Five-time UEFA Champions League winning football club FC Barcelona has appointed IMG as its master licensee in Southeast Asia to develop a consumer products programme for fans in the region.
Part of the club’s broader merchandising strategy and evolution into a global lifestyle brand, the multi-year deal will see IMG focus on lifestyle and fashion apparel, accessories, luggage and bags, gift and novelty, homeware and textiles, and digital and tech product categories.
Miki Yamamoto, SVP of Licensing, IMG, commented: “FC Barcelona is one of the most recognised football clubs in the world and there’s huge untapped potential for brand extension in Southeast Asia, particularly in countries like Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, where football has always been extremely popular. This, combined with Barça fans’ unwavering passion for the club and desire to show support for their team, presents extensive licensing opportunities in the region.”
Barça Licensing and Merchandising (BLM) is working with leading companies like IMG to expand FC Barcelona’s lifestyle footprint and provide a 360-degree merchandising experience for Barça fans around the world.
Cloud monetisation application provider Cudos is partnering with purpose driven esports organisation LDN UTD at its latest event, “All Access Gaming”, at state-of-the-art venue Samsung KX, in partnership with the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, on November 13th.
LDN UTD will broadcast “All Access Gaming” live on Twitch to showcase health and wellbeing in esports, with top UK streamers and talent participating. The event will be hosted by Chelcee Grimes (@chelceegrimes 72,000 followers) and joined by creators including ItsHaber (@itshaber 409,600 followers), Itani (@itani 960,000 followers), and pop star Connor Ball (@thevampscon 2,658,300 followers), alongside others to be announced in due course.
Top talent will go head to head in a Fifa22 challenge and compete to showcase who is the best. Interviews will occur throughout the event with the talent on the subject of their health and wellbeing journeys, and a panel discussion will conclude the event, allowing the audience at Samsung KX and the Twitch chat to ask top UK creators about their journeys. The event will be streamed live on Twitch, at twitch.tv/ldnutd.
“Bringing Cudos into the LDN UTD family, starting with All Access Gaming, is an endorsement for the approach we are taking as a tech led purpose driven esports org. The NFT campaign launch received a fantastic response and we look forward to building out our roadmap with the support of the Cudos infrastructure and team.” said Oliver Weingarten, Founder and CEO of LDN UTD.
As part of the partnership, Cudos will collaborate with LDN UTD to conduct an exciting bundle giveaway for the Twitch viewers watching the event on the 13th of November. This will be a Cudo Bundle consisting of a £100 in gaming vouchers, a controller signed by pop star Connor Ball, and an Xbox gaming console.
Over $1 trillion is spent annually on IT hardware. Yet up to 50% of the time, this infrastructure is sat there either idle or turned off. Cudos allows its users to earn whilst renting this spare compute power through the Cudos Network. To read more about the Cudos ecosystem, our mission, and progress, then click here.
The team is joined by world-class advisors, including the Ex-President of Sony Playstation, Chris Deering and the Director of Blockchain at AMD, Jörg Roskowetz, with the same unified objective: to make better use of the world’s computing power.
The Cudos application allows users to monetise their spare compute power by upcycling it to better use with a mission to empower people and organisations to earn by contributing to the world’s computing and making it cheaper, more sustainable and more accessible.
Cudos is always keen to hear from distributed data centres and service providers, so get in touch if you are interested. Additionally, if you want to make the most of your CUDOS tokens, you can stake them on Cudos’ platform, help secure the network, and earn rewards.
“Esports has exploded in growth globally over the past decade, and the team at LDN UTD are at the forefront of merging the billions of global gamers with the hyper scaling NFT market. The combination of gamification and blockchain play2earn will create new communities of web3 adoption. Furthermore, they share a similar ethos of using tech for good, with a portion of their platform revenues going to the Rio Ferdinand Foundation to support youth and community development in the heart of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities” ” commented Pete Hill, Vice President of Sales at Cudos.
World Table Tennis (WTT) has today expanded its broadcast footprint across Mainland China and Macao through a ground-breaking agreement with MIGU, the streaming subsidiary of China Mobile, China’s leading telecommunications company. This four-year partnership signifies a major breakthrough for WTT in terms of media rights in the history of table tennis, further highlighting the sport’s remarkable growth and burgeoning market value in recent years.
