NEW YORK (Tuesday, August 14, 2012) — The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced today that it has signed a four-year agreement with FOX Soccer to broadcast the CONCACAF Gold Cup and CONCACAF Champions League.
The deal starts with the current Champions League season, continuing through the 2015-2016 edition. It also covers the 2013 and 2015 Gold Cups, giving FOX Soccer exclusive English-language rights in the United States to both of CONCACAF’s showpiece events.
“We are extremely proud to continue our partnership with FOX Soccer,” said CONCACAF President, Jeffrey Webb. “CONCACAF is committed to organizing great tournaments that showcase many of the best players in the world.
“The incredible success of our teams at the Olympics demonstrates the deep pool of talent that our member associations are developing throughout the confederation. Our agreement with FOX Soccer offers us the stage to present that talent to the American audience.”
FOX Soccer has the option of broadcasting all Champions League and Gold Cup matches through its wide array of multimedia platforms that also includes FOX Soccer Plus and FOXSoccer2Go.com. This component of the agreement also allows for on-demand access to all matches and highlights, providing FOX Soccer’s fan base exclusive access to the region’s top domestic competitions.
“Our new agreement with CONCACAF comes at a time when soccer in our region of the world is better than ever, with both Gold medal winners from this year’s Olympic Games hailing from North America,” said FOX Soccer Executive Vice President and General Manager David Nathanson. “Providing unparalleled access to our region’s top competitions adds to FOX Soccer’s comprehensive portfolio of premier global properties.”
The CONCACAF Champions League, inaugurated in the 2008-09 season, is the confederation’s annual club championship. It features 24 teams from each of CONCACAF’s three sub-regions — North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Monterrey has captured the last two championships, overcoming the USA’s Real Salt Lake (2011) and fellow Mexican club Santos (2012) 3-2 on aggregate on both occasions.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup, started in 1991, is the confederation’s biennial championship for national teams that is contested in odd-numbered years. It is a 12-team event that is played in 13 different cities across the United States with countries qualifying from CONCACAF’s three regions. Mexico has won the tournament a record six times, including the last competition in 2011, when it defeated the United States 4-2 in the final before a crowd of 93,420 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
“The Gold Cup is one of the world’s most successful continental competitions for national teams and the Champions League has experienced sensational growth in a short period of time,” Webb commented. “We want to keep moving forward on both fronts and are delighted that FOX Soccer will be with us every step of the way.”
For an event photo, click here.
About CONCACAF
CONCACAF “The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football” is one of six continental confederations of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) and serves as the governing body of football in this part of the world. It is composed of 40 national associations, from Canada in the north to Guyana, Surinam and French Guyana in the south.
ABOUT FOX SOCCER & FOX SOCCER PLUS
FOX Soccer, part of the FOX Sports Media Group, offers the most comprehensive multi-media coverage of world-class soccer available in the United States. Encompassing FOX Soccer, FOX Soccer Plus, FOXSoccer.com and FOX Soccer 2Go, the network serves as the primary television, online, and mobile smart phone and tablet destination in the U.S. for elite competitions including England’s Barclays Premier League and FA Cup, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, the Scottish Premier League, and the Australian Hyundai A-League in addition to such prestigious tournaments as the CONCACAF Champions League and CONCACAF Gold Cup, as well as the future home of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Flagship FOX Soccer is Nielsen-rated and available to service providers in High-Definition, reaching more than 40 million cable and satellite households nationwide. FOX Soccer Plus is a premium network providing the core fan with even more international and domestic high-level sports competitions in HD. In addition to live, exclusive soccer matches from the best leagues in the world, FOX Soccer Plus delivers premium rugby from the RaboDirect PRO 12 League, Aviva Premiership and Heineken Cup, among other competitions. Additionally, FOX Soccer Plus carries the world’s top rugby league competitions, including Australia’s National Rugby League and State of Origin Series, along with Europe’s Stobart Super League and Carnegie Challenge Cup. Plus is also home to rugby league’s World Club Challenge and the Australian Football League. Live match coverage is available for fans on-the-go via premium broadband service FOX Soccer 2Go, available online and via mobile and tablet applications. For more information – as well as news, features, analysis stats and more – visit one of America’s most-visited online soccer destinations at FOXSoccer.com, and the network’s Facebook page and Twitter feed (@FOXSoccer).
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