ESPN, the major international sports broadcaster, has secured rights to Spanish soccer’s Supercopa de Espana (Spanish Super Cup) in South America for three seasons.
The Disney-owned network secured two separate packages for the competition – the individual offering in Brazil and another covering the rest of the region.
Globo, the Brazilian commercial broadcasting giant, and US media powerhouse WarnerMedia were invited to submit offers but declined to enter an auction as they considered the asking price to be too high.
ESPN ultimately faced no competition for the rights and will broadcast the four-team mini-tournament from the 2022-23 season through to 2024-25.
The broadcaster will have exclusive live rights to all three matches from the competition each year.
The RFEF, the Spanish soccer federation, issued the Supercopa tender in the Americas in February with contracts for three, four, or five seasons on offer and had set a deadline of March 7 for first-round bids.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataBoth broadcasters and agencies were invited to submit bids.
This year’s edition of the Supercopa was also shown in Brazil by ESPN and Disney’s Star+ streaming service.
Disney already holds Brazilian rights to LaLiga until the end of the 2024-2025 season.
The RFEF will now focus on concluding deals in other territories in the Americas with packages available in the US and Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
The Supercopa is traditionally contested by the winners of the top-flight LaLiga and Copa del Rey knockout cup competition in a two-legged final but the RFEF revamped it into a four-team tournament from the 2019-20 season.
It now features the winners and runners-up from the respective competitions.
This year’s Supercopa – the third iteration of the rejigged format – was held in Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City stadium under a three-year hosting agreement between the RFEF and Saudi Arabia.
The country is believed to be paying around €30 million ($31.6 million) to host the tournament.
Real Madrid won their 12th Supercopa this season after beating Athletic Club in the final.