As part of the strategic partnership, MIGU will become the exclusive media partner of WTT in China, with full media rights in Mainland China and Macao Special Administrative Region, as well as exclusive production rights using new technologies such as 4K, 8K, VR and AI. At the same time, both parties will jointly formulate and release a “5G smart venue guide for WTT events” to further promote the digitalisation of table tennis events through “5G + table tennis”. The unprecedented deal also includes the opportunity to leverage MIGU’s expertise in 4K, 8K, AI, VR, and 5G, plus further innovations that will be reflected in production and other areas of WTT Events.
Table tennis fans in China can now enjoy all WTT events on MIGU Video, China Mobile Mo Bai He and other MIGU platforms. They can look forward to the much anticipated and prestigious 2021 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships in Houston, USA, starting on 23 November.
The relationship will build on the mammoth success of the Chinese team at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where Table Tennis broke all viewing and social records inside China.
WTT Council Chair and President of the Chinese Table Tennis Association Liu Guoliang, said: “Table tennis is one of the most popular sports in China. This partnership with China Mobile MIGU will deliver more table tennis content to fans in China, so that they can watch their national heroes and favourite stars in action, anytime, anywhere.”
International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Group CEO and WTT Director Steve Dainton said: “This is a significant deal for WTT as it’s the largest deal to date in China for table tennis with such a big player in the sports broadcasting world. Through this partnership with China Mobile MIGU, WTT will be established as one of the powerhouse sports properties in China through their growing platform and, at the same time, enables us to continue with our long-term partners. We look forward to working with MIGU to welcome the new era of table tennis to our Chinese fans.”
China has long been a dominant force in table tennis, with Olympic champions Ma Long and Chen Meng currently spearheading the country’s charge on the global stage.
Fan interest in table tennis in China remains high, with the 2020 GlobalWebIndex study indicating that there are 250 million avid fans in the country, 67% of whom are millennials or younger. WTT and MIGU will work closely together to increase the volume of fans and convert them into WTT fans on MIGU’s platform.
General Manager of China Mobile MIGU Liu Xin said: “As the world’s largest communication operator, China Mobile seeks to actively build a ubiquitous and integrated computing network, develop digital intelligence innovation, and promote 5G for the public, industries and scale development. As a digital content expert under China Mobile, MIGU is committed to creating a better life for all through culture + technology. Through this partnership with WTT, we perfectly integrate exciting table tennis content with China Mobile’s extensive user base, cutting edge technology and rich experience in event operation. Together, we will work towards the digital transformation of the table tennis industry, convey China’s sporting spirit and prowess, and realise the dream of being a sports powerhouse.”
IMG manages the global distribution of broadcast rights for all WTT events and TV production coverage.
World Table Tennis (WTT), the commercial arm of the ITTF Group, is delighted to announce that Liebherr will again line up as a brand partner of the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships Finals.
Liebherr has partnered with the World Table Tennis Championships since 2003 and will join the prestigious event where the star-studded field featuring the world’s best players compete to lift the coveted trophies to become World Champions.
Liebherr is a globally operating family-owned technology company that offers products and services for many industries, including construction and domestic appliances. They have been a significant supporter of table tennis for over 20 years and the title sponsor for many top-tier ITTF events, including the World Championships in Düsseldorf, Germany (2017), Halmstad, Sweden (2018) and Budapest, Hungary (2019).
With the 2020 World Table Tennis Championships impacted by the pandemic, fans and players await the 2021 World Championships Finals with much anticipation.
The event will occur in the Americas for the first time at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, from 23 to 29 November 2021.
It is also the first of its kind in the new format of the World Table Tennis Championships. It will feature 128 players in singles and 64 pairs in each of the doubles competitions competing in a straight knockout format for the right to be crowned world champions.
Andreas BÖHM, Managing Director of Liebherr-International AG, said: “We are delighted to be involved in sponsoring the World Table Tennis Championships Finals in Houston. The USA is an important market for Liebherr, and we look forward to seeing the best players in the world competing at the top level again as well as showcasing our brand and products through on-site and digital activations with the ITTF Group and Event Organisers.”
Jonny COWAN, Europe General Manager of World Table Tennis, said: “We are very proud of our long-term relationship with Liebherr, including the strength in brand partnership created over many years at multiple World Championships. We look forward to taking the event to the USA for the first time and activating with the Liebherr team both in-market and globally through our media, social, and digital reach.”
