XFL games were split among ABC, Fox, ESPN, and Fox Sports 1 (with a small number of games scheduled for ESPN2 and Fox Sports 2). ESPN was to air the championship game. The Wall Street Journal reported via inside sources that neither the broadcasters or the league made any upfront payments, but that the XFL sold the in-game sponsorship inventory. The networks covered the production costs, held the digital rights to their telecasts, and the right to sell the conventional commercial inventory during their games. [36] [37]
The league filed for bankruptcy and folded when the first season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, during the bankruptcy process, Fox expressed interest in broadcasting games if new owners could revive the league. [38] The league was sold to a group headed by actor Dwayne Johnson for $15 million. [39]
The new incarnation of the USFL divided its broadcast rights between NBC Sports and Fox Sports, which also owns the league, under a three-year deal. Fox, Fox Sports 1, NBC and USA Network air games as part of the agreement. Peacock previously aired exclusive games but now only airs simulcasts of games on NBC and USA. Fox and NBC air the USFL Championship Game in rotation. [40] It was the first rights fee deal for alternative football league in the 21st century. [41]
National television
On August 28, 2012, it was announced that ESPN and Major League Baseball had agreed on a new eight-year deal that greatly increases the network's studio and game content across all of its platforms. Also it increased ESPN's average yearly payment from about $360 million to approximately $700 million. [42] ESPN also returned to broadcasting postseason baseball beginning in 2014 with one of two wild-card games each season. The network alternates airing the American League and National League wild-card games each year. It also has the rights to all potential regular-season tiebreaker games starting in 2014. [43] [44]
On September 19, 2012, Sports Business Daily reported that Major League Baseball would agree to separate eight-year television deals with Fox Sports and Turner Sports through the 2021 season. [45] [46] [47] [48] Fox would reportedly pay around $4 billion over eight years (close to $500 million per year) while Turner would pay around $2.8 billion over eight years (more than $300 million per year). Under the new deals, Fox and TBS's coverage would essentially be the same as in the 2007–2013 contract with the exception of Fox and TBS splitting coverage of the Division Series, which TBS has broadcast exclusively dating back to 2007. More importantly, Fox would carry some of the games (such as the Saturday afternoon Game of the Week) on its all-sports channel, Fox Sports 1. Sources also said that was possible that Fox would sell some Division Series games to MLB Network, which did end up occurring.
On November 15, 2018, Fox renewed its rights, set to end in 2022, through 2028. The contract maintains Fox's current coverage structure, but with expanded digital rights, and the commitment to air more games on the Fox broadcast network when the new deal takes effect. [49] [50] Fox also committed to airing at least two of its League Championship Series games, as well as any Game 7, on the broadcast network beginning in 2019; it had been criticized for airing only Game 2 of the 2018 National League Championship Series, while placing the rest on Fox Sports 1. [51]
On September 24, 2020, TBS also renewed its rights from 2022 through 2028, under which it will replace its late-season Sunday afternoon games with a season-long package of primetime games on Tuesday nights, and maintain its existing arrangements for playoff coverage. The contract also adds expanded digital rights for Bleacher Report and "additional WarnerMedia platforms". [52] [53] [54] ESPN would in turn renew its rights to MLB on May 13, 2021, for the 2022 to 2028 seasons; the deal ends ESPN's coverage of weeknight games, but retains its exclusive Sunday night window and playoff telecasts. [55] On March 8, 2022, Apple Inc. signed a seven-year deal with MLB for the broadcast for US$85 million per year, a total value of $595 million. This includes an annual $55 million rights fee as well as $30 million for Apple advertising. Apple has the right to exit the agreement after the first or second year. [56] On April 9, 2022, NBC Sports announced an agreement with MLB for a package of new Sunday afternoon games starting from 2022 season; those matches are broadcast exclusively on Peacock.
Local television
National radio
Local radio
ESPN Deportes has Spanish-language TV and radio rights to the Caribbean Series.
Post-season ESPN currently broadcasts the College World Series on its family of networks.
Regular-season Nationally televised regular-season games are contracted through each conference and appear on BeIN Sports, CBS Sports Network, ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU, FS1, Fox Sports regional networks, Fox College Sports, including several school- and conference-specific networks (Big Ten Network, SEC Network, BYU TV, Pac-12 Network, and Longhorn Network).
