CBS Sports has added the US Open Cup knockout competition to its stable of soccer rights, through a multi-year, domestic, tie-up with US Soccer.
Through a multi-media rights deal between that governing body and Paramount-owned CBS Sports, the latter broadcaster becomes the US Open Cup’s exclusive English-language broadcaster through 2026.
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The broadcaster will provide live coverage of the competition (in which, this year, top-tier Major League Soccer clubs will enter at the round of 32 stage) across both its linear and digital platforms, while every single game will be streamed on the Paramount+ over-the-top streaming service.
The first two rounds of this year’s US Open Cup are being streamed live on the US Soccer YouTube channel, while from the third round onwards – at that point, 16 seeded USL Championship clubs will enter – CBS Sports will begin airing games. Select matches will be simulcast on both CBS Sports Network and on CBS Sports Golazo Network.
As well as the games themselves, the coverage will feature studio programming and ancillary content focusing on “markets and clubs in the competition.”
This year’s US Open Cup got underway on March 18, and will run through until the final on October 1.
Last year’s US Open Cup was covered partly by the Apple TV streaming service (on the MLS Season Pass function).
David Wright, chief commercial officer at US Soccer, has now said: “This is an incredible step forward in our service to soccer strategy and to further growing the game which highlights the longest-running and most inclusive soccer tournament in the US."
In terms of US Soccer’s media rights activity, last month the body agreed a deal with Westwood One, the radio network owned by Cumulus Media, to serve as its new domestic English-language audio rights partner.
Dan Weinberg, CBS Sports’ executive vice president of programming, added: "We’re expanding our coverage by making the tournament’s exciting competition more accessible to fans than ever before and further solidifying Paramount+ as the premier destination for soccer in this country.”
CBS Sports holds rights to a number of soccer properties outside the US Open Cup, most notably European men’s club soccer’s prestigious UEFA Champions League. That tie-up runs until 2030.
It also holds rights to a number of games from the domestic National Women’s Soccer League.
