UNITED SOCCER LEAGUE, CHATTANOOGA RED WOLVES SC, AND CBS SPORTS REACH LANDMARK MULTI-YEAR RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Multiplatform Deal Includes 100 Matches Annually Through 2027 USL Championship and USL League One Seasons
Matches to Air Across CBS Television Network and Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network
TAMPA, Fla., and NEW YORK (November 7, 2023) – The United Soccer League (USL), Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, and CBS Sports today announced a landmark multi-year rights agreement for CBS Sports to air 100 USL matches annually through the 2027 USL Championship and USL League One seasons. CBS Sports’ extensive multiplatform USL match coverage will air across the CBS Television Network and Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.
Through the deal, CBS Sports will broadcast select USL matches, including the USL Championship Final, on the CBS Television Network– the first time USL competition will be featured on network television in league history. Matches on the CBS Television Network will also simulcast live on Paramount+. CBS Sports will also televise more than 20 USL matches on CBS Sports Network annually and 75 USL matches each season on CBS Sports Golazo Network, the 24/7 soccer streaming network available across multiple platforms, including Paramount+.
“CBS Sports has become a destination for soccer fans in America, and we are thrilled to bring to their platforms the unique soccer experience that only the USL provides,” said USL CEO Alec Papadakis. “This partnership is a clear indication of the USL’s growth and impact on domestic soccer, providing us with more national TV exposure and platforms to tell stories about our players, clubs, and fans than ever before. We are entering a new, exciting phase, both on and off the field, and we look forward to working with CBS Sports over the next four years to take our leagues and our game to new heights.”
“The United Soccer League – with its expansive and growing presence across the country – is an excellent addition to CBS Sports’ premium soccer portfolio,” said Dan Weinberg, Executive Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports. “We look forward to making the exciting action of the USL more easily available to fans than ever before and elevating the league with coverage across our CBS Sports platforms. With the USL’s addition to our wide array of soccer properties and robust year-round match coverage, CBS Sports continues to be the premier destination for soccer fans in this country.”
In addition to live matches, CBS Sports Golazo Network will provide analysis and commentary of USL competition throughout its live studio programming, including MORNING FOOTY, BOX 2 BOX and SCORELINE. The first-of-its-kind free, 24-hour soccer streaming network in the U.S. offers fans unparalleled coverage of all the top domestic and international soccer competitions. The Network is available on connected TV and mobile devices through Paramount+, the CBS Sports App and Pluto TV, and on CBSSports.com.
CBS Sports will also provide additional editorial coverage of the USL on CBSSports.com, the Golazo Starting XI newsletter and across its @CBSSportsGolazo social accounts.
The USL retained internationally recognized media sales consultancy Octagon to manage the negotiations with CBS on this watershed agreement.
The United Soccer League is the longest-running professional soccer organization in the United States, originally founded in 1991. The USL Championship and USL League One are the highest men’s professional tiers in the USL ecosystem. In 2024, with the addition of Rhode Island FC and North Carolina FC, 24 teams will compete in the USL Championship. USL League One will see 12 teams in 2024, including its newest club Spokane Velocity.
CBS Sports’ extensive soccer portfolio features more than 2,500 live matches per year across its various platforms including the United Soccer League; UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League and UEFA Youth League; UEFA Women’s Champions League; NWSL; Barclay’s Women’s Super League; the Women’s Cup; Concacaf national team competitions (Men’s Nations League and Women’s Gold Cup); Italy’s Serie A; Argentina’s Liga Profesional de Fútbol; Brazil’s Campeonato Brasileirão Série A; the Scottish Professional Football League; Asian Football Confederation competitions (AFC Champions League, AFC Women’s Asian Cup and AFC Asian Cup); the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and more.
Additional coverage details for the 2024 USL season will be announced in the coming weeks.
About CBS Sports
CBS Sports, a year-round leader in cross-platform sports coverage, broadcasts a portfolio of events on the CBS Television Network, including THE NFL ON CBS; college football, including the SEC ON CBS and BIG TEN ON CBS; college basketball, including the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship; golf, including The Masters®, PGA Championship and PGA TOUR; soccer, including the UEFA Champions League and NWSL; and CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR. In addition, the division includes CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour cable home of CBS Sports which televises live sports programming throughout the year, including college football and basketball games, soccer matches from UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Serie A, Concacaf and NWSL, as well as a full slate of original programming and studio coverage. CBS Sports also delivers an extensive lineup of global soccer coverage on Paramount+, including every UEFA club competition match, all Serie A matches as well as Concacaf national team competitions. CBS Sports’ multi-platform offerings include CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports apps for mobile and connected TV devices; the 24/7 streaming sports news network CBS SPORTS HQ; the free 24-hour soccer streaming network CBS SPORTS GOLAZO NETWORK; 247Sports; MaxPreps; CBS Sports fantasy games; and SportsLine.
About United Soccer League
Impacting more than 200 communities, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest professional soccer organization in North America. The USL is the first and only soccer organization in the United States to build a youth-to-professional pathway for both women and men within one ecosystem. That structure includes three professional leagues: USL Championship (men), USL League One (men) and USL Super League (women), which begins in August 2024.
About Chattanooga Red Wolves SC
Founded in 2018, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC is a professional soccer club in Chattanooga, Tenn. The USL League One founding member is led by business executive Robert “Bob” Martino and President Sean McDaniel. The club’s home is CHI Memorial Stadium, Tennessee’s first professional soccer-specific stadium. For more info
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