ESPN has announced their third extension of live soccer rights in the last 24 hours.

Germany’s domestic cup competition, the DFB-Pokal, is the latest to get a new deal, which will run through 2026.

The new contract calls for at least 40 matches each season on ESPN+.

The agreement brings a minimum of 40 DFB-Pokal (German Cup) matches each season exclusively to ESPN+ in English. All matches will stream on ESPN+, with select games each season made available on ESPN networks and ESPN+ in English and Spanish. German Cup rights include the Semifinals and the Final.

[…]

“The multi-year agreement for the German Cup further cements ESPNPlus’s position as the country’s leading soccer platform, and having the top-three domestic soccer cup competitions in one place demonstrates our commitment to serve soccer fans in the U.S,” said Sonia Gomez, ESPN Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions.

Yesterday, ESPN announced an extension for Spain’s Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España, and earlier today, the company announced an extension for the EFL Championship and Carabao Cup. At this rate, we’re gonna get an FA Cup announcement tomorrow.

Much like they do with Spain, ESPN now has German soccer rights locked down for the foreseeable future. The company just started the third year of a six-season deal with the Bundesliga, which ends in 2026 (just like the DFB-Pokal). Compared to Spain’s LaLiga (starting the second season of an eight-year, $1.4 billion agreement), the Bundesliga is quite a deal for ESPN, costing a reported $30 million per season.

[ESPN]

About Joe Lucia

I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.