ESPN Secures Rights to CONCACAF Champions League™ in Latin America

Multi-year deal includes exclusive rights in Mexico

En Español

ESPN and CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) have reached an agreement that will bring expansive coverage of the new CONCACAF Champions League to fans across all of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, it was announced today.  The agreement includes television, online, broadband and radio rights to CONCACAF Champions League™ for the next four seasons starting in 2008/09.

“We are pleased to have reached this agreement with CONCACAF,” said Tim Bunnell, senior vice president, programming and marketing, ESPN International. “I am thrilled that ESPN can play a part in showcasing this exciting new property across its platforms. The scope of this agreement offers us with a tremendous opportunity to serve soccer fans in the region. “

“We are excited to be working with ESPN over the next four years,” CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer.  “We are confident ESPN’s multiple media platforms will help maximize awareness of the CONCACAF Champions League™ throughout Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.”

In Mexico, the deal calls for exclusive rights via all means of television, radio, internet and broadband. Each season, ESPN will air a minimum of 64 CONCACAF Champions League™ matches. ESPN’s CONCACAF coverage will also extend to Central America, South American and the Caribbean, and will commence with matches from the preliminary stage taking place August 26-28th.

The CONCACAF Champions League™ is comprised of 24 teams from the CONCACAF region, and in 2008 will feature the current top four Mexican first division clubs – 2008 Clausura champions Club Santos Laguna and 2nd place CD SC Cruz Azul, plus 2007 Apertura Champions Atlante FC and 2nd place Pumas UNAM, and the top 4 MLS teams from the 2007 season: Houston Dynamo, D.C. United, New England Revolution and Chivas USA. .  Other confirmed clubs include: Belize – Hankook Verdes; Costa Rica – Deportivo Saprissa, LD Alajuelense; El Salvador – CD Luis Angel Firpo, CD Isidro Metapán; Guatemala – CSD Municipal, Deportivo Jalapa; Honduras – CD Olimpia, CD Marathon; Panama – San Francisco FC, Tauro FC; and Caribbean: Harbour View FC of Jamaica, Joe Public FC of Trinidad & Tobago, and Puerto Rico Islanders.

About ESPN International

ESPN International is a division of ESPN, Inc.  ESPN International has grown to include ownership – in whole or in part – of 34 television networks outside of the United States, as well as a variety of brand extension businesses, which allow ESPN to reach fans in 194 countries and territories.  ESPN International business entities include television, radio, print, Internet, broadband, wireless, consumer products, and event management.  ESPN International and its holdings maintain offices or production facilities in key locations around the world including Beijing, Buenos Aires, Delhi, Dublin, Hong Kong, Japan, London, Mexico City, Miami, Mumbai, Paris, São Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Taiwan and Toronto.

About CONCACAF

CONCACAF “The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football” is one of six continental confederations of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) and serves as the governing body of football in this part of the world. It is composed of 40 national associations, from Canada in the north to Guyana, Surinam and French Guyana in the south.

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