SEATTLE - The United Soccer League, a professional men's soccer league, and TelevisaUnivision, the world's leading Spanish-language media company, announced a media partnership that will bring USL soccer games to Spanish-speaking fans around the United States.
The USL, sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation as a Division II league, has been around since 2010, replacing the North American Soccer League that disappeared that same year.
Up to 20 matches, including the USL Championship final, will air on TUDN and other company networks throughout the remainder of the 2024 season.
As part of the announcement, TelevisaUnivision unveiled that the first 11 regular season matches will air on TUDN, starting off with a doubleheader on Saturday, June 15, featuring clashes between the iconic Indy Eleven and San Antonio FC. After that, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC will face Orange County SC to complete the first slate.
With the exception of July, TUDN and Univision will air at least one USL Championship game per month, with the season culminating with the USL Championship game on Sunday, November 23.
- TelevisaUnivision's full USL Championship schedule is here
Although both parties announced that this partnership would be a landmark multiyear deal, no information has been revealed about Univision's plans for the USL past the 2024 season.
The company is the soccer leader in the United States regardless of language, accounting for more than 50% of soccer viewing on all of television. This summer, the company will add both Copa América 2024 and EURO 2024 to its soccer portfolio.
"The USL Championship is growing every year, and we are thrilled to partner with TelevisaUnivision to continue that growth by bringing the excitement of our top league to a whole new audience," said Court Jeske, USL Chief Commercial Officer in a press release.
With the addition of TelevisaUnion, USL Championship now has deals with CBS Sports, ESPN and other 24 local linear partners to bring its games closer to the fans. Jeske said that their strategic plan is to make USL "the most widely accessible domestic soccer league in the United States."
The USL Championship is currently on its 14th season and just the seventh season under Division II sanctioning. Starting off with 12 teams, the league now counts with 24 teams spread over in two conferences. The regular season lasts from March until October, with the USL Championship Playoffs beginning the last week of October.
The league's outreach has an impact on more than 200 communities across the U.S., making it the largest professional soccer organization in North America. It remains as the first and only soccer organization in the country to have a youth-to-professional pathway for both women and men within one ecosystem, as its structure includes two professional leagues for men and the newly created USL Super League for women, which is set to kick off in August 2024.
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