ESPN has just announced it will make the full season of one of the world’s top football leagues available exclusively and live on WatchESPN in Brazil, making it the most complete coverage of an international championship in that country’s media history. The television transmission of matches on ESPN, ESPN Brasil and ESPN+, combined with the streaming on WatchESPN, means that all 380 games of the 2016-2017 Premier League season will be available for the first time in Brazil.
ESPN is the exclusive Pay TV rights holder to the Premier League in Brazil for all media including television, streaming, on demand and other exclusive content. WatchESPN delivers live streaming access to ESPN content on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices. It is currently accessible to fans who receive ESPN’s networks as part of their video subscriptions.
“The Premier League is one of the most important soccer leagues in the world and leveraging market-leading technology like WatchESPN to make all of the matches available in Brazil allows us to best serve fans,” said German Hartenstein, general manager of ESPN in Brazil.
“The Premier League on WatchESPN also helps us to continue to offer the most complete, multiplatform sports coverage and present the best content to sports fans, wherever they may be.”
Premier League ratings grew by 31% on ESPN’s television networks last season as compared to 2014-2015. In addition, according to data provided by Kantar Ibope Media, reach grew as more than 5.9 million viewers tuned in to the matches on ESPN’s three channels last season, an increase of 7% compared to the previous season.
Recognized for its advanced technical play and evenly matched teams, the Premier League brings together some of the world’s best players and coaches. Highlights for the coming season include the arrival of Pep Guardiola to Manchester City and José Mourinho to Manchester United, with reinforcement on the field from Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Leicester City, last season’s surprise winner, will go for a double championship with the duo of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez. Brazilian players who also stand out include William, Oscar and Diego Costa (Chelsea), Philippe Coutinho, Lucas Leiva and Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) and Fernandinho (Manchester City).
WatchESPN is accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. The service provides streaming simulcasts of ESPN Brasil, ESPN, and ESPN+ in addition to exclusive, streaming-only events and video-on-demand for select cable television subscribers in Brazil. ISP subscribers have exclusive access to ESPN Extra, ESPNU and SEC Network channels.