Odds On Compliance, the industry-leading technology and consultancy firm specializing in sports betting, iGaming and gambling compliance and regulatory frameworks in the USA and abroad, has announced the appointment of marketing expert Ashley Dabb as Director of Marketing & Business Development with immediate effect. Dabb brings over a decade of sports marketing experience to Odds On Compliance that includes eight years with MLS team the Philadelphia Union where she was Vice President, Marketing & Communications; three years as the Chief Marketing Officer with the National Lacrosse League; and two years running communications for the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Dabb is currently a Professor of Sports Marketing at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and she will combine her teaching position at Saint Joseph’s University with her role with Odds On Compliance for the foreseeable future.
“I am very pleased to welcome Ashley to Odds On Compliance, bringing extensive experience, knowledge and contacts to Odds On at an exciting time of our development,” announced Eric Frank, CEO and Founder of Odds On Compliance. “Ashley is a well-respected marketing expert who will help Odds On develop our brand messaging and go-to-market promotional strategies, for both our tech arm and the consultancy service. I would like to thank Saint Joseph’s University for giving Ashley the flexibility to add Odds On to her schedule, and am looking forward to working with her and our whole team as we build out our marketing plans in more detail.
“I am delighted to be joining Odds On Compliance at such a time of critical growth for the business,” added Dabb. “Eric [Frank] and Eric Weiss (Odds On Compliance Vice President, Technical Compliance), are creating the market leading business focused on compliance and regulatory frameworks in the gaming industry, so this is an exciting time to join the Odds On team. I also want to thank Saint Joe’s for allowing me to continue to bring more real-world and industry experience to the classroom to continue to enrich the students’ learning.”
Dabb is currently a Visiting Sports Marketing Professor at Saint Joseph’s University where she teaches sports marketing, esports marketing, sports selling and sales to graduate and undergraduate students, and works with industry professionals to place Saint Joseph’s University’s best and brightest as student interns. Prior to joining Saint Joseph’s, Dabb served as the Senior Communications Manager for the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and as the Chief Marketing Officer for the National Lacrosse League (NLL). She joined the NLL after nearly a decade with the Philadelphia Union, Major League Soccer’s 16th franchise, where she served as the Vice President of Marketing and Communications.
A graduate of Saint Joseph’s University (B.S.), Neumann University (M.S.), and Rutgers Law School (J.D.), Dabb has been recognized for her outstanding achievements as a recipient of the Leaders 40 Under 40 Marketing and Communications award in 2017, and in 2018 was named on the Forbes list of Women to Watch.
Ligue Nationale de Handball (LNH) and beIN SPORTS France have today extended their broadcasting agreement for 3 additional seasons. With the current deal due to expire in 2023, the new agreement means that the partnership which began in 2014 will continue until at least 2026.
As part of their agreement, beIN SPORTS and the LNH will jointly provide comprehensive coverage of all men’s professional handball competitions. beIN SPORTS will produce three games a round from the Liqui Moly StarLigue*, as well as broadcasting the matches on beIN’s premium channels.
Additionally, LNH will manage production of the remaining matches** which will be accessible via the lnh.fr platform.
News of the renewal of the agreement comes just months after the French men’s and women’s teams secured handball gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, meaning beIN SPORTS viewers will get to enjoy many of France’s Olympians in action across their platforms.
Florent Houzot, Director of Programs and On Air at beIN SPORTS France: “We are delighted to continue this emblematic partnership with the LNH until 2026. Since 2014, beIN SPORTS has been supporting the development of the clubs, league and more widely the sport across France. Together, through reflections, innovations but also realistic objectives, we have been able to enhance the championship within a long-term strategy. With qualified editorial treatment and exemplary production, but also by providing coverage of the championship to as many people as possible, we position ourselves as a true partner of the rights holder, as with each of our acquisitions. This partnership also allows beIN SPORTS to significantly consolidate its premium omnisport offering to the viewers.”
David Tebib, President of the LNH: “In a world of sport where TV rights agreements are frequently called into question, the constant scope extension of our agreements is a formidable signal. It provides professional men’s handball with the visibility it needs to continue and accelerate its development. It also reflects a mutual trust that has grown steadily since the arrival of beIN SPORTS by our side in 2014. With our official broadcaster, we can see the future in a big way, and work in close consultation on the possible creation of a common OTT offer, in order to guarantee fans an ever richer hand pro experience, adapted to changes in the consumption of sport in the media. “
This deal further strengthens beIN SPORTS’ long-term and leading position in France. beIN SPORTS’ incredible rights portfolio in France includes the UEFA Champions League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga, other European leagues and African football, the FIFA World Cup 2022, Wimbledon and WTA tennis, the NBA, NFL, the rugby European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup; alongside a variety of other handball, swimming, rugby, boxing, e-sports rights and much more.
