In the United States, sports are televised on various broadcast networks, national and specialty sports cable channels, and regional sports networks. U.S. sports rights are estimated to be worth a total of $22.42 billion in 2019, about 44 percent of the total worldwide sports media market.[1] U.S. networks are willing to pay a significant amount of money for television sports contracts because it attracts large amounts of viewership; live sport broadcasts accounted for 44 of the 50 list of most watched television broadcasts in the United States in 2016.[2]
Among these television contracts, NBC holds a $7.75 billion contract, signed in 2014, to air the Olympic Games through the 2032 games,[3] making it a major source of revenue for the International Olympic Committee.[4] The broadcast deals of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), running through 2032 (and including its most significant property, the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament — colloquially known as "March Madness"), were worth $8.8 billion in 2018.[5]
The U.S. is home to four of the top five professional sports leagues by revenue in the world: Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), and National Hockey League (NHL). The NFL has the largest television contracts, and earns over $6 billion annually from its contracts with Fox, CBS, NBC, ESPN and DirecTV for the 2014 through 2022 seasons.[6] MLB earns $1.5 billion annually from its contracts signed in 2012 with ESPN, Fox, and Turner Sports (TBS) for the 2014 through 2021 seasons.[7] In 2014, the NBA signed a nine-year television deal with ABC/ESPN and TNT that generates annual league television revenues of $2.66 billion beginning with the 2016–17 season,[8] while the NHL earns $625 million annually from seven-year contracts signed in 2021 with ESPN and Turner Sports to last until the 2027–28 season.[9] [10]
See main article: NFL on American television. Since the 1960s, all regular season and playoff games broadcast in the United States have been aired by national television networks. Until the broadcast contract ended in 2013, the terrestrial television networks CBS, NBC, and Fox, as well as cable television's ESPN, paid a combined total of US$20.4 billion[11] to broadcast NFL games. From 2014 to 2022, the same networks paid $39.6 billion for exactly the same broadcast rights.[12] The NFL thus holds broadcast contracts with four companies (Paramount Global, Comcast, Fox Corporation, and ESPN Inc.—which is majority owned by The Walt Disney Company, respectively) that control a combined media cross-ownership in the United States. League-owned NFL Network, on cable television, also broadcasts a selected number of games nationally. In 2017, the NFL games attracted the top three rates for a 30-second advertisement: $699,602 for NBC Sunday Night Football, $550,709 for Thursday Night Football (NBC), and $549,791 for Thursday Night Football (CBS).[13]
For the 2020 NFL season, two extra wild card playoff games are being added to the schedule; CBS and NBC acquired rights to these new games, with both paying roughly $70 million each.[14]
| Package | Rightsholder | Extent of coverage | Current contract term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | 2023–2033[15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] | |||
| Sunday Night Football | ||||
| Monday Night Football | ||||
| Thursday Night Football | 2022–2033[21] | |||
| Christmas Day Game | 2024–2026 | |||
| Rightsholder | Extent of coverage | Current contract term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–[22] | |||
| NFL+ | Streaming of in-market and national games on over-the-top subscription; merger of NFL Game Pass and previous streaming via Yahoo Sports. | 2022–????[23] |
Westwood One has exclusive national radio rights through an unspecified multi-year period starting in the 2022 season., Westwood One airs coverage of nationally telecast primetime games, as well as all playoff games and other NFL events.[24] [25]
Compass Media Networks, ESPN Radio, and the Sports USA Radio Network have national radio rights to regular season Sunday afternoon games sublicensed from Dial Global.
Each NFL team has local television stations with rights to preseason games and radio stations with rights to all games.
See also: List of current NFL broadcasters. Sirius XM has exclusive satellite radio rights to home, away, and, if available, national broadcast radio feeds of all games. It also has rights to online streaming of games for its subscribers starting with the 2011 season.
See main article: College football on television.
College football coverage is dependent on negotiations between the broadcaster and the college football conference or team. The televised games may change from year-to-year depending on which teams are having a strong season, although some traditional college rivalry games are broadcast each year. Some games are traditionally associated with a specific event or holiday, and viewing the game itself can become a holiday tradition for fans.
