Sports broadcasting contracts in the United States

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This page refers to sports broadcasting contracts in the United States.

Further information: Sports television broadcast contracts

Contents

Baseball [edit]

Major League Baseball [edit]

National Television

Main article: Major League Baseball television contracts
  • Fox:[1] 26 Saturday afternoon games; All-Star Game; one League Championship Series; World Series
  • TBS:[1] 26 Sunday afternoon games; regular-season tiebreak games, if needed; all four Division Series (overflow games on TNT if needed); one League Championship Series
  • ESPN: Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday Night Games; Opening Day games
  • MLB Network: 26 Thursday night and 26 Saturday night games; various other games
  • WGN America: 63 Chicago Cubs and 32 Chicago White Sox games (both numbers include 3 Cubs vs. White Sox games)

Local Television Additionally, local or regional broadcasters contract with the MLB team in their area for the right to broadcast a number of regular season games locally. These broadcasters include both over-the-air television stations as well as regional cable sports channels. (This includes WGN-TV in Chicago, which also airs its games on the WGN America national feed.) Games broadcast locally or regionally are available nationwide (except those affected by local blackout restrictions) on the pay-per-view MLB Extra Innings package.

National Radio

  • ESPN Radio: a Saturday game of the week, Sunday night, opening day and holiday games, plus the entire postseason

Local Radio MLB teams also contract with local broadcasters to air games on radio. Several teams have multiple affiliates covering those games. The flagship stations can air all games of the teams they contract with, other affiliates must allow ESPN radio coverage to air during the postseason.

World Baseball Classic [edit]

MLB Network has rights to the 2013 and 2017 editions of the World Baseball Classic. In addition to the 39 tournament matches, MLBN televises the four final qualifiers.[2]

College World Series [edit]

ESPN currently broadcasts the College World Series on its family of networks.

Beginning with the 2010–11 school year, Turner will have digital rights to all NCAA championships; the first College World Series under the Turner contract will be in 2011.[3]

Little League Baseball [edit]

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; the final is traditionally carried by ABC, whose sports division is now run by ESPN.

Basketball [edit]

National Basketball Association [edit]

  • ABC: Fifteen regular season games (Christmas Day doubleheader and late season Sunday afternoons); nine playoff games (mostly on Sunday afternoons); NBA Finals through 2016
  • TNT: Fifty two regular season games (mostly on Thursday night doubleheaders); All-Star Weekend; up to forty playoff games including one Conference Finals series per year through 2016
  • ESPN: Seventy three regular season games (mostly on Wednesday and Friday night doubleheaders; occasional Sunday night games); playoff games including one Conference Finals series per year through 2016
  • NBA TV: Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday night games and some early-round playoff games through 2016
  • ESPN Radio: usually one game from the Sunday afternoon package, one game on Thursday night, and postseason coverage including all games in the Conference Finals and the NBA Finals

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. WGN, a Chicago-based superstation, broadcasts a limited number of Chicago Bulls regular season games on their national feed, fewer than they provide 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 two rounds 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.

Women's National Basketball Association [edit]

  • ESPN2: select weeknight games, playoffs, and WNBA Finals; All Star Game airs on ESPN; provisional coverage on ABC through 2016; additional games on NBATV

College Basketball [edit]

Main article: Men's college basketball on television

Post-season

  • NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament: CBS/Turner
    • Starting in 2011, every game in the NCAA Tournament will be telecast live nationally on either CBS or one of three Turner networks—TBS, TNT, or truTV. Coverage will be split as follows:
      • The First Four (the expanded "play-in" round) will air on truTV.
      • In the second and third rounds (the stages that were previously called the "first" and "second" rounds), all four networks will air games. CBS will air one "featured" game in each time slot, with the other three networks carrying other games.
      • The Sweet Sixteen (regional semifinals) will be split between CBS and TBS.
      • The Elite Eight (regional finals) and Final Four will air on CBS through 2015. Starting in 2016, TBS will broadcast these games in even-numbered years.
    • All games are also streamed via the NCAA/CBS March Madness On Demand service. The new contract will allow Turner to develop its own streaming service for the tournament, alongside MMOD.
  • NIT post-season & Pre-season: ESPN networks with internet streaming on ESPN3.
  • NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament: ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU with internet streaming of all games on ESPN3.