The European Tour group and DP World today jointly announced a ground-breaking evolution to their long-term partnership, with DP World becoming the new title sponsor of the group’s main tour from the start of the 2022 season.
The agreement heralds a new era in the history of the European Tour group, which, along with DP World, will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2022, the first season of the newly named DP World Tour.
Today’s announcement represents a significant deal in terms of global sports partnerships, with DP World’s substantial commitment dedicated to three key areas: elevating the Tour in every way, growing the game of golf globally, and driving positive community impact.
The new look DP World Tour will see total prize money break through the $200 million mark for the first time, with a new minimum prize fund of $2 million for all tournaments solely sanctioned by the DP World Tour.
In 2022, the DP World Tour will represent a truly global tour through an international schedule, that will feature a minimum of 47 tournaments in 27 different countries, including new tournaments in the UAE, Japan, South Africa and Belgium and an expanded Rolex Series comprising five events: the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, the Genesis Scottish Open, the BMW PGA Championship and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
For the first time, it will also feature three tournaments co-sanctioned with the PGA TOUR – the aforementioned Genesis Scottish Open, as well as the Barbasol Championship and the Barracuda Championship taking place in the United States – as a result of the Strategic Alliance between male professional golf’s two leading Tours. To view the full 2022 schedule, please click here.
The European Tour and DP World were both established in 1972 and have since developed into global enterprises with DP World, which is headquartered in Dubai, evolving into the leading provider of global smart end-to-end supply chain and logistics solutions.
DP World’s association with the European Tour spans more than a decade, first becoming a presenting partner of the European Tour’s Race to Dubai finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates in its inaugural year in 2009, before the Rolex Series event was renamed the DP World Tour Championship in 2012. It was in this year that DP World became the tournament’s title partner.
DP World then became an Official Partner of the European Tour in 2015, and they will now become the Official Title Partner of the Tour from the start of the 2022 season, which begins with the Joburg Open in South Africa, from November 22-25.
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour group, said: “Today’s announcement is undoubtedly a momentous one in the proud history of our Tour. The launch of the DP World Tour in 2022, coinciding with both of our 50th anniversaries, will herald a new era in global golf, and crucially it will benefit everybody involved – all our players, caddies, fans and partners – as well as making an important contribution to wider society.
“The entire ecosystem of our Tour will be strengthened because of this hugely significant deal, and that was essential to us and to DP World, who have been an incredible supporter of our Tour as well as golf more widely, from grassroots through to the elite professional game.
“The DP World Tour is, therefore, a natural evolution of our decade-long partnership, and the presence of ‘World’ in our new title better reflects our global reach.”
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, said: “DP World has been a partner of the European Tour for over a decade. Our long-standing partnership has provided an excellent platform to engage with customers, prospects, and stakeholders, and build our brand. We have relished the opportunity to support the Tour in growing the game of golf and improving access to the sport at all levels. The key to this success has been and will continue to be the shared vision and values that underpin the partnership.
“We both have a global mindset, are committed to inclusivity, and invest in new technologies to stay competitive – attributes which today become the fundamental principles of the DP World Tour. As the leading provider of smart logistics solutions worldwide, we will use our people, assets, and connectivity to help grow the Tour further and change what’s possible in golf.”
Jay Monahan, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR and Board Member of the European Tour, added; “Thanks to the support of long-standing partner DP World, today’s announcement significantly elevates the European Tour on a global basis. We are excited for the continued growth and evolution of the European Tour, as well as the momentum this provides toward our Strategic Alliance. I’ve said before that our respective Tours are positioned to grow – together – over the next 10 years faster than we ever have at any point in our existence, and today’s announcement is another point of proof in those efforts.”