Post-season bowl games, including the College Football Playoff, are presently all televised, most of them by the ESPN networks.[26] The television broadcast rights to all six CFP bowls and the National Championship are owned by ESPN through at least the 2025 season.[27] In November 2012, ESPN reached a 12-year deal to broadcast the remaining three bowls, the championship game, as well as shoulder programming such as ranking shows; as a whole, the contract is valued at around $470 million per year, or nearly $5.7 billion for the life of the contract.[28]
Regular-season
ABC, ESPN networks, ACC Network, The CW
ABC
ABC, ESPN networks, ESPN+, NFL Network
ABC
Fox Sports, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, Peacock, Big Ten Network
Fox (odd years), CBS (2024 and 2028), and NBC (2026)
ABC, ESPN networks, Big 12 Now on ESPN+, Fox Sports
ABC
CBS Sports Network, ESPN Networks[29] [30]
CBS Sports Network
Fox Sports, CBS, CBS Sports Network, truTV, Hawaii Spectrum PPV/Team One Sports, Mountain West Network
Fox
The CW (most home games), Fox (two home games, one each from both Oregon State and Washington State)
ABC, ESPN networks, SEC Network, ESPN+
ABC
ESPN networks, NFL Network
ESPN
ESPN networks, NFL Network
ESPN
ESPN Networks
ESPN Networks, HBCU Go
Post-season
Sun Bowl (1968–present)
Holiday Bowl (2017, 2022–present)
Two College Football Playoff first round games (2024–present; sublicensed from ESPN); two first round games and two quarterfinal games (2026–present; sublicensed from ESPN)
Arizona Bowl (2022–present)
ESPN networks (television), WestwoodOne (radio)
Radio
Army Black Knights football and Navy Midshipmen football (national rights)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football (national rights), regional rights to numerous other teams as well as Big East and Southeastern Conference games of the week
regional rights to University of Kentucky sports, including Kentucky Wildcats football, from 2015 to 2030[32]
Since 2023, CBS Sports Network holds the television rights to 34 games from the CFL. All games are produced by TSN.[33] Games not picked up by CBSSN, including the Grey Cup, air for free on CFL+.[34]
Sirius XM Canada's radio broadcasts of the CFL are available in the United States.[35]
The new incarnation of the XFL divided its broadcast rights between ESPN on ABC/ESPN and Fox Sports under a three-year deal. XFL games were split among ABC, Fox, ESPN, and Fox Sports 1 (with a small number of games scheduled for ESPN2 and Fox Sports 2). ESPN was to air the championship game. The Wall Street Journal reported via inside sources that neither the broadcasters or the league made any upfront payments, but that the XFL sold the in-game sponsorship inventory. The networks covered the production costs, held the digital rights to their telecasts, and the right to sell the conventional commercial inventory during their games.[36] [37]
The league filed for bankruptcy and folded when the first season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, during the bankruptcy process, Fox expressed interest in broadcasting games if new owners could revive the league.[38] The league was sold to a group headed by actor Dwayne Johnson for $15 million.[39]
The new incarnation of the USFL divided its broadcast rights between NBC Sports and Fox Sports, which also owns the league, under a three-year deal. Fox, Fox Sports 1, NBC and USA Network air games as part of the agreement. Peacock previously aired exclusive games but now only airs simulcasts of games on NBC and USA. Fox and NBC air the USFL championship game in rotation.[40] It was the first rights fee deal for alternative football league in the 21st century.[41]
National television
See main article: Major League Baseball on television.
On August 28, 2012, it was announced that ESPN and Major League Baseball had agreed on a new eight-year deal that greatly increases the network's studio and game content across all of its platforms. Also it increased ESPN's average yearly payment from about $360 million to approximately $700 million.[42] ESPN also returned to broadcasting postseason baseball beginning in 2014 with one of two wild-card games each season. The network alternates airing the American League and National League wild-card games each year. It also has the rights to all potential regular-season tiebreaker games starting in 2014.[43] [44]
On September 19, 2012, Sports Business Daily[45] [46] reported that Major League Baseball would agree to separate eight-year television deals[47] with Fox Sports and Turner Sports[48] through the 2021 season. Fox would reportedly pay around $4 billion over eight years (close to $500 million per year) while Turner would pay around $2.8 billion over eight years (more than $300 million per year). Under the new deals, Fox and TBS's coverage would essentially be the same as in the 2007–2013 contract with the exception of Fox and TBS splitting coverage of the Division Series, which TBS has broadcast exclusively dating back to 2007. More importantly, Fox would carry some of the games (such as the Saturday afternoon Game of the Week) on its all-sports channel, Fox Sports 1. Sources also said that was possible that Fox would sell some Division Series games to MLB Network, which did end up occurring.
On November 15, 2018, Fox renewed its rights, set to end in 2022, through 2028. The contract maintains Fox's current coverage structure, but with expanded digital rights, and the commitment to air more games on the Fox broadcast network when the new deal takes effect.[49] [50] Fox also committed to airing at least two of its League Championship Series games, as well as any Game 7, on the broadcast network beginning in 2019; it had been criticized for airing only Game 2 of the 2018 National League Championship Series, while placing the rest on Fox Sports 1.[51]
On September 24, 2020, TBS also renewed its rights from 2022 through 2028, under which it will replace its late-season Sunday afternoon games with a season-long package of primetime games on Tuesday nights, and maintain its existing arrangements for playoff coverage. The contract also adds expanded digital rights for Bleacher Report and "additional WarnerMedia platforms".[52] [53] [54] ESPN would in turn renew its rights to MLB on May 13, 2021, for the 2022 to 2028 seasons; the deal ends ESPN's coverage of weeknight games, but retains its exclusive Sunday night window and playoff telecasts.[55] On March 8, 2022, Apple Inc. signed a seven-year deal with MLB for the broadcast for US$85 million per year, a total value of $595 million. This includes an annual $55 million rights fee as well as $30 million for Apple advertising. Apple has the right to exit the agreement after the first or second year.[56] On April 9, 2022, NBC Sports announced an agreement with MLB for a package of new Sunday afternoon games starting from 2022 season; those matches are broadcast exclusively on Peacock.
