NET GAINS
CBS Sports in major broadcasting change and showing 250 games for new sporting venture in historic multi-million deal
A number of EFL clubs have North American investors
RYAN Reynolds' Wrexham AFC has a new TV home in the United States.
CBS Sports has acquired the rights to the English Football League and Carabao Cup in a four-year, multi-million dollar deal.
5
5
5
The EFL previously aired on ESPN platforms in the States.
As part of the agreement, CBS will air at least 250 matches across the Championship, League One, Two, Carabao Cup and EFL Trophy.
Matches will be mainly aired on streaming service Paramount+, with some on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.
The EFL has a number of North American investors, including Wrexham AFC (Reynolds and Rob McElhenney), Birmingham City (Tom Brady) and Burnley (JJ Watt).
Read more on CBS Sports
Relevent Sports negotiated the sale of the rights on behalf of the EFL.
“ESPN wanted to keep the product,” Relevent chief executive Daniel Sillman told The Athletic.
“That’s what made for a number of interesting conversations in terms of finding the best fit for the EFL, in that they were fortunate to have demand from multiple suitors."
CBS Sports also has the rights to the Uefa Champions League and Europa League, Serie A, NWSL USL, Scottish Premiership and Concacaf events in the States.
Most read in Soccer
"We wanted the right partner for the EFL that’s going to market the league in a way that has not been done, historically," Sillman added.
"We don’t want it just to sit on a streaming service and sit behind other sports or other football products.
Kate Abdo beams on CBS Sports as Micah Richards says she’s ‘gone up a notch’ and pokes fun of Carragher’s ‘dodgy moment’
"We wanted somebody that was going to market it, and we knew from our experience with Paramount on Uefa Champions League, Europa League and Conference League that they use the Golazo show to really tell great stories about the clubs and the players.”
A key selling point in the EFL is Wrexham, who have gained a huge presence in the States after the takeover by Reynolds and McElhenney.
Wrexham gained promotion to League One last season.
“We’re all pumped up about this EFL deal. It’s been a target of ours for a little while," CBS executive vice president Dan Weinberg told The Athletic.
"There’s a lot of pedigree and history here. Any time you look at a league that’s over 130 years old, it raises your eyebrows.
"You’re talking about passionate fanbases — some of the oldest in the sport.
5
5
"We really like that aspect of it.
“We also really like the Carabao Cup. The format really resonates in this country.
Read More on The US Sun
"The one-and-done format, in the U.S. market, people love: there’s 92 clubs (in that competition) and everybody’s got a shot."
CBS has yet to announce its studio talent and commentary teams for the EFL.