ESPN has rights to broadcast the entire Little League World Series, as well as the finals of the eight regional tournaments that determine the U.S. representatives in that competition. It distributes coverage among its family of networks and ABC; the final is aired on ABC.
Minor League Baseball has a contract with Stadium to air two games each week. [61]
This section needs additional citations for verification .(August 2019) |
On October 6, 2014, NBA announced a nine-year $24 billion ($2.7 billion/year) extension with ESPN, ABC and Turner Sports beginning with the 2016–17 NBA season and running through the 2024–25 season [63] – the second most expensive media rights in the world after NFL and on a par with English football on television in annual rights fee from 2016–17 Premier League to 2018–19 season. [64]
Additionally, local or regional broadcasters contract with the NBA team in their area for the right to broadcast a number of regular-season games locally. These broadcasters can be traditional over-the-air television stations as well as regional cable sports channels. WGN-TV, then a Chicago-based superstation, broadcast a limited number of Chicago Bulls regular season games on WGN America until 2014, fewer than they provided locally. If ESPN chooses to opt out of airing all of the games on their night, NBA TV airs a game in its place. Games in the first round of the playoffs can be aired by regional broadcasters, unless the national broadcaster has exclusive rights. Games in the first round not selected by national broadcasters are usually broadcast by NBA TV.
NBA teams also contract with local radio broadcasters to air their games. Teams may also have affiliates air their games.
In 2013, the WNBA and ESPN signed a six-year extension on the broadcast deal to cover 2017–2022. In the new deal, a total of 30 games would be shown each season on ESPN networks. Each team would receive around $1 million per year. [65]
On April 22, 2019, CBS Sports Network reached a multi-year deal to televise 40 regular-season weekend and primetime WNBA games, beginning in the 2019 WNBA season. [66] [67]
Postseason
Regular season Nationally televised regular-season games are contracted through each conference and air as follows:
More than 300 hours of live curling, broadcast by TSN in Canada, will be live-streamed on ESPN3, including:
Event | Rightsholder | Extent of coverage | Current contract term/notes |
---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | CBS (free-to-air) | Weekend round coverage | 1956–present. Augusta National Golf Club does not use long-term contracts, but has consistently chosen CBS as its broadcast partner annually. [75] [76] |
ESPN (subscription) | Early-round coverage | ESPN replaced USA Network in 2008, who first added first- and second-round coverage on cable in 1982. [77] | |
PGA Championship | CBS (free-to-air) | Weekend round coverage | 2020–2030, aired since 1991. [78] |
ESPN (subscription) | Early-round coverage weekend morning coverage | 2020–2030. ESPN succeeded TNT as cable rightsholder. [78] | |
ESPN+ (subscription streaming) | Supplemental coverage during television windows | 2020–2030 [78] | |
U.S. Open | NBC (free-to-air) | Late-afternoon/Primetime early rounds coverage Weekend round coverage | 2020–2026; contract includes all USGA national championships. |
Peacock (streaming) | Supplemental coverage | ||
USA Network (subscription) | Early-round coverage | ||
The Open Championship | NBC (free-to-air) | Weekend round coverage | 2016–2028 (first year sub-licensed from former rightsholder ESPN) [79] [80] |
USA Network (subscription) | Early-round coverage | 2022–2028 [79] |
Event | Rightsholder | Extent of coverage | Current contract term/notes |
---|---|---|---|
ANA Inspiration | Golf Channel (subscription) | Full coverage | Part of LPGA broadcast rights. |
Women's PGA Championship | NBC (free-to-air) | Weekend round coverage | [81] |
Golf Channel (subscription) | Early-round coverage | ||
U.S. Women's Open | NBC (free-to-air) | Late-afternoon/primetime coverage of early rounds, weekend round coverage | 2020–2026; contract includes all United States Golf Association national championships. |
USA Network (subscription) | Early-round coverage | ||
The Evian Championship | Golf Channel (subscription) | Full coverage | Part of LPGA broadcast rights. |
Women's British Open | NBC (free-to-air) | Weekend round coverage | 2016–2028 (part of Open Championship broadcast rights) [79] [80] [82] |
USA Network (subscription) | Early-round coverage |
Tour | Rightsholder | Extent of coverage | Current contract term/notes |
---|---|---|---|
PGA Tour | CBS (free-to-air) |
| 2011–2030 [83] [84] [85] [86] [87] |
NBC (free-to-air) |
| ||
Golf Channel (subscription) |
| ||
ESPN+ (streaming) |
| 2022–2030 [88] | |
LPGA | Golf Channel (subscription) |
| 2022-2030 [89] |
LIV Golf | The CW (free-to-air) | Saturday and Sunday round coverage | Beginning in 2023 [90] |
The CW App (streaming) | Friday, Saturday and Sunday round coverage | ||
As of the 2021–22 NHL season, the national media rights of the National Hockey League (NHL) are divided between ESPN and TNT Sports under seven-year contracts; [91] [92] [93]
Rightsholder | Extent of coverage |
---|---|
ABC |
|
ESPN, ESPN2 | |
ESPN+ | |
TNT, TBS |
|
Max | Option for over-the-top streaming rights to all of TNT Sports' NHL telecasts. [97] |
Local or regional broadcasters contract with the NHL team in their area for the right to broadcast several regular-season games locally.
