“This agreement is a major step for USL as we continue to raise the profile of our leagues and teams and maintain our longstanding relationship with Fox Soccer,” USL chief executive Alec Papadakis said. “We are extremely pleased that fans of USL Pro, the PDL and the W-League will have the opportunity to watch the top teams and players in the league throughout the next three seasons.”
Fox will show 10 regular-season USL Pro games and one game from each round of the play-offs, and will also broadcast the championship games from the PDL and the W-League. Fox Soccer Channel’s coverage of the USL Pro begins on June 11, with the Rochester Rhinos v Harrisburg City Islanders. Fox will continue to broadcast a 30-minute magazine show USL Breakaway.
USL previously had a three-year deal with Fox, from 2007 to 2009, but the broadcaster chose not to renew its contract when the rights expired. USL failed to gain sanctioning for the 2010 season from the United States Soccer Federation following a running battle with NASL, the newly formed second tier of US football. NASL and USL worked together in 2010 to stage the USSF Division 2 Pro League, which Fox did not broadcast.