ESPN extends deal with U.S. Polo Association, Chris Fowler to host coverage

Giddy up! Polo is on the menu at ESPN.

Yes, that sport. The sport where people ride horses with a giant mallet and try to whack a ball in between goalposts will appear live on ESPN platforms.

ESPN first struck a deal with the U.S. Polo Association (USPA) and Global Polo Entertainment (GPE) in 2022. Since then, the sport has become much more familiar and received even more publicity boost thanks to the Netflix series Polo, which was released in November.

This year, ESPN will air the U.S. Open Polo Championship live on ESPN2 and ESPNEWS. Veteran broadcaster Chris Fowler will be on-site to host coverage of the event.

“I’ve been a fan of the sport of polo for years, and now I’m excited to be part of the genuine polo experience by hosting the U.S. Open Polo Championship in front of what is expected to be the largest crowd to ever watch the pinnacle of the sport in North America,” Fowler said in a release. “I have provided commentary on so many great games and athletes, and now I will be able to speak about an entirely different kind of athlete alongside their equine partners in this thrilling game of speed and precision.”

According to the announcement, the deal will see ESPN broadcast “top North American polo events” on ESPN platforms, including ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN.com, and the ESPN App. In addition, ESPN will distribute several episodes of Breakaway, a made-for-television show produced by GPE, across its platforms.

The 2025 U.S. Open Polo Championships will air on ESPN2 on Saturday, April 26, at 10:30 a.m. ET and ESPNEWS on Sunday, April 27, at 8 p.m. ET.