Regular-season

FIBA [edit]

ESPN has English and Spanish rights from 2013 to 2015 to FIBA events including the following:[4][5]

Other Leagues [edit]

Cricket [edit]

Cycling [edit]

Football [edit]

National Football League [edit]

See also: NFL on television

CBS Sports has rights through the 2022-2023 season to the following:[6][7]

ESPN has rights through the 2021-2022 season to the following:[8][9]

Fox Sports has rights through the 2022-2023 season to the following:[7][10]

NBC Sports has rights through the 2022-2023 season to the following:[7][11]

NFL Network televises 13 Thursday Night Football games during the regular season.

DirecTV, through NFL Sunday Ticket, has pay-per-view rights to all regular season Sunday afternoon games through 2014.[12]

Dial Global has exclusive national radio rights through the 2017-2018 season.[13][14]

Sports USA has national radio rights to regular season Sunday afternoon doubleheaders sublicensed from Dial Global.

Compass Media Networks has national radio rights to regular season Sunday afternoon games for 10 teams 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. Also has rights to online streaming of games for its subscribers starting with the 2011 season.

College Football [edit]

Main articles: College football on television#Television stations and College football on television

Post-season

Regular-season

Radio

Arena football [edit]

Other professional leagues [edit]

Golf [edit]

Men

Women

Hockey [edit]

National Hockey League [edit]

Main article: History of the National Hockey League on United States television
  • NBC Sports Network: One to three regular-season games/week, All-Star Game, playoffs, Stanley Cup Finals (games 2, 3), through 2021.
  • NBC: Black Friday game, New Year's Day game, Sunday afternoon late-season games, weekend afternoon playoff games, and Stanley Cup Finals (games 1, 4–7), through 2021.
  • NHL Network: Wednesday, Friday and occasional Sunday games. Simulcasts of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada (Saturday nights); the simulcast can be blacked out if a local channel is carrying coverage of the same game.

Additionally, viewers near the Canadian border, especially in the Seattle, Detroit and Buffalo markets, can view CBC broadcasts of Hockey Night in Canada, playoffs and Stanley Cup Finals. CBC reaches most cable subscribers in Michigan, the Buffalo area, and much of the Seattle TV market. and CBC broadcasts of NHL playoff games often get better ratings in those markets than the simultaneous American broadcast when both are available.

Local or regional broadcasters contract with the NHL 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. While the Chicago Blackhawks broadcast some games on WGN-TV, these games are not available for the WGN America feed due to league broadcast regulations but they are shown on WGN in Canada (same feed as WGN-TV).

Teams also have contracts with local radio broadcasters to air their games.

Radio

Dial Global (Stanley Cup Finals); games also simulcast on Sirius XM satellite radio.

The Southern Professional Hockey League [edit]

  • America One: Regular season, playoffs and Championships through 2014

College Ice Hockey [edit]

Other Ice Hockey Leagues [edit]

Kontinental Hockey League: ESPN3.com

Ice Hockey World Championships: Universal Sports

World Junior Ice Hockey Championships: NHL Network

MasterCard Memorial Cup: NHL Network

American Hockey League: select games on NHL Network, select regional coverage by local broadcasters, All-Star Game and Skills Competition on regional sports networks

Horse Racing [edit]

Triple Crown

Breeders' Cup

Lacrosse [edit]

Major League Lacrosse [edit]

National Lacrosse League [edit]

  • CBS Sports Network: 4 regular season games and four playoff games, including both divisional finals and the final[16]

College Lacrosse [edit]

Varsity lacrosse

Club Lacrosse

  • MCLA: Semifinals 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.
  • BYUtv Sports: At least one home MCLA game featuring BYU, but BYUtv Sports has rights to all home games.

Motor sports [edit]

NASCAR [edit]

See also: NASCAR on television and radio

Open-wheel [edit]

IndyCar [edit]

  • IZOD IndyCar Series
    • NBC Sports and ESPN have contracts through 2018. Coverage is as follows:
      • ABC airs the Indianapolis 500 and 4 other races.
      • NBC Sports Network airs the remaining races.