30 regular-season games annually. This include Sunday Night Baseball, the Little League Classic and the national Opening Night telecast. In addition, will continue to carry the Home Run Derby and can televise up to 10 Spring Training games. ESPN will have the rights to exclusively broadcast all MLB Wild Card Series starting in 2022. ESPN+ will continue to televise select MLB games, subject to blackout restrictions, nearly every day of the regular season.[55] [59]
Airs 26 non-exclusive MLB Network Showcase games, and Spanish coverage of TBS's playoff coverage. The channel also carries various other games simulcast from local broadcasters.
24 Friday night regular-season games annually until 2029.
18 Sunday afternoon regular-season games annually.
Local television
See main article: List of current Major League Baseball broadcasters.
National radio
a Saturday game of the week, Sunday night, opening day and holiday games, plus the All-Star Game and the entire postseason.
Spanish-language coverage of select regular season games, the Home Run Derby, the All-Star Game, and the postseason.[60]
Local radio
ESPN Deportes has Spanish-language TV and radio rights to the Caribbean Series.
Post-seasonESPN currently broadcasts the College World Series on its family of networks.
Regular-seasonNationally televised regular-season games are contracted through each conference and appear on BeIN Sports, CBS Sports Network, ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU, FS1, Fox Sports regional networks, Fox College Sports, including several school- and conference-specific networks (Big Ten Network, SEC Network, BYU TV, Pac-12 Network, and Longhorn Network).
ESPN has rights to broadcast the entire Little League World Series, as well as the finals of the eight regional tournaments that determine the U.S. representatives in that competition. It distributes coverage among its family of networks and ABC; the final is aired on ABC.
Minor League Baseball has a contract with Stadium to air two games each week.[61]
See main article: NBA on television. On October 6, 2014, NBA announced a nine-year $24 billion ($2.7 billion/year) extension with ESPN, ABC and Turner Sports beginning with the 2016–17 NBA season and running through the 2024–25 season[63] – the second most expensive media rights in the world after NFL and on a par with English football on television in annual rights fee from 2016–17 Premier League to 2018–19 season.[64]
Additionally, local or regional broadcasters contract with the NBA team in their area for the right to broadcast a number of regular-season games locally. These broadcasters can be traditional over-the-air television stations as well as regional cable sports channels or streaming services. WGN-TV, then a Chicago-based superstation, broadcast a limited number of Chicago Bulls regular season games on WGN America until 2014, fewer than they provided locally. If ESPN chooses to opt out of airing all of the games on their night, NBA TV airs a game in its place. Games in the first round of the playoffs can be aired by regional broadcasters, unless the national broadcaster has exclusive rights. Games in the first round not selected by national broadcasters are usually broadcast by NBA TV.
NBA teams also contract with local radio broadcasters to air their games. Teams may also have affiliates air their games.
In 2013, the WNBA and ESPN signed a six-year extension on the broadcast deal to cover 2017–2022. In the new deal, a total of 30 games would be shown each season on ESPN networks. Each team would receive around $1 million per year.[67]
On April 22, 2019, CBS Sports Network reached a multi-year deal to televise 40 regular-season weekend and primetime WNBA games, beginning in the 2019 WNBA season.[68] [69]
select weeknight games, All Star Game, playoffs and WNBA Finals. Provisional coverage on ABC through 2025.
select games throughout the week.
All Friday night games.
select games on weekends.
select games.[70]
See main article: Men's college basketball on television.