The XFL and its ownership group, consisting of Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson and RedBird Capital Partners, are excited to announce the addition of nine executive hires as the league prepares for its highly anticipated return to the field in 2023. Joining and returning to the league are:
Russ Brandon, President, League and Football Operations
Rob Gerbe, Chief Financial Officer
Jordan Schlachter, Chief Business Officer
Janet Duch, Chief Marketing and Content Officer
Marc Ross, Executive Vice President, Football Operations
Doug Whaley, Senior Vice President, Player Personnel
Scott Harniman, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Technology
Jay Rothman, Senior Vice President, Broadcast Operations
Cindy Wagner, Senior Vice President, People Operations
“These exceptional and talented executives encompass a deep skill set that aligns with our commitment to delivering an exceptional football universe experience, as well as our shared passion for bringing the XFL back stronger than before,” said Dany Garcia, XFL Chairwoman and Co-Owner. “Our team’s experience across varying professional sports leagues and brands will enable us to deliver an experience for our fans, athletes and partners that represents today’s evolution of ‘best-in-class’. A tremendous amount of work has already been done with more exciting news to come as we prepare for 2023.”
Brief bios of the executives can be found below:
Russ Brandon is a longtime NFL veteran, holding various positions within the Bills organization for over 20 years. Before joining the XFL, Russ worked as an executive advisor to RedBird Capital Partners for its investment in the XFL. Prior to that, Russ was most recently Managing Partner and President of the Buffalo Bills, President and Alternate Governor on the Sabres and COO of Pegula Sports and Entertainment (PSE), managing all aspects of the day-to-day business and administrative operations of the three entities. In his new role as President, Russ will manage day-to-day operations of the league while directing strategic planning for business and football operations on both the league and team levels.
Rob Gerbe joins the XFL as Chief Financial Officer, where he will oversee financial operations of the league and its teams to provide strategic financial insights on all facets of the business. Rob will lead all financial and accounting matters, including reporting, planning and forecasting, to drive analytical decision making, support revenue growth, cost management and profitability metrics. Rob joins the XFL most recently from the NBA, where he served as Senior Vice President, Team & Labor Finance. Rob will report to Russ Brandon.
Jordan Schlachter is returning to the XFL as Chief Business Officer, overseeing business partnerships, sponsorship revenue and relationships, licensing, merchandising distribution, and media partner business and sales. Schlachter joined the XFL in April 2019, where he served as the Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer. In this role, he managed nearly all revenue sources (non-ticketing), marketing functions and communications for the league and its eight teams. He negotiated the league’s most significant partnerships, including those with Bud Light Seltzer and Progressive Insurance, created the first-ever football helmet sticker sponsor program. Jordan will report to Russ Brandon.
Janet Duch returns to the XFL as the league’s Chief Marketing and Content Officer where she will lead marketing, digital and business intelligence functions. She is responsible for the development of campaigns, content and experiences across all platforms and the data insights used to enhance fan engagement and maximize opportunities for business growth. Additionally, Duch oversees the XFL’s ticketing strategy and gameday operations across each team market, while also building out the league’s team services function. Janet joined the XFL in 2019 as the President of the New York Guardians, while also overseeing performance marketing for the league and its 8 teams. Janet will report to Russ Brandon.
Marc Ross joins the XFL as Executive Vice President of Football Operations, where he is responsible for all aspects of football operations, including rules and gameplay, logistics and league planning, as well as innovation, data and analytics. Marc has over 20 years of professional football experience working across both league and team levels within the NFL. He is also a current analyst on NFL Network. Marc will report to Russ Brandon.
Doug Whaley returns to the XFL as Senior Vice President of Player Personnel, where he will oversee player scouting, recruiting, compensation, growth and career development. Doug first joined the XFL in 2018 as Senior Vice President of Football Operations, where he assisted in the all aspects of creating of the eight-team spring football league and rules innovation. Doug brings over 20 years of NFL player personnel and football executive experience. Doug will report to Marc Ross.
Scott Harniman returns to the XFL as Senior Vice President, Enterprise Technology and is responsible for all functions of Information Technology and overseeing the XFL’s technology strategy, infrastructure buildout and delivering best-in-class systems to support the entire league. In addition, Scott will shape the football technology program by promoting innovation across emerging platforms. Scott will report to Russ Brandon.
Jay Rothman joins the XFL as Senior Vice President, Broadcast Operations where he will oversee all broadcast operations with our partners, administration and game productions including, original programming, studio production and event coverage. He brings over 30 years of live event and studio production experience to the league, most recently working at ESPN as Vice President of Production. Jay will report to Russ Brandon.
