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U.S. SOCCER AND CBS SPORTS REACH MULTIMEDIA RIGHTS AGREEMENT FOR 2025 & 2026 LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP TOURNAMENTS
All Open Cup Matches to Stream Live on Paramount+ from the Third Round Through the Final, with Select Matches Airing on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK (March 26, 2025) – U.S. Soccer and CBS Sports have reached a multi-year, multimedia rights agreement that will make CBS Sports the exclusive English-language home of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup through 2026. CBS Sports will provide live match coverage of the Open Cup across its linear and digital platforms, with every match streaming live on Paramount+. CBS Sports’ coverage will include every match from the Third Round of the tournament, beginning April 15, onward to the Final, with select matches simulcasting on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network. With Rounds 1 (March 18-20) and 2 (April 1-2) of the Open Cup streaming on U.S. Soccer’s YouTube channel, every match of the storied tournament will be available to fans. In addition to full matches and highlights, CBS Sports’ coverage will include studio programming on CBS Sports Golazo Network and the creation of ancillary content beyond games which will focus on markets and clubs in the competition, as well as the tournament’s rich history as the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States. “This is an incredible step forward in our service to soccer strategy and to further growing the game which highlights the longest-running and most inclusive soccer tournament in the United States,” said David Wright, U.S. Soccer Chief Commercial Officer. “CBS Sports has shown a tremendous commitment to offer accessibility for all soccer fans and to grow the sport domestically and globally, and we’re excited to have the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup featured among the world’s most exciting soccer competitions.” “The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a marquee addition to CBS Sports’ premium soccer portfolio with its reach across all levels of the domestic game,” said Dan Weinberg, Executive Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports. “We’re expanding our coverage by making the tournament’s exciting competition more accessible to fans than ever before and further solidifying Paramount+ as the premier destination for soccer in this country.” In addition to analysis and commentary on CBS Sports Golazo Network, CBS Sports will also provide additional Open Cup editorial coverage on CBSSports.com, the Golazo Starting XI newsletter and across its @GolazoAmerica and @CBSSportsGolazo social accounts. The 2025 Open Cup will see the 16 seeded USL Championship clubs enter play in the Third Round, while participating Major League Soccer clubs enter the competition in the Round of 32. Fans can stay up to date on the Open Cup's YouTube Channel, its official website (http://ussoccer.com/us-open-cup) and social channels. About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Now in its 110th edition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has crowned U.S. Soccer’s national champion since 1914. The history-filled tournament is conducted on a single-game-knockout basis and is open to professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the U.S. was renamed to honor American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt. The 2025 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally contested trophies in American team sports – now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The 2025 tournament features a total purse worth $1 million that includes a $600,000 award for the champion. Los Angeles Football Club of MLS is the defending Champion. The 109th edition of the tournament concluded on September 25, 2024, with LAFC beating four-time Champions Sporting Kansas City 3-1 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles to become Open Cup Champions for the first time. |