The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has struck a multi-platform broadcast arrangement with CBS Sports for the exclusive rights to AFC competitions in the US.
The deal, brokered by Football Marketing Asia, will see the US media giant’s Paramount+ streaming service carry exclusive coverage of the AFC Champions League, AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023.
Furthermore, Paramount+ will deliver club and national team matches live between 2021 and 2024, including the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar Final Round, where Asia’s top 12 nations will compete to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“Offering matches from this expansive region provides even more value by delivering year-round soccer coverage at a time of day where the sport traditionally isn’t offered to American fans,” said Jeffrey Gerttula, CBS Sports Digital Executive Vice President and General Manager.
In addition, CBS Sports Digital will deliver additional coverage and original programming and feature highlights across social channels and CBS Sports HQ, the 24/7 streaming sports news network.
AFC General Secretary, Dato’ Windsor John, noted: “The AFC is delighted to enter into this partnership with CBS Sports, which represents another progressive step towards increasing the visibility and consumption of the AFC’s competitions beyond our continent.
“We look forward to working with CBS Sports in growing the fanbase of the AFC’s world-class competitions in the vibrant North American market as well as in the AFC’s territories in Guam and Northern Mariana Islands and we thank them for believing in the future of Asian football.”
CBS Sports’ coverage of the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup edition, which also serves as the qualifiers for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, begins in 2022, while coverage of the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 begins in June 2023.
The agreement also includes rights in Canada and Bermuda as well as certain overseas US territories, which include the AFC Member Associations, Guam and Northern Mariana Islands.