Radio
Sports USA Radio airs selected regular season and postseason games, including the entire Stanley Cup Finals. [98] NHL teams also contract with local radio broadcasters to air game; games are also simulcast from local radio feeds on the Sirius XM satellite radio platform.
The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF; formerly the National Women's Hockey League) has primarily partnered with streaming outlets, which have in the past included ESPN3, [99] Cheddar, [100] and Twitter. [101] In 2019, the league signed with Twitch to stream games and ancillary content, in its first contract to ever include a rights fee. [102]
NBCSN was to televise the league's 2021 semi-final and finals in the NWHL's first linear rights deal.
The NWHL had also reached an agreement with NBCSN to carry the 2021 Isobel Cup semi-finals and finals, which would marked the first NWHL games to be broadcast nationally on a linear television channel. [103]
For 2021–22 season, The PHF, will stream 60 regular season games, special events and its Isobel Cup Playoffs exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S.
Regular season games air locally, often via regional sports networks (such as Bally Sports) and networks contracted with conferences, these conferences include:
NBC holds the rights to two of three races in the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby through 2025, [105] and the Preakness Stakes through 2022, [106] USA Network, CNBC or Peacock provides supplementary coverage, including previews and associated undercard races on Fridays preceding the Saturday races (including the Kentucky Oaks and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes). NBC also carries coverage of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series, including the Florida Derby, Santa Anita Derby and Blue Grass Stakes races. NBC and CNBC also carry the Breeders' Cup since 2022, with CNBC carrying most of the coverage, and the Breeders' Cup Classic airing on the main network. [107]
Fox Sports has the rights to the Belmont Stakes through 2030. Fox and FS1 both air the Belmont, with FS1 providing extra upplementary coverage. [108] Fox Sports also has an agreement with the NYRA for year-round coverage of NYRA races from Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park. [109]
FanDuel TV and FanDuel Racing also air live horse racing. [110]
Varsity lacrosse
Club Lacrosse
Fox Sports and NBC Sports have contracts for all NASCAR events through at least 2024. On October 15, 2012, NASCAR and the Fox Sports Media Group (FSMG) announced a new $2.4 billion eight-year deal, a 30% increase from their previous deal. [112] On July 23, 2013, NASCAR and the NBC Sports Group announced a new $4.4 billion ten-year deal. [113] [114] [115] Ten days later on August 1, 2013, NASCAR and Fox extended and expanded their agreement, paying an additional $1.4 billion to do so, to complete NASCAR's new TV package through the 2024 season. [116] [117]
ESPN aired Formula One from 1984 to 1997. Speed and Fox Sports Net shared broadcasting rights from 1998 to 2000. Speedvision and its successor Speed Channel continued to broadcast the championship until 2012. Fox aired select races from 2007 to 2012. NBC Sports had English-language TV broadcasting rights from 2013 through 2017. Races were televised by NBC, NBCSN or CNBC and streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra. [119] [120]
ESPN became the new broadcaster in 2018. The network unveiled plans to show over 100 hours of F1 programming during their first season returning to the sport. This included plans to show every practice and qualifying session in some capacity. Race broadcasts would be spread across ESPN and ESPN2 with plans to show live coverage of Canada GP, the American and Mexican Grand Prix live on ABC while also showing the Monaco Grand Prix on tape-delay. [121] March 1 of that year they announced the launch of their own Over-the-top media service service called F1 TV Pro what show races live and on-demand. [122]
ESPN Deportes has the current Spanish-language rights.
