ESPN has locked down another set of soccer rights.
Per a Monday release, the company has renewed both the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España on a multi-year deal. The release also notes that the entire Copa del Rey will exclusively air on ESPN+ through 2027 – all of the 65 matches broadcast will be available in English, with over 30 available in Spanish as well.
The Copa del Rey will begin in October, though ESPN’s coverage will likely begin later, as it typically has.
The semifinals and final of the Supercopa will be available in both English and Spanish on ESPN’s linear networks (ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes) and ESPN+. The four-team competition takes place in January, sandwiched in between the third and fourth rounds of England’s FA Cup (which also airs on ESPN).
ESPN is about to start the second season of its eight-year deal with LaLiga, which will earn the league $1.4 billion over the life of the contract. The initial Copa del Rey deal was announced in January of 2020.
Given the LaLiga deal, keeping the Copa del Rey and Supercopa around was a logical move for ESPN. It keeps all of the Spanish football under one roof, creating less confusion for viewers and allowing for fewer gaps in the schedule on cup weeks. The league and cup competitions in France (beIN Sports), Germany (ESPN), and Italy (CBS) all follow the same pattern, while the rights to England’s cup competitions belong to ESPN and the Premier League is an NBC property.
[ESPN]
About Joe Lucia
I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.