Pay-television broadcaster ESPN Brasil has picked up rights to the Copa do Brasil club football tournament through a two-year sublicensing deal with the competition’s rights-holder, rival pay-television broadcaster Globosat.
The Maquina do Esporte website said ESPN’s agreement with Globosat will take in the 2015 and 2016 editions of the Copa do Brasil, along with other rights packages.
For the first time, ESPN will be able to broadcast highlights from Brazil’s four major state football championships – São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul.
The new contract also provides highlights rights for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A and Serie B – the top two divisions of football in the country.
The agreement comes after ESPN lost pay-television and online rights to the Uefa Champions League European club competition in November. Commercial television channel Esporte Interativo signed a three-year deal for the rights from 2015-16 to 2017-18.