Includes the AMA Supercross Championship and AMA Motocross Championship.
FS1 and FS2 broadcast select games. All games are available free of charge on The Rugby Network
The Championship Final is broadcast on Fox.
Local television
NBC has rights to all World Rugby international events through 2023, including: [129]
NBC also has the rights to the Six Nations Championship.
Event | Rightsholder | Broadcast Details |
---|---|---|
FIFA World Cup finals | Fox Sports | English-language rights through 2026 |
Telemundo Deportes | Spanish-language rights through 2026 | |
FIFA World Cup qualification | TBA | English-language rights; CONCACAF qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup |
TBA | Spanish-language rights; CONCACAF qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup | |
Fox Sports, FuboTV | English-language rights; UEFA European qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup [131] | |
Univision | Spanish-language rights; UEFA European qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup [132] | |
Telemundo, ViX | Spanish-language rights; CONMEBOL qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Home matches from Argentina and Brazil) [133] | |
FIFA+ | English and Spanish-language rights; CONMEBOL qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Home matches from Bolivia) | |
Fanatiz | English and Spanish-language rights; CONMEBOL qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Home matches from Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela) [134] | |
YouTube | Select AFC second round qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup | |
FIFA+ | English-language rights; CAF qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup [135] | |
Eleven Sports | English-language rights; OFC qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup | |
Fox Sports | English-language rights; Inter-confederation play-off matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup | |
FIFA Club World Cup | Fox Sports | English-language rights |
Fox Deportes | Spanish-language rights [136] | |
FIFA Women's World Cup finals (History) | Fox Sports | English-language rights through 2023 |
Telemundo Deportes | Spanish-language rights through 2023 | |
FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | CBS Sports | English-language rights; UEFA qualification matches |
CBS Sports | English-language rights; CONCACAF qualification matches | |
Univision | Spanish-language rights; CONCACAF qualification matches | |
Fox Sports | English-language rights; CONMEBOL qualification matches | |
Univision | Spanish-language rights; CONMEBOL qualification matches | |
CBS Sports | English-language rights; AFC qualification matches | |
YouTube | English-language rights; CAF qualification matches | |
Eleven Sports | English-language rights; OFC qualification matches | |
FIFA+ | English-language rights; Inter-confederation play-off matches | |
UEFA European Championship (History) | Fox Sports, FuboTV | English-language rights through Euro 2028, includes qualifiers and finals |
Univision | Spanish-language rights through Euro 2028, includes qualifiers and finals [132] | |
UEFA Nations League | Fox Sports, FuboTV | English-language rights through 2028 |
Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2028 [132] | |
UEFA Champions League (History) | CBS Sports | English-language rights through 2030, including select qualification matches |
Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2024; 97 matches on TV | |
UEFA Europa League | CBS Sports | English-language rights through 2030, including select qualification matches |
Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2024; 70 live matches on TV | |
UEFA Europa Conference League | CBS Sports | English-language rights through 2030, including select qualification matches |
Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2024 | |
UEFA Super Cup | CBS Sports | English-language rights through 2023 |
Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2023 | |
UEFA Women's Champions League | DAZN | English-language rights through 2025 |
YouTube | English-language rights through 2023; 61 live matches for free of charge via DAZN UEFA Women's Champions League channel. | |
CONMEBOL Copa América (History) | Fox Sports | English-language rights through 2024 |
Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2021 | |
Copa Libertadores | beIN Sports | English and Spanish-language rights through 2026 |
Copa Sudamericana | ||
Recopa Sudamericana | ||
Copa Libertadores Femenina | ||
CONCACAF Gold Cup | Fox Sports | English-language rights through 2023 |
Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2025 [137] | |
