Sky Sports signs MLS deal
February 25, 2015
By Nik Roseveare
Sky Sports has won the rights to broadcast exclusively live Major League Soccer (MLS) from the US for the first time. The four-year MLS deal begins in March.
With former England captain Steven Gerrard announcing he will sign for LA Galaxy in July, and Frank Lampard set to join New York City this summer, Sky Sports will be the only place to follow the fortunes of two Premier League legends in the US.
Sky Sports Managing Director Barney Francis commented: “Football in the US and Canada has enormous potential for growth and we can’t wait to bring this competition to our viewers for the first time… We offer an unrivalled range of sport across our seven channels and we are always looking to offer more choice. After recently adding football from Holland, Italy and UEFA European qualifiers, we are delighted to now add MLS to that list.”
David Beckham, who played for LA Galaxy in MLS, welcomed the news: “This is another important moment that shows the continued growth of MLS. I have seen first-hand how popular soccer has become in America. Having fantastic partners such as Sky Sports on board will not only add to the coverage of the game, it will also broaden its appeal outside of US.”
MLS was originally launched in 1996 with ten teams, just two years after the FIFA World Cup was hosted in the US. Over the years it has expanded to the current system with 20 teams, and in the future will see further franchises added in New York and Orlando beginning in 2015 and Atlanta and Los Angeles in 2017.