Fox Sports shares MLS with Africa


Details

Rebecca Hawkes

| 20 November 2015




Major League Soccer (MLS) has expanded its partnership with pay-TV broadcaster Fox Sports to provide US football league matches to sub-Saharan Africa.



Fox Sports Africa will broadcast live MLS matches during the 2015-2018 seasons in 25 countries and territories across Africa. The deal includes at least two live MLS matches per week, the AT&T MLS All-Star Game, the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoff games, and the MLS Cup. In addition, the pay-TV channel will carry highlights, player features and other MLS content across its digital platforms.

“Through our latest agreement, we are able to meet the demand of our fans by showcasing our league in yet another vibrant soccer market. MLS is proud to be the home of top international stars, including many from Africa, such as Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba, Sierra Leone’s Kei Kamara and Nigeria’s Obafemi Martins,” said Gary Stevenson, president and managing director, MLS Business Ventures.

“We’re very excited that this partnership will allow these talented players to be highlighted every week in their home countries, as well as in nearly 140 countries around the world through our many broadcast partnerships.”

The partnership between Fox and MLS already includes the US, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

“The world class professionals in the American league, including many from the best footballing nations in Africa, will have a platform on Fox Sports to stay connected to an increasing global fan base. I am thrilled to extend the Fox Sports partnership with MLS,” said Adam Theiler, EVP of Fox International Channels (FIC) UK, Nordic, Southern Europe and Africa.

MLS is already broadcast by Sky Sports in the UK, pan-European broadcaster Eurosport, Globosat in Brazil, Abu Dhabi Media in MENA, Letv Sports in mainland China, beIN SPORTS across Southeast Asia and Australia, FOX Sports Latin America and Fox Sports Africa, together with ESPN for select games across their international platforms. ESPN, Fox, Univision, TSN and RDS provide MLS coverage in the US and Canada.