CONCACAF Nations League | CBS Sports (CBS, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+) | English-language rights (except for USMNT matches outside final four) |
TNT Sports (TNT, TBS, Max) | English-language rights (USMNT matches, except final four) | |
TelevisaUnivision (Univision, TUDN, Vix) | Spanish-language rights (except for USMNT matches outside final four) | |
Telemundo Deportes (Telemundo, Universo, TeleXitos, Peacock) | Spanish-language rights (USMNT matches, except final four) | |
CONCACAF Champions Cup | Fox Sports | English-language rights |
Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2025 | |
AFC Asian Cup | CBS Sports | English-language rights through 2024 |
AFC Champions League | ||
AFC Cup | ||
AFC Women's Club Championship | YouTube | English-language rights |
Africa Cup of Nations | beIN Sports | English and Spanish-language rights, includes qualifiers and finals |
CAF Champions League | ||
CAF Confederation Cup | ||
CAF Super Cup | ||
CAF Women's Champions League | ||
OFC Nations Cup | Eleven Sports | English-language rights |
OFC Champions League | Eleven Sports | English-language rights |
Event | Country | Broadcaster | Broadcast Details |
---|---|---|---|
Major League Soccer (History) | Apple TV+, MLS Season Pass | Until 2032: all Regular Season matches, MLS All-Star Game, all MLS Cup playoff matches and MLS Cup. | |
Fox Sports | Until 2026: 34 regular season matches (15 on Fox), 8 MLS cup playoff matches, and MLS Cup. | ||
U.S. Open Cup | TNT Sports | English language rights until 2030; select games on Bleacher Report YouTube; other games sub-licensed to CBS Sports with matches on CBS Sports Golazo Network, CBS Sports Network, and Paramount+. Games not picked up by Warner Bros. are distributed by teams involved. [143] [144] [145] | |
Telemundo, Peacock | Spanish-language rights [144] | ||
USL Championship | ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+ | ||
USL League One | ESPN+ | ||
National Independent Soccer Association | Eleven Sports | ||
beIN Sports | |||
MLS Next Pro | MLSNextPro.com | ||
Apple TV+ | Select matches from 2023 to 2032 | ||
USL League Two | Eleven Sports | ||
National Premier Soccer League | Eleven Sports | ||
United Premier Soccer League | Eleven Sports | ||
National Women's Soccer League (History) | CBS Sports / Paramount+ | English-language rights on CBS, CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports Golazo Network, and Paramount+ through 2023. [146] | |
Women's Open | Eleven Sports | ||
USL Super League | Eleven Sports | ||
Women's Independent Soccer League | Eleven Sports | ||
USL W League | Eleven Sports | ||
Women's Premier Soccer League | Eleven Sports | ||
United Women's Soccer | Eleven Sports | ||
College Cup | ESPNU | ||
Women's College Cup | ESPNU | ||
MLS Next | Eleven Sports | ||
Apple TV+ | Select matches from 2023 to 2032 | ||
MLS Next Cup | YouTube | ||
USL Academy | Eleven Sports | ||
Major Arena Soccer League | Twitch | English-language rights [147] | |
Major League Futsal | English-language rights | ||
Canadian Premier League | OneSoccer | English-language rights, all matches | |
Fox Sports | English-language rights, select matches only | ||
Canadian Championship | OneSoccer | English-language rights | |
Fox Sports | English-language rights | ||
League1 Canada | OneSoccer | English-language rights [148] | |
Project 8 Women's League | TBA | English-language rights | |
Liga MX | Fox Sports | Rights to home matches from Juarez, Monterrey, Santos Laguna and Tijuana. | |
ESPN Deportes, Fox Deportes | Spanish-language rights to home matches from Monterrey, Santos Laguana and Tijuana. | ||
TUDN, Univision, ViX, TUDNxtra | Rights to home matches from America, Atlas, Atletico San Luis, Leon, Mazatlan, Necaxa, Pachuca, Puebla, Querétaro, Toluca, UANL, and UNAM | ||
Telemundo, Universo, Peacock | Rights to home matches from Guadalajara | ||
Copa MX | Fox Sports | English-language | |
ESPN Deportes, Fox Deportes, Univision | Spanish-language | ||
Campeón de Campeones | Univision | Spanish-language | |
Supercopa MX | Univision | Spanish-language | |
Leagues Cup | MLS Season Pass | English-language rights from 2023 to 2032 [149] | |
Fox Sports | English-language rights from 2023 to 2026: ten group stage matches, four round of 32 matches and two round of 16 matches. | ||
Univision | Spanish-language rights from 2023 to 2026: twelve group stage matches, eight knockout round matches, Leagues Cup Final. [150] | ||
Campeones Cup | MLS Season Pass | English-language rights from 2023 to 2032 | |
Univision | Spanish-language | ||
Europe's Big Five | |||
Event | Country | Broadcaster | Broadcast Details |