Postseason
Regular seasonNationally televised regular-season games are contracted through each conference and air as follows:
ESPN networks, CBSSN, CBS (championship only), NBC Sports
ESPN networks, ABC, ACC Network, The CW
ESPN networks
ESPN networks, CBS
FOX, FS1, NBC, Peacock, TNT[73]
ESPN networks
ESPN networks
CBS, Paramount+, FOX, FS1, NBC, Peacock, Big Ten Network
ESPN networks, Spectrum SportsNet
ESPN Networks, CBSSN, CUSA.tv
CBSSN, FloHoops
ESPN networks
ESPN networks
ESPN networks
ESPN networks, CBSSN
ESPN networks
ESPN+, CBSSN, CBS (championship only), MVC Network
FOX, FS1, CBS, CBSSN, Mountain West Network
ESPN networks, NEC Front Row, SNY, CBS Sports Network
ESPN networks
ESPN networks, CBSSN
ESPN networks, SEC Network
ESPN networks, HBCU Go, TheGrio
ESPN networks, CBSSN
ESPN networks
ESPN networks, MidcoSN
ESPN networks
ESPN networks
ESPN networks, CBSSN, WCC Network
CBS
Fubo Sports Network
Willow TV, CBS Sports Network[77]
More than 300 hours of live curling, broadcast by TSN in Canada, will be live-streamed on ESPN3, including:
GCN+
Flo Sports
Flo Sports
Flo Sports
YouTube and Twitch
| Event | Rightsholder | Extent of coverage | Current contract term/notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBS (free-to-air) | Weekend round coverage | 1956–present. Augusta National Golf Club does not use long-term contracts, but has consistently chosen CBS as its broadcast partner annually.[79] [80] | |
| ESPN (subscription) | Early-round coverage | ESPN replaced USA Network in 2008, who first added first- and second-round coverage on cable in 1982.[81] | |
| CBS (free-to-air) | Weekend round coverage | 2020–2030, aired since 1991.[82] | |
| ESPN (subscription) | Early-round coverage weekend morning coverage | 2020–2030. ESPN succeeded TNT as cable rightsholder. | |
| ESPN+ (subscription streaming) | Supplemental coverage during television windows | 2020–2030 | |
| NBC (free-to-air) | Late-afternoon/Primetime early rounds coverage Weekend round coverage | 2020–2026; contract includes all USGA national championships. | |
| Peacock (streaming) | Supplemental coverage | ||
| USA Network (subscription) | Early-round coverage | ||
| NBC (free-to-air) | Weekend round coverage | 2016–2028 (first year sub-licensed from former rightsholder ESPN)[83] [84] | |
| USA Network (subscription) | Early-round coverage | 2022–2028 |
| Event | Rightsholder | Extent of coverage | Current contract term/notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golf Channel (subscription) | Full coverage | Part of LPGA broadcast rights. | |
| NBC (free-to-air) | Weekend round coverage | [85] | |
| Golf Channel (subscription) | Early-round coverage | ||
| NBC (free-to-air) | Late-afternoon/primetime coverage of early rounds, weekend round coverage | 2020–2026; contract includes all United States Golf Association national championships. | |
| USA Network (subscription) | Early-round coverage | ||
| The Evian Championship | Golf Channel (subscription) | Full coverage | Part of LPGA broadcast rights. |
| NBC (free-to-air) | Weekend round coverage | 2016–2028 (part of Open Championship broadcast rights)[86] | |
| USA Network (subscription) | Early-round coverage |
| Tour | Rightsholder | Extent of coverage | Current contract term/notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBS (free-to-air) |
| 2011–2030[87] [88] [89] [90] [91] | |
| NBC (free-to-air) |
| ||
| Golf Channel (subscription) |
| ||
| ESPN+ (streaming) |
| 2022–2030[92] | |
| LPGA | Golf Channel (subscription) |
| 2022-2030[93] |
| DP World Tour (European Tour) | Golf Channel (subscription) | Exclusive rights for coverage of most events (shared coverage of the Scottish Open with CBS) | 2015–2024[94] |
| The CW (free-to-air) | Saturday and Sunday round coverage | Beginning in 2023[95] | |
| The CW App (streaming) | Friday, Saturday and Sunday round coverage | ||
See main article: History of the National Hockey League on United States television.
As of the 2021–22 NHL season, the national media rights of the National Hockey League (NHL) are divided between ESPN and TNT Sports under seven-year contracts;[96] [97] [98]
| ABC |
| |
| ESPN, ESPN2 | ||
| ESPN+ | ||
| TNT, TBS, Max |
|
Radio
Sports USA Radio airs selected regular season and postseason games, including the entire Stanley Cup Finals.[102] NHL teams also contract with local radio broadcasters to air game; games are also simulcast from local radio feeds on the Sirius XM satellite radio platform.
The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF; formerly the National Women's Hockey League) has primarily partnered with streaming outlets, which have in the past included ESPN3,[103] Cheddar,[104] and Twitter.[105] In 2019, the league signed with Twitch to stream games and ancillary content, in its first contract to ever include a rights fee.[106]
NBCSN was to televise the league's 2021 semi-final and finals in the NWHL's first linear rights deal.
The NWHL had also reached an agreement with NBCSN to carry the 2021 Isobel Cup semi-finals and finals, which would marked the first NWHL games to be broadcast nationally on a linear television channel.[107]
For 2021–22 season, The PHF, will stream 60 regular season games, special events and its Isobel Cup Playoffs exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S.
Regular season, playoffs and Championships through 2014
Regular season games air locally, often via regional sports networks (such as Bally Sports) and networks contracted with conferences, these conferences include:
ESPN Networks
ESPNU (regional semi-finals and finals), ESPN2 (national semi-finals), ESPN (national championship), and Westwood One (radio)
NHL Network and ESPN+
NHL Network and ESPN+
select games on NHL Network, select regional coverage by local broadcasters, All-Star Game and Skills Competition on regional sports networks
NBC holds the rights to two of three races in the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby through 2025,[109] and the Preakness Stakes through 2022,[110] USA Network, CNBC or Peacock provides supplementary coverage, including previews and associated undercard races on Fridays preceding the Saturday races (including the Kentucky Oaks and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes). NBC also carries coverage of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series, including the Florida Derby, Santa Anita Derby and Blue Grass Stakes races. NBC and CNBC also carry the Breeders' Cup since 2022, with CNBC carrying most of the coverage, and the Breeders' Cup Classic airing on the main network.[111]
Fox Sports has the rights to the Belmont Stakes through 2030. Fox and FS1 both air the Belmont, with FS1 providing extra upplementary coverage.[112] Fox Sports also has an agreement with the NYRA for year-round coverage of NYRA races from Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park.[113]
FanDuel TV and FanDuel Racing also air live horse racing.[114]
3 games including championship game live on ABC, 3 games on ESPN, 6 games on ESPN2, and every game on ESPN+.
