ESPN+ has announced a multi-year rights agreement with U.S. Soccer to brodcast matches in the U.S. Open Cup.
The deal means games from the first round to the final of the longest-running domestic cup competition in the United States will be aired exclusively on ESPN+ until 2022.
This year’s tournament begins on May 7 and 8, with the first round stage featuring 38 amateur and Division III professional teams from across the United States.
“The U.S. Open Cup is America’s version of what is truly unique about soccer around the world — knockout format club tournaments that invite the Davids and the Goliaths from all levels of the sport to compete against one another to determine the nation’s top team,” Burke Magnus, the executive vice president of programming and scheduling for ESPN, said.
“This exciting property joins a robust collection of soccer’s best domestic cup competitions on ESPN+.”
Gary Stevenson, the deputy commissioner and president of MLS business ventures, added: “For over 100 years, the U.S. Open Cup has been the one tournament that engages the entire American soccer community.
“We are confident that this partnership between U.S. Soccer and ESPN will drive the tournament to new levels and create more opportunities for fans to engage with this compelling content.”