Premier League (History) | NBC Sports, Peacock | English-language rights until 2028 | |
Telemundo Deportes | Spanish-language rights until 2028 | ||
English Football League | ESPN+ | English and Spanish-language rights, select matches only | |
FA Cup | English and Spanish-language rights until 2024 | ||
FA Community Shield | English and Spanish-language rights | ||
EFL Cup | English and Spanish-language rights | ||
EFL Trophy | English and Spanish-language rights, final only | ||
FA Women's Super League | CBS Sports/Paramount+, FA Player | English-language rights | |
Women's FA Cup | ESPN+ | English and Spanish-language rights | |
Women's FA Community Shield | English and Spanish-language rights | ||
FA Youth Cup | English and Spanish-language rights | ||
La Liga | ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+ | English-language rights until 2029 | |
ESPN Deportes | Spanish-language rights until 2029 | ||
Segunda División | ESPN+ | English and Spanish-language rights until 2029 | |
Copa del Rey | ESPN+ | English and Spanish-language rights until 2027 [151] | |
Supercopa de España | ABC, ESPN2 | English-language rights until 2027 | |
ESPN Deportes | Spanish-language rights until 2027 | ||
Liga F | DAZN | English-language rights | |
Bundesliga | ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+ | English and Spanish-language rights until 2026 | |
2. Bundesliga | |||
DFB-Pokal | |||
DFL-Supercup | |||
Frauen-Bundesliga | DAZN | English-language rights | |
Serie A | CBS Sports/Paramount+ | English and Spanish-language rights until 2024 | |
Serie B | HelbizLive, Fox Soccer Plus | English language rights [152] | |
Coppa Italia | CBS Sports/Paramount+ | English and Spanish-language rights until 2024 | |
Supercoppa Italiana | |||
Serie A Femminile | DAZN | English-language rights [153] | |
Ligue 1 | beIN Sports | English and Spanish-language rights until 2024 | |
Ligue 2 | |||
Trophée des Champions | |||
Coupe de France | Fox Sports | English and Spanish-language rights until 2026 [154] | |
Division 1 Féminine | DAZN | English language rights |
Other national competitions
NBC Sports has rights to the following events with coverage varying on NBC and USA Network
NBCUniversal holds rights to the following: [164] [165]
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Major League Baseball (MLB) has been broadcast on American television since the 1950s, with initial broadcasts on the experimental station W2XBS, the predecessor of the modern WNBC in New York. The World Series was televised on a networked basis since 1947, with regular season games broadcast nationally since 1953. Over the forthcoming years, MLB games became major attractions for American television networks, and each of the Big Three networks would air packages of baseball games at various times until the year 2000. Fox would rise to major network status, partially on its acquisition of MLB rights in 1996; Fox has been MLB's primary broadcast television partner ever since.
NBC Sports is an American programming division of the broadcast network NBC, owned and operated by the NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast. The division is responsible for sports broadcasts on the network, and its dedicated national sports cable channels. Formerly operating as "a service of NBC News", it broadcasts a diverse array of sports events, including Major League Baseball, the French Open, the Premier League, the IndyCar Series, NASCAR, the National Football League (NFL), Notre Dame Fighting Irish college football, the Olympic Games, professional golf, the Tour de France and Thoroughbred racing, among others. Other programming from outside producers – such as coverage of the Ironman Triathlon – is also presented on the network through NBC Sports. With Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011, its own cable sports networks were aligned with NBC Sports into a part of the division known as the NBC Sports Group.
Fox Sports, also referred to as Fox Sports Media Group and stylized in all caps, is the sports programming division of the Fox Corporation that is responsible for sports broadcasts carried by the Fox broadcast network, Fox Sports 1 (FS1), Fox Sports 2 (FS2), and the Fox Sports Radio network.
Major League Baseball on NBC is the de facto branding for weekly broadcasts of Major League Baseball (MLB) games that are produced by NBC Sports, and televised on the NBC television network; and, as of 2022, as well as on its co-owned streaming service, Peacock. Major League Baseball games first aired on the network from 1947 to 1989, including The NBC Game of the Week, when CBS acquired the broadcast television rights.