See main article: National Lacrosse League on television.
Varsity lacrosse
First round and Quarterfinal matches on ESPNU or ESPNews, Semi-finals on ESPN2, Final on ESPN. Effective with the 2011 tournament, internet streaming on Turner Sports (possibly through its administration of the official NCAA sports website).
NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship and NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship. Streaming on Turner (again, possibly through NCAA.com).
Club Lacrosse
Semi-finals and Championship of both division 1 and 2 broadcast nationally on Fox College Sports, usually the Pacific affiliate. Championships also simulcast on the MCLA website.
At least one home MCLA game featuring BYU, but BYUtv Sports has rights to all home games.
DAZN: October 2022 to October 2025, all fights
See also: NASCAR on television and radio.
Fox Sports and NBC Sports have contracts for all NASCAR events through at least 2024. On October 15, 2012, NASCAR and the Fox Sports Media Group (FSMG) announced a new $2.4 billion eight-year deal, a 30% increase from their previous deal.[116] On July 23, 2013, NASCAR and the NBC Sports Group announced a new $4.4 billion ten-year deal.[117] [118] [119] Ten days later on August 1, 2013, NASCAR and Fox extended and expanded their agreement, paying an additional $1.4 billion to do so, to complete NASCAR's new TV package through the 2024 season.[120] [121]
ESPN aired Formula One from 1984 to 1997. Speed and Fox Sports Net shared broadcasting rights from 1998 to 2000. Speedvision and its successor Speed Channel continued to broadcast the championship until 2012. Fox aired select races from 2007 to 2012. NBC Sports had English-language TV broadcasting rights from 2013 through 2017. Races were televised by NBC, NBCSN or CNBC and streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra.[123] [124]
ESPN became the new broadcaster in 2018. The network unveiled plans to show over 100 hours of F1 programming during their first season returning to the sport. This included plans to show every practice and qualifying session in some capacity. Race broadcasts would be spread across ESPN and ESPN2 with plans to show live coverage of Canada GP, the American and Mexican Grand Prix live on ABC while also showing the Monaco Grand Prix on tape-delay.[125] March 1 of that year they announced the launch of their own Over-the-top media service service called F1 TV Pro what show races live and on-demand.[126]
ESPN Deportes has the current Spanish-language rights.
Includes the AMA Supercross Championship and AMA Motocross Championship.
Eight races, of which six are live
Six races, of which four are live
Every race live
Every race on next day delay
FloRacing (live), Fox Sports (delayed)
Ryde TV (live), CBS Sports Network (delayed)
Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, MavTV
ESPN3 and F1TV Pro
ESPN+ and F1TV Pro
MavTV / MavTV Plus (delay)
Fox Sports – full season / select races with live coverage
FloRacing (live)
Speed51.com (Select Live events)
Speed51.com
SpeedSport.tv and Carstour.tv (live)
MAVTV / MAVTV Plus (Saturday features), FloRacing (prelim nights)
MAVTV (live / delayed), CBS Sports (delayed), MAVTV Plus (live)
MavTV (delayed), MAVTV Plus (live)
MAVTV (delayed – Madera)
MAVTV (delayed), MavTV Plus (live), Speed51.com (live)
FloRacing (live), select races on MAVTV (delayed)
Speed51.com (live)
DIRTvision.com (live), CBS Sports Network (delayed – select races)
DIRTvision.com (live), CBS Sports Network (delayed – select races)
Live streaming races and qualifying on SpeedSport1 and Practice on YouTube
CBS Sports Network – full season tape delay, live streaming on Motor Trend on Demand and series website
CBS Sports Network – full season tape delay, live streaming on Motor Trend on Demand and series website
CBS Sports Network – full season tape delay, live streaming on Motor Trend on Demand and series website
ELMS YouTube page
Ferrari YouTube page and Motor Trend on Demand
CBS Sports Network (tape delay), live streaming on series website
GT Open YouTube page
CBS Sports Network (select rounds) also live streaming on Motor Trend on Demand and series website
ESPN+ and F1TV Pro
CBS Sports Network (tape delayed), Motor Trend on Demand (live streaming)
MavTV (tape delayed)
CBS Sports Network (tape delayed), live streaming on series website
Nürburgring and The Race YouTube page and motorsport.tv (Same for the 24 Hour Nürburgring)
NBCUniversal (NBC, USA Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, Golf Channel, Telemundo, Universo) has rights to the Summer and Winter Olympic Games through 2032.[129]
ESPN and ESPN Deportes through 2019.
ESPN Deportes and ESPN3
holds the rights to three matches for each round of the regular season, and for all games part of the Finals Series, including the Grand Final.
televises all three games of the series.[132]
FS1 and FS2 broadcast select games. All games are available free of charge on The Rugby Network
The Championship Final is broadcast on Fox.