Formula One [edit]

NBC Sports has rights from 2013 through 2016. Races will be televised by NBC or NBC Sports Network and streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra.[19][20]

Other [edit]

Olympic Games [edit]

NBCUniversal has rights to the following:[21][22]

Rugby [edit]

Rugby league [edit]

Fox Sports has rights to the following:

Rugby union [edit]

Fox Sports has rights through 2013-2014 to the following:[27]

NBC Sports and Universal Sports have rights to the 2015 Rugby World Cup.[28]

DirecTV has rights to The Rugby Championship and Super Rugby:[29][30]

Rugby sevens [edit]

NBC Sports has rights to the 2012-2013 HSBC Sevens World Series. Matches are televised on NBC, NBC Sports Network and Universal Sports.[31]

Fox Sports has rights to the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s Series through 2014.[27]

Soccer [edit]

FIFA [edit]

ABC and ESPN, in English, and Univision, in Spanish, have television rights to FIFA events from 2007 to 2014 including the following:[32]

Fox Sports, in English, and Telemundo, in Spanish, have television rights to FIFA events from 2015 to 2022 including the following:[33]

UEFA [edit]

ESPN, in English and Spanish, has rights to UEFA events from 2012 to 2016 including the following:[34][35]

Fox Sports has rights to the following:[36]

CONCACAF [edit]

Fox Soccer, in English, has rights to CONCACAF events from 2012 to 2016 including the following:[37][38]

Univision Deportes, in Spanish and Portuguese, has rights to CONCACAF events from 2012 to 2022 including the following:[39][40]

  • CONCACAF Gold Cup: Matches will be televised on Univision, UniMás, Galavisión, and Univision Deportes, and will be streamed online and on mobile.
  • CONCACAF Champions League: Matches will be televised on Univision, UniMás, Galavisión, and Univision Deportes, and will be streamed online and on mobile.

U.S. Men's National Team [edit]

ESPN has English rights to all friendlies and all home World Cup qualifiers from 2010 to 2014. Matches will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2. [41] beiN SPORT has English rights to all away World Cup qualifiers from 2010 to 2014. [42]

Univision has Spanish rights to ten national team matches per year from 2010 to 2014. Matches will be televised on Univision, UniMás, or Galavisión.[43]

Major League Soccer [edit]

Main article: Major League Soccer on television

Games not televised nationally are aired by regional sports networks or local broadcast television stations. Teams may also have a contract with a local radio broadcaster to air their games. Some teams air games exclusively in Spanish on radio, others have English only or an English and Spanish radio broadcaster.

Other Leagues/Competitions [edit]

Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

Liga MX

Liga de Ascenso

  • GolTV: 4 or 5 games per week and Mexican playoffs (Liguilla)
  • Mexico TV: one game

Central America League

English Club Soccer

Spanish Club Soccer

Other Club Soccer

Tennis [edit]

Australian Open

  • ESPN and Tennis Channel have the contracts. Coverage is aired on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Tennis Channel and DirecTV.

French Open

  • NBC Sports, ESPN and Tennis Channel have the contracts. Coverage is aired on NBC, ESPN2, ESPN3, Tennis Channel and DirecTV.
    • Tennis Channel shows live coverage in the morning ET, while ESPN2 shows live coverage in the afternoon. NBC shows weekend morning early round matches in the afternoon via tape-delay. If a match is still being played, it will be shown live. ESPN2 or Tennis Channel cannot show NBC's tape-delayed matches. NBC also tape-delays the men's semifinal, broadcasting it in the late morning on the same day. They broadcast both finals live.

The Championships, Wimbledon

  • ESPN[46][47] and Tennis Channel have contracts through 2023. DirecTV also provides coverage. Coverage is as follows:
    • Days 1-4: ESPN2, ESPN3 and DirecTV
    • Days 5 and 6: ESPN, ESPN3 and DirecTV
    • Day 7: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and DirecTV
    • Days 8 and 9: ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3
    • Days 10-13 including the ladies' and gentlemen's singles finals: ESPN and ESPN3
    • Same-day replays are aired on Tennis Channel throughout the tournament. Highlights of the first week are aired on the middle Sunday on ABC. Same-day replays of the ladies' and gentlemen's singles finals are aired on ABC.

