Soccer on ESPN is a number of programs that currently airs Association football matches in the United States. These matches are from International, European, and American competitions.
ESPN airs summer friendly tournament International Champions Cup on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes.
USA
MLS
ESPN currently airs MLS matches on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 in a contract from 2015-2022. ABC will only air the MLS Cup in odd-numbered years since 2019. ESPN also airs all out-of-market games on ESPN+. Jon Champion and Taylor Twellman are the lead broadcast team..
ESPN airs all matches from the USL on ESPN+ with select matches on ESPNews or ESPNU. Commentary is provided by Mike Watts and Devon Kerr.
College Soccer
ESPN regularly airs college soccer on ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, and Longhorn Network. Glenn Davis is the lead commentator men's soccer coverage and Jenn Hildreth is the lead commentator for women's soccer coverage. Julie Foudy is the lead analyst for women's soccer and Devon Kerr is the lead analyst for men's. Recently, ESPN+ was created to watch the lower divisions schools play this past year. Majority of the lower divisions are commentated by sports broadcast interns or by their own sports broadcasters on campus.
ESPN airs all matches from the FA Cup on paid streaming service ESPN+ with select matches on ESPN and ESPN2, as well as Community Shield. This broadcast started in 2018 when FOX Sports coverage of the tournament expired. In 2020, coverage of final the was hosted by Dan Thomas alongside Craig Burley, Don Hutchison, Shaka Hislop, and reporter Alexis Nunes. The final was commentated by Martin Tyler and Stewart Robson. For other rounds, ESPN airs a digital prematch show hosted by Kay Murray or Mark Donaldson alongside ESPN FC pundits.
ESPN won the rights to the Bundesliga again starting with the 2020–21 season, as well as Supercup. All matches will air on ESPN+ with at least four matches per year airing on the linear TV channels. Last time, ESPN had previously aired the league last time until 2011–12.
DFB-Pokal
ESPN also air the German domestic cup, the DFB Pokal. Matches usually air on ESPNews and ESPN3. Linear TV commentary is provided by Adrian Healey and Kasey Keller or Taylor Twellman.
In 2018, ESPN won the rights for Italy's Serie A when beIN Sports' contract expired. ESPN is set to air over 340 matches each season, with a Game of the Week on ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNews and the rest of the matches on streaming service ESPN+. There is also a weekly preview and highlight show on ESPN+. ESPN uses its own broadcast teams for games shown on television - commentary is provided by play-by-play Mark Donaldson and analyst Matteo Bonetti - with all other matches each week shown on ESPN+. Ross Dyer and Steve Cangialosi fill-in when Donaldson is working MLB. Janusz Michallik works as the secondary game analyst. Commentary for matches on ESPN+ is taken from the World Feed. ESPN FC provides viewers with Serie A analysis show The Serie Awesome Podcast with Italian football writers Gabriele Marcotti, Mina Rzouki, and James Horncastle. The rights package also including both Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana tournaments. ESPN airs twenty-four matches of Coppa Italia, beginning from Round of 16 through two-leg semifinals on ESPN+. Meanwhile the Coppa Italia Final and the Supercoppa Italiana will air on ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNews also on ESPN Deportes. This broadcast started in January 2019.
In the last few years of its existence, the NASL did manage to get some games on a new cable sports network that had begun in 1979 called ESPN. In 1981, they signed a contract to broadcast 20 games on Saturdays. The new USA Network also carried games, usually on Wednesday nights.
Major Indoor Soccer League
The MISL landed a steady national TV contract for the first time since 1983 when they were on USA, as ESPN would televise 15 regular-season games on Sunday afternoons, the All-Star Game and assorted playoff games. beginning in the 1985–86 season. The MISL received no broadcast revenues from ESPN. In other words, the agreement with ESPN to had the league pay the cable network to televise its games. Bill Kentling, director and general manager of the Wichita Wings, was vehemently against the ESPN deal, thinking that was ridiculous to go against the National Football League without having any time to set up sponsorship. Commissioner Frank Dale however, disagreed with Kentling's assessment saying: “If I held out waiting for money for the rights for something that has traditionally not done well in the ratings, we’d still be off the air.” Ultimately, the MISL got only three sponsors for the weekly telecasts on ESPN. For the 1986–87 season, ESPN actually paid the MISL a fee instead of the league paying the network, as it had done the previous season. This time, ESPN would broadcast 18 games, including the All-Star Game from Los Angeles, as well as four playoff games. The San Diego Sockers were scheduled be on four delayed telecasts during the regular season. On commentary, ESPN employed JP Dellacamera, Bob Kurtz, Bob Ley, and Bob Carpenter on play-by-play with Ty Keough, Seamus Malin, and Shep Messing as analysts.