Local television
NBC has rights to all World Rugby international events through 2023, including:[133]
NBC also has the rights to the Six Nations Championship.
The Rugby Network
| FIFA World Cup finals | Fox Sports | English-language rights through 2026 | |
| Telemundo Deportes | Spanish-language rights through 2026 | ||
| FIFA World Cup qualification | English and Spanish-language rights; CONCACAF qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup | ||
| Fox Sports, FuboTV | English-language rights; UEFA European qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup[135] | ||
| Univision | Spanish-language rights; UEFA European qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup | ||
| Telemundo, ViX | Spanish-language rights; CONMEBOL qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Home matches from Argentina and Brazil) [136] | ||
| FIFA+ | English and Spanish-language rights; CONMEBOL qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Home matches from Bolivia) | ||
| Fanatiz | English and Spanish-language rights; CONMEBOL qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Home matches from Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela) [137] | ||
| YouTube | Select AFC second round qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup | ||
| FIFA+ | English-language rights; CAF qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup[138] | ||
| Eleven Sports | English-language rights; OFC qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup | ||
| Fox Sports | English-language rights; Inter-confederation play-off matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup | ||
| FIFA Club World Cup | Fox Sports | English-language rights | |
| Fox Deportes | Spanish-language rights[139] | ||
| FIFA Women's World Cup finals (History) | Fox Sports | English-language rights through 2023 | |
| Telemundo Deportes | Spanish-language rights through 2023 | ||
| FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | CBS Sports | English-language rights; UEFA qualification matches | |
| CBS Sports | English-language rights; CONCACAF qualification matches | ||
| Univision | Spanish-language rights; CONCACAF qualification matches | ||
| Fox Sports | English-language rights; CONMEBOL qualification matches | ||
| Univision | Spanish-language rights; CONMEBOL qualification matches | ||
| CBS Sports | English-language rights; AFC qualification matches | ||
| YouTube | English-language rights; CAF qualification matches | ||
| Eleven Sports | English-language rights; OFC qualification matches | ||
| FIFA+ | English-language rights; Inter-confederation play-off matches | ||
| UEFA European Championship (History) | Fox Sports, FuboTV | English-language rights through Euro 2028, includes qualifiers and finals | |
| Univision | Spanish-language rights through Euro 2028, includes qualifiers and finals[140] | ||
| UEFA Nations League | Fox Sports, FuboTV | English-language rights through 2028 | |
| Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2028 | ||
| UEFA Champions League (History) | CBS Sports | English-language rights through 2030, including select qualification matches | |
| Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2024; 97 matches on TV | ||
| UEFA Europa League | CBS Sports | English-language rights through 2030, including select qualification matches | |
| Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2024; 70 live matches on TV | ||
| UEFA Europa Conference League | CBS Sports | English-language rights through 2030, including select qualification matches | |
| Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2024 | ||
| UEFA Super Cup | CBS Sports | English-language rights through 2023 | |
| Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2023 | ||
| UEFA Women's Champions League | DAZN | English-language rights through 2025 | |
| YouTube | English-language rights through 2023; 61 live matches for free of charge via DAZN UEFA Women's Champions League channel. | ||
| CONMEBOL Copa América (History) | Fox Sports | English-language rights through 2024 | |
| Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2021 | ||
| Copa Libertadores | beIN Sports | English and Spanish-language rights through 2026 | |
| Copa Sudamericana | |||
| Recopa Sudamericana | |||
| Copa Libertadores Femenina | |||
| CONCACAF Gold Cup | Fox Sports | English-language rights through 2023 | |
| Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2025[141] | ||
| CONCACAF Nations League | English-language rights (except for USMNT matches outside final four) | ||
| English-language rights (USMNT matches, except final four) | |||
| Spanish-language rights (except for USMNT matches outside final four) | |||
| Spanish-language rights (USMNT matches, except final four) | |||
| CONCACAF Champions Cup | Fox Sports | English-language rights | |
| Univision | Spanish-language rights through 2025 | ||
| AFC Asian Cup | CBS Sports | English-language rights through 2024 | |
| AFC Champions League | |||
| AFC Cup | |||
| AFC Women's Club Championship | YouTube | English-language rights | |
