The Premier League is headed to streaming in Central America, as Paramount Plus has announced it has secured rights to the top-flight British soccer competition from the 2022-23 season through 2024-25.
In total, the ViacomCBS-owned platform has secured 380 live matches each season and will be the exclusive home for the league in Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Also included in the three-year deal are the non-exclusive rights to the competition in Belize and the Dominican Republic.
In addition to live matches between some of the world’s most recognizable sports organizations including Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and current league leaders Manchester City, Paramount Plus will also offer up 24/7 coverage of the competition including exclusive behind-the-scenes looks at the clubs and the league’s top players.
Paul Molnar, Premier League chief media officer, said: “The Premier League is pleased to announce our new partnership with ViacomCBS in Central America. We are very happy that ViacomCBS views the Premier League and our clubs as a vital part of their live sports offering. ViacomCBS platforms, including Paramount Plus and Pluto TV, will be an outstanding home for the Premier League and we look forward to working together to showcase the League to new and existing fans throughout Central America and Mexico.”
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Raffaele Annecchino, president and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International, added: “We know audiences around the world are passionate about sports, and especially about football. This partnership with the Premier League brings exclusive content directly to those fans, live for the first time on Paramount Plus in Mexico and Central America. Live sports are an important differentiator for our streaming service, and as we’ve seen in the U.S. and Australia, we are confident this will drive subscriber growth as we continue to offer the best mix of entertainment and now – live sports.”
Since launching in March of last year, Paramount Plus has bet big on sports, and that ambition is clearly not limited to its U.S. offerings. According to the streamer, the service’s sports offering are a major driver of subscriptions and engagement worldwide, and the Premier League deal for Central America is in alignment with Paramount Plus’ strategies in other territories such as the U.S. — where the platform hosts the NFL, college basketball and football and several high profile international competitions including golf, the UEFA Champions League and several soccer leagues — and Australia, where it streams Australian football including the A-League men and women’s competitions, World Cup qualifiers and more.