National Professional Soccer League
Starting with the 1993–94 season, NPSL games would be broadcast on both ESPN and the then brand new ESPN2, giving national exposure to the league. As part of a three year agreement, a Game of the Week would be televised on ESPN2 on Friday nights. ESPN2 would carry as many as 20 games in 1993–94 and 24 in 1994–95. Meanwhile, the best-of-five playoff finals in late April and the NPSL All-Star Game at St. Louis on February 22 would be carried on ESPN. It was routine however for ESPN to heavily edit rebroadcast of games that were initially aired on ESPN2 fit it into a two hour time slot. Dave Johnson and Art Kramer were ESPN's initial primary broadcast team. Other commentators included Gregg Mace and Ed Vucinic, who by 1995–96, would provide play-by-play for the NPSL Championship Series alongside Art Kramer.
ESPN formerly had the rights of the UEFA Champions League between 1995-2009. Lead commentary team was Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth with the ESPN2 team being Adrian Healey and Robbie Mustoe. The pre-match programme was hosted by Andrew Orsatti.
formerly aired matches from the Premier League between 1996–1998, and the from 2010–2013. From 2010–2013, ESPN2 had its own commentary team live in England. Ian Darke and Steve McManaman called the action live in England, with Darrell Currie, Dave Beckett, or Alicia Ferguson reporting pitchside. On occasion, the network would simulcast ESPN UK's coverage with full studio coverage from host Ray Stubbs or Rebecca Lowe and commentary from Jon Champion and Chris Waddle. In the U.S., ESPN's studio team was host Andrew Orsatti or Georgie Bingham with analyst Robbie Mustoe.
The 1994 World Cup marked the return of the World Cup on ESPN and ABC and the first time they used their own commentary teams for all matches. Roger Twibell was the play-by-play announcer. Other play-by-play announcers were: Bob Carpenter, Bob Ley, Ian Darke, Randy Hahn, and Jim Donovan. Seamus Malin and Rick Davis were the lead color commentators. Other color commentators were: Clive Charles, Ty Keough, Peter Vermes, Ron Newman, and Bill McDermott. Jim McKay was the studio host alongside studio analyst Desmond Armstrong.
1998 World Cup
and Seamus Malin was the lead broadcast team with other broadcast teams include: Roger Twibell and Mike Hill, JP Dellacamera and Bill McDermott, Derek Rae and Ty Keough, and Phil Schoen and Tommy Smyth. Brent Musburger and Eric Wynalda worked in the studio.
2002 World Cup
Hockey play-by-play announcer Jack Edwards led the commentary teams in South Korea alongside analyst Ty Keough. Other broadcast teams were: JP Dellacamera and Tommy Smyth, Glenn Davis and Shep Messing, and Mike Hill and Shep Messing, and Seamus Malin. Terry Gannon hosted in the studio alongside studio analysts Eric Wynalda and Giorgio Chinaglia.
2006 World Cup
Lead MLS and MLB play-by-play announcer Dave O'Brien and color commentator Marcelo Balboa worked as the lead broadcast teams in Germany with other broadcast teams: JP Dellacamera and John Harkes, Glenn Davis and Shep Messing, Adrian Healey and Tommy Smyth, and Rob Stone and Robin Fraser. Brent Musburger returned for his 2nd World Cup as lead studio host with other hosts Rece Davis, and Dave Revsine. Studio analysts in the studio were: Alexi Lalas, Eric Wynalda, Julie Foudy, and Heather Mitts.