| Africa Cup of Nations | beIN Sports | English and Spanish-language rights, includes qualifiers and finals | |
| CAF Champions League | |||
| CAF Confederation Cup | |||
| CAF Super Cup | |||
| CAF Women's Champions League | |||
| OFC Nations Cup | Eleven Sports | English-language rights | |
| OFC Champions League | Eleven Sports | English-language rights |
Fox Sports (English), Telemundo Deportes (Spanish)
Fox Sports (English), Telemundo Deportes (Spanish)
Fox Sports (English), Telemundo Deportes (Spanish)
Fox Sports (English), Telemundo Deportes (Spanish)
Fox Sports (English), Telemundo Deportes (Spanish)
Fox Sports (English), Telemundo Deportes (Spanish)
Fox Sports (English), Telemundo Deportes (Spanish)
Fox Sports (English), Telemundo Deportes (Spanish)
CBS Sports (English), Univision (Spanish)
Rai Italia (Italy matches only), beIN Sports (France matches only)
Univision (Spanish)
Univision (Spanish)
Univision (Spanish)
Univision (Spanish)
Fox Sports (United States) (English), Univision (Spanish)[142]
GOL TV (Netherlands matches only), beIN Sports (France matches only)
CBS Sports (English language rights for finals only) and YouTube (Germany home league stage matches only)
Univision (Spanish)
Univision (Spanish)
UEFA.tv (English), Univision (Spanish)
UEFA.tv (English)
UEFA.tv (English)
CBS Sports (English), Univision (Spanish)
CBS Sports (English), ESPN Deportes (Spanish)
Fox Sports (English), Univision (Spanish)
Fox Sports (English), Univision (Spanish)
Fox Sports (English)
Fox Sports (English)
YouTube (English), Univision (Spanish)
YouTube (English), Univision (Spanish)
YouTube (English, group stage) and Fox Sports (English, knockout stage), Univision (Spanish)
Fox Sports (English), Univision (Spanish through 2020)
Fox Sports (English), Univision (Spanish through 2021)
Fox Sports (English), Univision (Spanish through 2020)
Fox Sports (English through 2026), Univision (Spanish through 2022)
Fox Sports (English through 2024), Univision (Spanish through 2024)
Fox Sports (English and Spanish through 2023)
Fox Sports (English and Spanish through 2023)
Fox Sports (English and Spanish through 2025)
Fox Sports (English and Spanish)
Fox Sports (English and Spanish through 2025)
Fox Sports (English and Spanish)
Fox Sports (English), Univision (Spanish)
Univision (Spanish)
UEFA.tv (English), Univision (Spanish)
Fox Sports (English), Univision (Spanish)
CBS Sports (English through 2022)
YouTube (English for 2022 edition), CBS Sports (English for 2024 edition)
YouTube (English)
YouTube (English)
YouTube (English)
YouTube (English)
YouTube (English)
YouTube (English)
TNT Sports (English)
Eleven Sports (English)
Eleven Sports (English)
Eleven Sports (English)
YouTube (English)
Eleven Sports (English)
YouTube (English)
YouTube (English)
YouTube (English)
beIN Sports (English)
beIN Sports (English)
beIN Sports (English)
Eleven Sports (English)
Eleven Sports (English)
Turner Sports (English)
CBS Sports (English)
YouTube (English)
ESPN+ (English)
TV5Monde (French)
beIN Sports (English)
CBS Sports (English)
DAZN (English)
beIN Sports (English)
Eleven Sports (English)
TNT Sports has English language rights for men's and women's national team games until 2030, with all games streaming on HBO Max and approximately half of the games also available on TNT.[143] Spanish language rights are held by Telemundo Deportes on Telemundo, Universo and Peacock.[144]
Fox Sports (English)[145]
Fox Deportes (English),[146] TUDN (Spanish)
YouTube (men's U-21 only)
GOL TV (English and Spanish) (women's national team only)
Rai Italia (Italian) (men's U-21 only)
beIN Sports (English and Spanish) (men's U-21 and women's national team only)
YouTube (English)
| Major League Soccer (History) | Apple TV+, MLS Season Pass | Until 2032: all Regular Season matches, MLS All-Star Game, all MLS Cup playoff matches and MLS Cup. | |
| Fox Sports | Until 2026: 34 regular season matches (15 on Fox), 8 MLS cup playoff matches, and MLS Cup. | ||
| U.S. Open Cup | TNT Sports | English language rights until 2030; select games on Bleacher Report YouTube; four QF's, both SFs, and a final sub-licensed to Apple TV+ via MLS Season Pass. Games not picked up by Warner Bros. are distributed by teams involved.[147] [148] [149] | |
| USL Championship | ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+ | English-language rights | |
| CBS Sports/Paramount+ | English-language rights on CBS, CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports Golazo Network, and Paramount+ through 2027[150] | ||
| USL League One | ESPN+ | English-language rights | |
| CBS Sports/Paramount+ | English-language rights through 2027. Selected matches on CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports Golazo Network, and Paramount+ | ||
| National Independent Soccer Association | Eleven Sports | ||
| MLS Next Pro | MLSNextPro.com | Selected matches and also streams on YouTube | |
| MLS Season Pass | Selected matches through 2032 | ||
| USL League Two | Eleven Sports | ||
| National Premier Soccer League | Eleven Sports | ||
| United Premier Soccer League | Eleven Sports | ||
