CBS Sports Inks Paramount+ Streaming Rights Deals for Serie A, CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers, and Argentine Pro Soccer

Paramount+ continues to build on its stable of international soccer rights

CBS Sports has announced a slate of new soccer rights deals that will significantly boost ViacomCBS’ new subscription steraming serivce Paramount+. The deals are led by an agreement with Lega Serie A for exclusive U.S. rights to the Serie A Championship, the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana with Paramount+ streaming more than 400 club matches live each season through 2024. In separate deals, CBS Sports also announced Paramount+ will serve as the exclusive English-language home in the US of CONCACAF qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, as well as for Argentina’s Liga Profesional de Fútbol, Copa de la Liga Profesional, and, beginning in 2022, the Supercopa Argentina.

With the deals in place Paramount+ continues its push to become a prime destination for U.S. soccer fans with plans to to deliver thousand live matches each year that also include UEFA club competitions and NWSL.

Serie A Heads to Paramount+, CBS Sports

The Lega Serie A multi-platform agreement includes exclusive U.S. rights to the Serie A Championship, the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana. Paramount+, ViacomCBS’ subscription streaming service, will deliver more than 400 club matches live each season through 2024, featuring all 380 Serie A matches, at least 25 Coppa Italia matches including all contests from the fourth knockout round on, and the Supercoppa Italiana match each year between the winners of Serie A and Coppa Italia. Select matches will be televised each year on CBS Sports linear platforms including CBS Sports Network.

“We are building critical mass in soccer, and the addition of Serie A, Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana is another major step in the expansion of CBS Sports’ extensive lineup of live soccer coverage on Paramount+ and across our linear and digital platforms,” says Jeffrey Gerttula, Executive Vice President and General Manager, CBS Sports Digital. “Showcasing this historic league and some of the world’s biggest clubs is a tremendous opportunity to further grow the sport in the U.S. by delivering first-class coverage to a dedicated and passionate audience.”

“We express great satisfaction for the assignment of the audiovisual rights to Serie A and the Coppa Italia, for the three-year period 21/24, to a major network like CBS Sports,” says Lega Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo. “In a strategic area like the United States of America this agreement confirms the growth of the international image of the Serie A brand through an important partner like CBS Sports. Today it is not a point of arrival, but rather the beginning of a process of investments in human resources and editorial contents to support the continued growth of Serie A in the North America territory. This is the result of the work of the last 18 months and of the increasing number of American owners who have decided to invest in our teams.”

CBS Sports begins coverage in August with the start of the 2021-2022 Serie A season. Additional coverage details will be announced in the coming months in conjunction with the 2021-2022 Serie A and Coppa Italia schedules. 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.

Paramount+ To Stream Up to 79 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers

As part of the deal singed between CBS Sports and IMG, Paramount+ will serve as the exclusive English-language home in the US of qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 for the Concacaf region of North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The deal includes six away matches for both the United States and Mexico men’s national teams as well as the media rights to all other matches played in the region. Up to 79 matches will stream live on Paramount+ and CBS Sports has the ability to air select matches on linear platforms.

IMG jointly owns the media rights for the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers with Mediapro, who are also the production host broadcaster for the matches.

The first of three rounds of qualifying matches kick off this evening (Wednesday) involving teams ranked 6-35 based on FIFA rankings. Tonight’s matches on Paramount+ feature Dominican Republic vs. Dominica at 7:05 PM, ET and Guatemala vs. Cuba at 8:05 PM, ET. The top five ranked Concacaf teams – Mexico, the United States, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Honduras – join the action in the Third round.

“We’re excited to make Paramount+ the home of Concacaf Men’s World Cup Qualifiers and look forward to bringing these intense and competitive national team competitions to fans,” says Gerttula. “With the addition of these qualifiers, Paramount+ will be the destination for a diverse and passionate fanbase eager to cheer for their national teams on the road to the FIFA World Cup.”

Hillary Mandel, EVP, Head of Americas and Global Partnerships, IMG, says: “We are really excited about the distribution commitment and amplification that Paramount+ and the CBS Sports platforms will provide for the Concacaf qualifiers, and especially English-speaking fans in the United States. They have made a huge commitment to soccer and this deal strengthens their position for delivering quality, premium live action from the very best competitions around the world.”

In the First round of matches, teams ranked 6-35 are drawn in six groups of five and play single round-robin matches (two home and two away) with group winners qualifying for the next round. These take place in March and June 2021. In the Second round, the six First round group winners play in a two-legged home and away series (also in June 2021) with the three winners advancing to the final round to join the five top-ranked teams.

Teams then play each other home and away with the top three teams qualifying for the World Cup. These matches are played in September, October and November 2021, and January and March 2022. The fourth placed team advances to the inter-confederation play-offs. The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ will be held from Nov. 21-Dec. 18, 2022.

Paramount+ Now English Language U.S. Home of Argentina’s Liga Profesional de Fútbol

CBS Sports and Argentine Football Distribution (AFD), the international exclusive broadcasting and image rights agent for the Argentine professional soccer league also announced a multi-platform agreement for Paramount+ to serve as the exclusive English-language home in the U.S. of the Liga Profesional de Fútbol, Copa de la Liga Profesional, and, beginning in 2022, the Supercopa Argentina.

Paramount+ will stream every club competition match live each season through 2024, featuring all Copa de la Liga Profesional and Liga Profesional de Fútbol matches, the Supercopa Argentina, and the match between the champions of the Liga Profesional de Fútbol and Copa de la Liga Profesional. Beginning Friday, March 26, Paramount+ will stream all 423 remaining matches in 2021.

“We’re thrilled to make Paramount+ the new home of Argentine soccer, a league with world-class players that boasts some of the most passionate fans in the world,” says Gerttula. “With CBS Sports’ rapidly growing soccer portfolio, we look forward to delivering even more value with a wide array of domestic and international competitions on Paramount+.”

“AFD’s goal is to boost the international distribution of the Liga Profesional de Fútbol (LPF) as well as to strengthen its international positioning. We celebrate to reach Argentine soccer fans through this agreement and to offer them for the first time ever, exclusive broadcasting in English language. Soccer is one of the fastest growing sports in the US, and the LPF is one of the best in the world. This combination is perfectly suited to the wide and exclusive entertainment offering on Paramount+,” saiys Ignacio Galarza, President, AFD.

Paramount+ coverage of the remaining 2021 Copa de la Liga Profesional season begins this weekend and is highlighted by crucial matchups of clubs atop the standings including Independiente vs. Boca Juniors and River Plate vs. Racing Club, four of the most successful clubs in Argentina and South American soccer history.

Coverage of the 2021 Copa de la Liga Profesional concludes on May 9 followed by the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Final in a straight knockout tournament. Coverage will continue with the 2021 Liga Profesional de Fútbol beginning in July, with additional details to be announced at a later date.

CBS Sports Digital will feature match highlights across social channels and CBS Sports HQ, the 24/7 streaming sports news network.