Anti-siphoning laws and regulations are designed to prevent pay television broadcasters from buying monopoly rights to televise important and culturally significant events before free-to-air television has a chance to bid on them. The theory is that if such a monopoly was allowed, then those unable or unwilling to obtain access to the pay television service would be unable to view the important and culturally significant events. Generally the laws allow pay-TV to bid for such monopoly rights only if free-to-air television has declined to bid on them.
The Major League Baseball Game of the Week (GOTW) is the de facto title for nationally televised coverage of regular season Major League Baseball games. The Game of the Week has traditionally aired on Saturday afternoons. When the national networks began televising national games of the week, it opened the door for a national audience to see particular clubs. While most teams were broadcast, emphasis was always on the league leaders and the major market franchises that could draw the largest audience.
College football on television includes the broad- and cablecasting of college football games, as well as pre- and post-game reports, analysis, and human-interest stories. Within the United States, the college version of American football annually garners high television ratings.
The television and radio rights to broadcast NASCAR are among the most expensive broadcast rights of any American sport, with the current television contract with Fox Sports and NBC Sports being worth around US$8 billion.
ESPN College Football is the branding used for broadcasts of NCAA Division I FBS college football across ESPN properties, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN+, ABC, ESPN Classic, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes, ESPNews and ESPN Radio. ESPN College Football debuted in 1982.
TNT Sports is the division of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) that is responsible for sports broadcasts on its parent company's streaming service Max and on their various cable channels in the United States, including TBS, TNT, and TruTV. It also operates the online digital media outlets for the NCAA, NBA, PGA Tour, and PGA of America. TNT Sports also operates the sports news website Bleacher Report, as well as NBA TV on behalf of the NBA. It also owns a minority share in the MLB Network.
Sports broadcasting contracts in Canada include:
The National Hockey League has never fared as well on American television in comparison to the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, or the National Football League, although that has begun to change, with NBC's broadcasts of the final games of the 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2013 Stanley Cup Finals scoring some of the best ratings ever enjoyed by the sport on American television.
Major League Soccer has been broadcast live in the United States nationally since the league's inception in 1996 and in Canada since 2007. As of the 2023 season, Apple Inc. is the primary global rights holder and streams every regular season and playoff match on MLS Season Pass – a new service on the Apple TV app. Some matches will also be broadcast on television via Fox Sports in the United States, and Bell Media in Canada.
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News", it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others. Assets currently include among others Golf Channel and NBC Sports Regional Networks.
The National Hockey League (NHL) is shown on national television in the United States and Canada. With 25 teams in the U.S. and 7 in Canada, the NHL is the only one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada that maintains separate national broadcasters in each country, each producing separate telecasts of a slate of regular season games, playoff games, and the Stanley Cup Finals.
ESPN+ is an American over-the-top subscription video streaming service available in the United States, owned by the ESPN division of the Walt Disney Company, in partnership with ESPN Inc., which is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the Hearst Communications. It is one of Disney's three flagship subscription streaming brands in the United States, alongside Disney+ and Hulu, and operates using technology of Disney subsidiary BAMTech, now known as Disney Streaming and MT Digital.
Jim Foster, a promotions manager with the National Football League (NFL), conceived the idea of indoor football while watching an indoor association football match at Madison Square Garden in 1981. While at the game, he wrote his idea on a 9x12 envelope from his briefcase with sketches of the field and notes on gameplay. He presented the idea to a few friends at the NFL offices, where he received praise and encouragement for his concept. After solidifying the rules and business plan, supplemented with sketches by a professional artist, Foster presented his idea to various television networks; he reached an agreement with NBC for a "test game".
Major League Soccer has been broadcast live in the U.S. nationally since the league's inception in 1996 and in Canada since 2007. In the United States the game is broadcast in English on Fox Sports 1 and Fox, in Spanish on Fox Deportes. In Canada, MLS is broadcast on TSN in English and RDS in French.
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league owned by the teams, and under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federation. At the top of the United States league system, it represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The NWSL was established in 2012 as a successor to Women's Professional Soccer (2007–2012), which was itself the successor to Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003). The league began play in 2013 with eight teams, four of which were former members of Women's Professional Soccer.
When the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, all major professional and collegiate organizations responded by suspending operations indefinitely. This effect was passed down to the world of sports broadcasting, which includes live coverage of thousands of events on an annual basis through stations and network available over the air, through cable, satellite, and IPTV companies, and via streaming and over-the-top services.