Cindy Wagner returns to the XFL as Senior Vice President, People Operations where she is responsible for establishing Human Resources and administrative functions while also providing strategic leadership to develop a world-class organization that promotes a culture of inclusivity, growth and innovation. She first joined the league in 2019 as Senior Director of People and Culture, Cindy will report to Russ Brandon.
UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, and The Memento Group (TMG), a global leader in sports memorabilia and licensed products, today announced a multi-year partnership in which TMG will become the global distributor of officially licensed UFC memorabilia. The agreement was brokered by UFC’s licensing agency IMG.
Under the terms of the agreement, TMG will offer fans access to exclusive, limited edition and rare pieces of UFC event memorabilia, from fight-worn gloves and fight kits, to fight night posters and photographs signed by their favorite UFC athletes. Items will be hologramed, registered digitally, and accompanied with a certificate of authenticity as confirmation of their source. All products will be contained within premium packaging for the ultimate customer experience.
“We are thrilled to welcome The Memento Group as our new global memorabilia partner,” said Tracey Bleczinski, Senior Vice President, UFC Global Consumer Products. “The memorabilia business is a priority because these products are such authentic touch points for fans to stay connected to UFC and truly own the moment. With TMG’s expertise in this space, we are confident fans will appreciate the quality, authenticity and value of each piece of UFC memorabilia that TMG offers.”
Philip Danglidis, Commercial Director of The Memento Group, commented: “UFC is a truly global sporting phenomenon, and we are delighted to be embarking with them on this exciting new journey – one that will bring fans even closer to the sport they love via the opportunity to own certified and authenticated memorabilia. Our proven track record not only assures customers that they are getting the genuine article, but with our guaranteed methods of authentication, we also help to protect their investment.
“UFC has a worldwide fanbase estimated at more than 625 million people, and it’s now clearly one of the Big Four in terms of popularity in the U.S. The appeal of UFC is growing year on year. As such, the potential for this partnership is colossal. This announcement is only the beginning of what’s to come, and we look forward to revealing more in 2022 and beyond.”
On January 1, 2022, UFC and TMG will launch an online store that will serve as a dedicated marketplace for UFC fans to shop hundreds of ready-to-buy items or trade unique UFC-licensed products, providing a secure, trustworthy platform for buyers. The website will also allow fans to bid for UFC memorabilia by auction. The website, which will be built and managed by TMG, will provide a single point solution for all UFC official memorabilia.
CBS Sports will be the official U.S. home of Barclays FA Women’s Super League. CBS Sports and the English Football Association announced a multiyear deal for CBS Sports to become the exclusive U.S. English-language rights holder of the FAWSL. Matches will appear across Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network, with coverage during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 WSL seasons beginning in the summer of 2022.
Fans will be able to watch 57 WSL matches during both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. CBS Sports Network will air a select number of those matches exclusively, with the majority streaming on Paramount+.
“The Barclays FA Women’s Super League features some of the most recognizable soccer brands in the world and is an excellent addition to CBS Sports’ premium soccer portfolio,” said Dan Weinberg, Executive Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports. “We look forward to bringing the exciting action of the BFAWSL to fans across Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network. With our wide array of soccer properties and robust year-round match coverage, we are a must-have for soccer fans.”
The Barclays FA Women’s Super League was launched in 2011 as an eight team, semi-professional competition. Over the past decade the league has become fully professional and is now home to 12 clubs, and features stars from across the globe.
U.S. Women’s National midfielder Tobin Heath currently plays with Arsenal, and Australian star forward Sam Kerr, the all-time leading scorer in NWSL history, is playing with Chelsea. The WSL campaign runs from September through May, with Chelsea the current league title holders. Within the ten previous seasons, Chelsea have won the league title four times, Arsenal three times, Liverpool twice and Manchester City once.
“We are delighted to be partnering with CBS Sports for the next two seasons and are looking forward to the coverage they beam to households across the United States,” said James Ralley, The Football Association’s Head of Broadcast and Media Rights. “Their delivery of soccer, whether men’s or women’s, is of the highest quality and their reputation within the industry is one that is growing rapidly. We look forward to working with them over the next few years.”
Also home to the National Women’s Soccer League, the Barclays FA Women’s Super League is just the latest edition to women’s soccer programming available on CBS Sports platforms. CBS audiences and subscribers can access UEFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying, NWSL, The Women’s Cup, Concacaf women’s World Cup Qualifiers and women’s Nations League, and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup — which also serves as qualifiers for the 2023 FIFA women’s World Cup.
