For the media rights to the Emirates FA Cup in the United States, ESPN has announced a new agreement with the English Football Association (FA) for the next four seasons, from 2024-25 through 2027-28. This deal extends ESPN+’s exclusive coverage of 79 Emirates FA Cup matches each season, starting with the First Round and continuing to the Final at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Tim Bunnell, Senior Vice President, Programming and Acquisition, at ESPN, said, “We are thrilled to continue our relationship with the FA and to offer fans in the United States the best European cup competitions and domestic leagues in the sport. The Emirates FA Cup is an iconic, historic, and resonant competition, and offering it as part of the robust content offering on ESPN+ continues to make the platform a must-have for soccer fans.”
The FA Community Shield is also included as part of the agreement, which includes the annual season-opening match between the most recent Emirates FA Cup winners and Premier League titleholders, which will stream exclusively on ESPN+.
James Gray, The FA’s Commercial Director, said, “It’s an exciting time for soccer in the US, with the game’s growth evident for all to see, and the FIFA World Cup in North America on the horizon. ESPN have been our valued partner for many years, so we’re really happy that they will continue to share the unique stories of the Emirates FA Cup with their audiences until 2028.”
Since the 2018-19 season, ESPN+ has held exclusive broadcasting rights for the Emirates FA Cup in the US. The agreement renewal was facilitated by IMG, the competition’s media rights partner in the United States.
Hillary Mandel, Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial, Americas for IMG’s media business, said, “The Emirates FA Cup remains a key event on ESPN+ and this deal demonstrates the ongoing appeal for one of soccer’s most prestigious cup competitions, which continues to grow. We’re pleased to extend the successful partnership with ESPN so fans in the US can continue to watch their favorite teams and players.”