| National Women's Soccer League (History) |  | CBS Sports/Paramount+ | English-language rights on CBS, CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports Golazo Network, and Paramount+ through 2027.[151] |
| ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+ | English-language rights through 2027 | ||
| Prime Video | English-language rights through 2027 | ||
| Scripps Sports (Ion Television) | English-language rights through 2027 | ||
| Women's Open | Eleven Sports | ||
| USL Super League | Eleven Sports | ||
| Women's Independent Soccer League | Eleven Sports | ||
| USL W League | Eleven Sports | ||
| Women's Premier Soccer League | Eleven Sports | ||
| United Women's Soccer | Eleven Sports | ||
| College Cup | ESPNU, ESPN+ | ||
| Women's College Cup | ESPNU, ESPN+ | ||
| MLS Next | Eleven Sports | ||
| Apple TV+ | Selected matches from 2023 to 2032 | ||
| MLS Next Cup | YouTube | ||
| USL Academy | Eleven Sports | ||
| Major Arena Soccer League | Twitch | English-language rights[152] | |
| Major League Futsal | English-language rights | ||
| Canadian Premier League | OneSoccer | English-language rights, all matches | |
| Fox Sports | English-language rights, select matches only | ||
| Canadian Championship | OneSoccer | English-language rights | |
| Fox Sports | English-language rights | ||
| League1 Canada | OneSoccer | English-language rights[153] | |
| Project 8 Women's League | TBA | English-language rights | |
| Liga MX | Fox Sports | Rights to home matches from Juarez, Monterrey, Santos Laguna and Tijuana. | |
| ESPN Deportes, Fox Deportes | Spanish-language rights to home matches from Monterrey, Santos Laguana and Tijuana. | ||
| TUDN, Univision, ViX, TUDNxtra | Rights to home matches from America, Atlas, Atletico San Luis, Leon, Mazatlan, Necaxa, Pachuca, Puebla, Querétaro, Toluca, UANL, and UNAM | ||
| Telemundo, Universo, Peacock | Rights to home matches from Guadalajara | ||
| Copa MX | Fox Sports | English-language | |
| ESPN Deportes, Fox Deportes, Univision | Spanish-language | ||
| Campeón de Campeones | Univision | Spanish-language | |
| Supercopa MX | Univision | Spanish-language | |
| Liga de Expansión MX | TUDN | Spanish-language | |
| Liga MX Femenil | TUDN | Spanish-language | |
| Leagues Cup | MLS Season Pass | English-language rights from 2023 to 2032[154] | |
| Fox Sports | English-language rights from 2023 to 2026: ten group stage matches, four round of 32 matches and two round of 16 matches. | ||
| Univision | Spanish-language rights from 2023 to 2026: twelve group stage matches, eight knockout round matches, Leagues Cup Final.[155] | ||
| Campeones Cup | MLS Season Pass | English-language rights from 2023 to 2032 | |
| Univision | Spanish-language rights | ||
| Europe's Big Five | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Event | Country | Broadcaster | Broadcast Details |
| Premier League (History) | NBC Sports, Peacock | English-language rights until 2028 | |
| Telemundo Deportes | Spanish-language rights until 2028 | ||
| EFL Leagues | CBS/Paramount+ | English-language rights through 2028; all play-off matches, minimum of 155 Championship matches and 38 League One/League Two matches | |
| EFL Cup | English-language rights through 2028; minimum of 30 matches per year | ||
| EFL Trophy | English-language rights through 2028 to three matches per year | ||
| FA Cup | ESPN+ | English and Spanish-language rights until 2027-28 | |
| FA Community Shield | English and Spanish-language rights until 2027 | ||
| FA Women's Super League | CBS Sports/Paramount+, FA Player | English-language rights | |
| Women's FA Cup | ESPN+ | English and Spanish-language rights | |
| Women's FA Community Shield | English and Spanish-language rights | ||
| FA Youth Cup | English and Spanish-language rights | ||
| La Liga | rowspan="7" | ||
Other national competitions
Centroamerica TV
Centroamerica TV, Fox Deportes
Centroamerica TV
Island Sports Network
Paramount+ (English), Rede Globo (Portuguese), ViX (Spanish), Fanatiz (English, Portuguese and Spanish)
Fox Soccer Plus (English), Rede Globo (Portuguese)
Rede Globo (Portuguese)
Rede Globo (Portuguese)
Paramount+ (English), TyC Sports (Spanish), ViX (Spanish)
RCN Nuestra Tele Internacional, ViX (Spanish)
GOL TV (English and Spanish)
ESPN+ (English) (final only), RTP Internacional (Portuguese)
RTP Internacional (Portuguese)
Gol TV (English and Spanish)
ESPN+
SportPlus TV, ANT1 Satellite
YouTube (subscription required)
YouTube
CBS Sports/Paramount+
ESPN+
CBS Sports/Paramount+
ESPN+
OneFootball, Next Level Sports
WatchLOI.ie
B/R Live (final only)
OneFootball, Next Level Sports
ESPN+
OneFootball, Next Level Sports
OneFootball, Next Level Sports
Next Level Sports
beIN Sports (final only)
OneFootball, Next Level Sports
B/R Live (final only), Cupplay.ch
Ekstraklasa.tv, OneFootball, Next Level Sports
B/R Live (final only)
OneFootball, Next Level Sports
OneFootball, Next Level Sports
OneFootball, Next Level Sports
ESPN+
ESPN+
YouTube
Fox Sports
OneFootball
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube
NBC Sports has rights to the following events with coverage varying on NBC and USA Network
NBCUniversal holds rights to the following:[169] [170]
NBC