US Open

  • CBS Sports, ESPN, and Tennis Channel have contracts through 2014. DirecTV also provides coverage. Coverage is as follows:
    • Qualifying: CBS Sports Network
    • Days 1-5: ESPN2, ESPN3, Tennis Channel and DirecTV
    • Days 6 and 7: CBS, CBS Sports Network, Tennis Channel and DirecTV
    • Day 8: CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN2, ESPN3 and DirecTV
    • Days 9-11: ESPN2, ESPN3 and Tennis Channel
    • Day 12 including the men's doubles final: CBS
    • Day 13 including the women's singles final: CBS
    • Day 14 women's doubles final: ESPN2 and ESPN3, men's singles final: CBS
    • Same-day replays are aired on Tennis Channel throughout the tournament.

US Open Series

  • ESPN2, Tennis Channel and CBS

Davis Cup

  • Tennis Channel

Fed Cup

  • Tennis Channel

ATP World Tour Finals

  • ESPN2 (final only) and Tennis Channel

WTA Tour Championships

  • ESPN2 (final only) and Tennis Channel

World TeamTennis

  • Tennis Channel and NBC Sports Network

Track & Field (Athletics) [edit]

Winter Sports [edit]

Miscellaneous [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b "MLB, FOX, and Turner reach new television agreements". MLB. 
  2. ^ http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121023&content_id=40001966&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
  3. ^ Associated Press (September 21, 2010). "Turner wins NCAA digital rights". ESPN. Retrieved September 24, 2010. 
  4. ^ "ESPN and FIBA sign multi-year, multi-platform rights agreement". FIBA. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  5. ^ "ESPN and FIBA Sign Multiyear, Multiplatform Rights Agreement". ESPN. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  6. ^ "CBS AND NFL REACH NEW NINE-YEAR BROADCAST RIGHTS AGREEMENT THROUGH 2022 SEASON". CBS Sports. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  7. ^ a b c "The tradition continues: NFL to remain on broadcast TV". NFL. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  8. ^ "ESPN, NFL Reach Eight-Year Extension for Monday Night Football". ESPN. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  9. ^ "ESPN, NFL reach eight-year extension for Monday Night Football". NFL. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  10. ^ "FOX SPORTS MEDIA GROUP REACHES LONG-TERM RIGHTS AGREEMENT WITH NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE". Fox Sports. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  11. ^ "NBCUNIVERSAL’S NEW NINE-YEAR SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL AGREEMENT". NBCUniversal. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  12. ^ "NFL Network Carriage Agreement Extended". DirecTV. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  13. ^ "NFL and Dial Global agree on new multi-year extension". NFL. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  14. ^ "NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE AND DIAL GLOBAL AGREE ON NEW MULTI-YEAR EXTENSION". Dial Global. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  15. ^ http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/college-football-bowl-schedule.php
  16. ^ http://laxmagazine.com/nll/2011-12/news/010412_national_lacrosse_league_on_cbs_sports_network_schedule_announced
  17. ^ NASCAR (15 October 2012). "NASCAR, FOX Sports agree to new eight-year deal". Retrieved 4 November 2012. 
  18. ^ Fox Sports Media Group (15 October 2012). "NASCAR and FOX Sports Media Group Reach Expansive Multi-Year, Multi-Platform Rights Agreement". Retrieved 4 November 2012. 
  19. ^ "NBC becomes exclusive US F1™ broadcaster from 2013". Formula 1. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  20. ^ "NBC SPORTS GROUP & FORMULA ONE MANAGEMENT AGREE ON FOUR-YEAR EXCLUSIVE U.S. MEDIA RIGHTS PARTNERSHIP". NBCUniversal. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  21. ^ "IOC awards US broadcast rights for 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games to NBCUniversal". IOC. Retrieved 24 December 2012. 
  22. ^ "NBCUNIVERSAL ACQUIRES U.S. MEDIA RIGHTS TO UNPRECEDENTED FOUR FUTURE OLYMPIC GAMES". NBCUniversal. Retrieved 24 December 2012. 
