Florida Cup Reaches Landmark Broadcast Agreement with ESPN

Florida Cup Reaches Landmark Broadcast Agreement with ESPN

Global sports leader to air matches in U.S., Latin America;

Will expand event’s reach to Oceania for the first time since 2015

ORLANDO, Fla. – Dec. 21, 2017 – The Florida Cup, the largest annual celebration of international soccer in the Sunshine State, today announced it has reached a new landmark broadcast agreement with ESPN that will further expand the event’s reach around the world. ESPN will air all eight matches of the 2018 Florida Cup across its family of networks in the following regions: the United States (Spanish); Mexico and Central America; Caribbean Islands; South America, except for Brazil; and for the first time since 2015, Oceania.

This is the most comprehensive broadcast agreement in the event’s history, demonstrating the Florida Cup’s growing popularity and prestige as the preeminent preseason international tournament in the U.S. In the U.S. and Mexico, all eight Florida Cup matches will stream live in Spanish on the ESPN app and ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s Spanish-language network serving U.S. Hispanics, will air select matches.  In Latin America, The Florida Cup will air on ESPN linear networks and stream live on ESPNPlay.

“We continue to reach new heights with the 2018 Florida Cup and kickoff is still a month away,” said CEO Ricardo Villar. “This new agreement with ESPN marks another major milestone in the event’s history, and brings the thrill and excitement of the Florida Cup to a broader audience around the world.  Soccer fans will tune in and see why Orlando and Central Florida are the home of international soccer.”

“We are pleased to add the Florida Cup to ESPN’s extensive roster of soccer events in the U.S., Latin America, Caribbean, and Oceania,” said Tim Bunnell, senior vice president of production, programming, marketing and advertising sales, ESPN International. “The Florida Cup has quickly become a global pre-season tournament and one of the most popular international soccer events played on U.S. soil and we’re thrilled to showcase all the matches to soccer fans across ESPN platforms.” 

The Florida Cup will kick off at Orlando City Stadium with the first ever meeting between Brazil’s SC Corinthians and Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven featuring Mexican international Hirving “Chucky” Lozano on January 10, and Brazil’s Clube Atlético Mineiro against the legendary Rangers FC from Scotland . on January 11. The event returns to Spectrum Stadium at the University of Central Florida, with marquee matchups between PSV and Fluminense of Brazil, the Scotland’s Rangers FC versus Brazil’s SC Corinthians on Jan. 13, and Atlético Nacional against Atlético Mineiro on Jan. 14.

It will be a battle of loyal fans in South Florida as Barcelona SC, Ecuador’s most popular club, face Legia Warsaw, one of the most loyally supported clubs in Poland, at Central Broward Stadium on January 13. Al Lang Stadium, home of the USL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies, will host the final match of the Florida Cup in St. Petersburg on January 20 when Legia Warsaw face Atlético Nacional of Medellin.

About The Florida Cup:

The Florida Cup is the largest annual international celebration of soccer held in the Sunshine State. A global platform that combines sports and entertainment, the event draws the best international clubs with a world-wide fan base, leading international sponsors like adidas, Lennar Homes and Universal Orlando Resorts, and is broadcast live across to over 140 countries on five continents. The 2018 event will feature popular soccer clubs from Europe and Latin America such as Rangers FC from Scotland, PSV Eindhoven from the Netherlands, Poland’s Legia Warsaw, Atlético Nacional of Colombia, Barcelona SC of Ecuador, and Brazilian powerhouses including 2017 Serie A Champions SC Corinthians. The world’s premier players and passionate fans will convene in Central Florida January 10 – 20, 2018 for a final pre-season tune-up and to kick off a World Cup year.

For more information on the Florida Cup including tickets, visit www.floridacup.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About ESPN:

ESPN, Inc. is the leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring the broadest portfolio of sports assets with over 50 business entities. Based in Bristol, Conn., ESPN’s headquarters includes 950,000 square feet in 16 buildings on 123 acres (116 contiguous), with additional office space (400,000 sq. ft.) rented nearby. The company is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.  The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.