HBO Max Expands Into Live Sports With $200 Million USD U.S. Soccer Deal
WarnerMedia is officially dipping its toes into the live sports business with streaming service HBO Max. HBO Max has signed an eight-year, $200 million USD deal with the U.S. Soccer Federation.
The deal will allow TNT/TBS and HBO Max to air 20 U.S. Women's and Men's National Team matches annually starting in 2023. According to The Hollywood Reporter of those matches will be able to be streamed on HBO Max and air on TV with the rest exclusive to the streaming platform. In addition to the airing exclusive, the deal gives way for digital and highlight rights for Turner Sports Bleacher Report and additional programming including behind-the-scenes docuseries.
In a statement Lenny Daniels, president of Turner Sports said, "This is a significant milestone for Turner Sports and WarnerMedia, further demonstrating our commitment to the distribution of premium live sports content on HBO Max, while simultaneously fueling our leading entertainment networks, digital and social assets." HBO Max has become the latest mainstream streaming service to dive into the world of live sports to build its subscriber growth. Its competitor Paramount+ has been a go-to streamer for NFL games, PGA golf, college football and March Madness basketball, and soccer, among other sports.
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