The US Soccer Federation (US Soccer) governing body has appointed international sports marketing agency Sportfive to distribute its international media rights in a multi-year deal.
The agreement, announced yesterday (April 17), will see Sportfive distribute rights to matches of the country's men’s and women’s national teams to broadcasters and media outlets outside the US.
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As part of the deal, the agency will also sell international rights to the SheBelieves Cup, the annual invitational women’s tournament featuring four national teams, and the US Open Cup men’s knockout club competition.
Neil Glat, Sportfive’s co-president, Americas, said: “US Soccer is driving growth of the sport across the country and is successfully positioning the United States at the forefront of international soccer.
“Soccer fans have an incredible demand for the sport and want to watch the best soccer competitions, wherever they are played. We are thrilled to be helping US Soccer and its teams and competitions get additional exposure across international markets and provide even greater access to the very best of American soccer.”
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The deal comes a month after the renewal of Sportfive's agreement to distribute the international media rights of the United Soccer League (USL), the organizer of the second and third-tier North American men’s competitions.
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By GlobalDataUS Soccer said in 2021 that it would end its long-running relationship with Major League Soccer’s Soccer United Marketing (SUM) and bring its commercial rights in-house from 2023 onwards.
David Wright, US Soccer’s chief commercial officer, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with Sportfive as we continue to increase the accessibility and reach for fans everywhere to support our US National Teams.
“In addition, the opportunity to provide more access for fans globally to enjoy the US Open Cup, SheBelieves Cup, and other US Soccer properties is an important step forward in our continued media evolution.”
In January, US Soccer announced Telemundo Deportes, the US broadcaster owned by media giant NBCUniversal, as its new domestic Spanish-language rights partner in a multi-year deal running through the men’s FIFA 2026 World Cup in North America.
That agreement saw Telemundo replace fellow Spanish-language media giant TelevisaUnivision and covers more than 20 US men’s and women’s national team matches per year, including friendlies, the SheBelieves Cup, and select Concacaf Nations League matches.
The deal also includes coverage of special events and content opportunities leading up to, during, and following the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and the 2026 men’s FIFA World Cup.
Domestic English-language rights to Team USA soccer matches are held by Turner Sports, the sports subsidiary of media giant Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, under an eight-year deal running from 2023 to 2030 worth a reported $200 million.