  23. ^ a b "Fox Soccer to televise NRL in the USA". NRL. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  24. ^ a b "FOX SOCCER PLUS ACQUIRES AUSTRALIA'S NRL TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP AND RUGBY LEAGUE STATE OF ORIGIN SERIES". Fox Sports. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  25. ^ a b c "USA all the way for Rugby League". RFL. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  26. ^ a b c "FOX SOCCER PLUS ACQUIRES RIGHTS TO STOBART SUPER LEAGUE, CARNEGIE CHALLENGE CUP AND WORLD CLUB CHALLENGE". Fox Sports. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  27. ^ a b "FOX SOCCER PLUS EXECUTES LANDMARK AGREEMENT SECURING ELITE RUGBY COMPETITIONS THROUGH 2013/14". Fox Sports. Retrieved 9 November 2012. 
  28. ^ "Rugby World Cup to make US network TV debut". IRB. Retrieved 9 November 2012. 
  29. ^ "SANZAR CURRENT (SEPTEMBER 2012) LIST OF BROADCASTERS AND DETAILS OF ONLINE VIEWING SERVICE". SANZAR. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  30. ^ "Rugby on TV". DirecTV. Retrieved 17 November 2012. 
  31. ^ "TELEVISION SCHEDULE". USA Sevens. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  32. ^ "ABC/ESPN and UNIVISION awarded US TV rights for all FIFA events from 2007 to 2014". FIFA. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  33. ^ "FIFA awards US TV Rights for 2015-2022". FIFA. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  34. ^ "ESPN and TSN awarded exclusive EURO rights". UEFA. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  35. ^ "ESPN Acquires Rights to 2012 and 2016 UEFA European Football Championship™". ESPN. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  36. ^ "FOX Sports Media Group extends exclusive rights". UEFA. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  37. ^ "CONCACAF, FOX Soccer sign Gold Cup, Champions League broadcast agreement". Fox Soccer. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  38. ^ "FOX SOCCER SIGNS NEW FOUR-YEAR CONCACAF AGREEMENT". Fox Soccer. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  39. ^ "Univision Deportes and CONCACAF enter partnership". CONCACAF. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  40. ^ "Univision Deportes and CONCACAF Enter Unprecedented Partnership to Bring Gold Cup and Champions League Tournaments to Viewers". Univision. Retrieved 28 December 2012. 
  41. ^ Goff, Steven. "http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/soccer-insider/wp/2013/03/13/u-s-mexico-spring-summer-schedules/". Washington Post. 
  42. ^ Vertelney, Seth. "beIN SPORT purchases rights for USA World Cup away qualifiers". Goal.com. 
  43. ^ "Univision, SUM reach broadcast deal". MLS. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  44. ^ http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/10/nbc-sports-to-air-english-premier-league-live-starting-next-season.html
  45. ^ "FOX SOCCER RENEWS HYUNDAI A-LEAGUE EXCLUSIVE MEDIA RIGHTS". Fox Soccer. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  46. ^ The Championships, Wimbledon (5 July 2011). "ESPN ACQUIRES US TELEVISION RIGHTS". Retrieved 4 November 2012. 
  47. ^ ESPN (5 July 2011). "ESPN Acquires All Wimbledon Live U.S. TV Rights Including Singles Finals". Retrieved 4 November 2012. 
  48. ^ "PBR SIGNS EXCLUSIVE TELEVISION AGREEMENT WITH CBS SPORTS". PBR. Retrieved 24 December 2012. 
  49. ^ "PBR SIGNS EXCLUSIVE TELEVISION AGREEMENT WITH CBS SPORTS". CBS Sports. Retrieved 24 December 2012. 
Major League Baseball on national television
Contract history
Broadcast partners
Pay television carriers
MLB owned & operated entities
General media
Local broadcasters
American broadcasters
Canadian broadcasters
News television series
Specialty programming
Reality television series
Rebroadcasts
Broadcasters by event
International coverage
Landmark events
Miscellaneous
Sports broadcasting contracts in North America
Sovereign states
Dependencies and
other territories
Contract history
American network broadcasters
Canadian network broadcasters
American pay TV carriers
Canadian pay TV carriers
NHL owned and operated entities
News television series
Specialty programming
Broadcasters by event
Local broadcasters
Individual networks
Individual series
Ratings
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