's coverage of the 2010 World Cup has been widely recognized as a breakthrough in US soccer broadcasting. Esteemed commentator Martin Tyler led a team of all-British commentators in South Africa, Chris Fowler and Mike Tirico were the lead hosts in a studio set right outside of Soccer City in South Africa. Other commentators were: Ian Darke, Derek Rae, Adrian Healey, and Jim Proudfoot. Efan Ekoku was the lead color commentator, John Harkes called USMNT games, alongside other color commentators include: Ally McCoist, Roberto Martinez, and Robbie Mustoe. Analysts in the studio included: Steve McManaman, Jurgen Klinsmann, Roberto Martinez, Ruud Gullit, Alexi Lalas, Shaun Bartlett, and Tommy Smyth. Bob Ley was another studio host, working his 4th World Cup. Reporters were: Jeremy Schaap, Julie Foudy, Allen Hopkins, Rob Stone, Selema Masekela, Andrew Orsatti, John Sutcliffe, and Dan Williams.
The 2014 World Cup marked the end of the FIFA World Cup on ABC and ESPN. Ian Darke and Steve McManaman was the lead broadcast team, Jon Champion and Stewart Robson were the #2 team. Other play-by-play announcers were: Derek Rae, Adrian Healey, Daniel Mann, and Fernando Palomo. Color commentators: Taylor Twellman, Craig Burley, Efan Ekoku, Roberto Martínez, Kasey Keller, and Alejandro Moreno. All commentators were in Brazil with the top 5 teams at the stadiums while the remaining team called matches off monitors in Rio. Mike Tirico was the lead studio host alongside other hosts Bob Ley and Lynsey Hipgrave with analysts: Alexi Lalas, Steve McManaman, Michael Ballack, Alejandro Moreno, Kasey Keller, Gilberto Silva, Santiago Solari, Roberto Martínez, Taylor Twellman, and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Reporters included: Jeremy Schaap, Julie Foudy, Bob Woodruff, John Sutcliffe, Rubens Pozzi.
Following controversy over ESPN's "American" commentary teams, the network decided to use more traditional coverage by tapping Adrian Healey and Andy Gray or Robbie Mustoe to be its lead broadcast team. ESPN also tapped Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth to be its #2 broadcast team. The studio team featured hosts Rece Davis and Rob Stone with analysts Julie Foudy and Alexi Lalas.
Euro 2012
and Steve McManaman were the lead commentary team for ESPN. The studio team was based at headquarters in Bristol. Studio hosts were Bob Ley and Rebecca Lowe. Other broadcast team were: Adrian Healey and Robbie Mustoe, and Derek Rae and Kasey Keller or Taylor Twellman. Studio analysts were: Michael Ballack, Alexi Lalas, Kasey Keller, Taylor Twellman, and Tommy Smyth. Special contributors, who were live from Poland and Ukraine, were Glenn Hoddle and Roberto Martinez. Reporters included are: Alicia Ferguson and Darrell Currie.
Euro 2016
was live in France with a set on the River Seine. Mike Tirico, Steve Bower, and Bob Ley hosted. Ian Darke returned as the lead play-by-play announcer. Other play-by-play announcers were: Jon Champion, Derek Rae, Adrian Healey, Max Bretos, and Mark Donaldson. Color commentators: Steve McManaman, Taylor Twellman, Stewart Robson, Kasey Keller, Kate Markgraf, and Alejandro Moreno. Studio analysts were: Craig Burley, Santiago Solari, Vincent Kompany, Steve McManaman, Taylor Twellman, Julie Foudy, Roberto Martinez, Frank Leboeuf, Michael Ballack, and Kasey Keller. Jeremy Schaap, Marty Smith, and Alison Bender were reporters.
Euro 2020
is set to be broadcast live by ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. This is the first time since 2008 that ABC broadcast the European Championships free-to-air. The broadcast team is yet to be announced.
and Alexi Lalas worked in the studio during the 2009 Confederations Cup. ESPN tapped MLS on ESPN's lead broadcast team of JP Dellacamera and John Harkes to be its lead broadcast team, Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth to be its #2 broadcast team, and Adrian Healey and Robbie Mustoe to be its #3 broadcast team.
2013 Confederations Cup
hosted in the studio alongside analysts Steve McManaman, Alexi Lalas, Roberto Martinez, and Michael Ballack. Ian Darke and Stewart Robson was the lead broadcast team. Fernando Palomo and Alejandro Moreno was the secondary broadcast team. Adrian Healey and Kasey Keller was the #3 broadcast team.
