FA Cup Nets Four-year ESPN US Rights Renewal

The FA Cup will remain on ESPN until the end of the 2027/28 season after the FA agreed a four-year extension of the US broadcasting rights deal.

As per the renewal, 79 matches per season will continue to air on the ESPN+ over-the-top (OTT) streaming platform.

The deal, which also includes the Community Shield, was brokered by agency giant IMG, which serves as the knockout tournament’s media rights partner in the US.

ESPN+ first acquired rights to the English knockout competition in 2018, with programming content available across ESPN platforms, including preview shows and highlights.

The OTT service will also provide Spanish language broadcasting options for select fixtures.

ESPN+’s European football rights portfolio also includes Spain’s Copa del Rey and LaLiga, as well as Germany’s DFB Pokal and the Bundesliga.

News of the renewed agreement comes ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup final between Manchester United and Manchester City, which will be the second successive showdown between the crosstown rivals in back to back years.

James Gray, Commercial Director at the FA, 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.”\

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