Asian sports broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) has acquired exclusive broadcast rights for all Football Association (FA) Cup matches for the next six years from international media rights company MP & Silva.
The multimedia rights also include the FA Community Shield and all Senior and Under-21 England Team home matches for the South Asia region including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives, Bhutan and Nepal. ESS will offer content across television, internet and mobile.
ESS already has rights of some of the biggest football properties including the Barclays Premier League, the Spanish Liga BBVA and the Italian Serie A.
Peter Hutton, Managing Director of ESPN STAR Sports said, “Having a season round offering of football is at the heart of our dominance of the Indian sports market, and the unique stories that the FA Cup creates every year is a very welcome part of our line-up. The FA Cup was seen in India long before the Premier League and the other European leagues, and we're very proud to be able to continue the tradition.”
Starting from November 3, ESS will begin broadcast of the first round of matches all the way up to the final in May next year. Chelsea are currently the holders of the FA Cup.
Stuart Turner, The FA’s Group Commercial Director added. “Asian markets are important to us and we're going to be putting together some exciting initiatives in India in particular, including bringing The FA Cup out to the sub-continent.”