The Mexican National Team will have a new home in the United States as El Tri’s English broadcasting rights have been acquired by Fox Sports with the contract running from this year until the 2018 World Cup. The move is the latest by Fox Sports as it already has the rights to all youth World Cups, Ladies World Cup, this summer’s Centenario Copa America, Gold Cup, Confederations Cup, and the 2018 World Cup.
By soccer attendance standards and overall popularity, Fox Soccer can now add the most popular soccer team in the United States to their soccer lineup list after out bidding the likes of ESPN. The deal includes all of Mexico’s home World Cup qualifying matches and all home friendlies including the matches Mexico plays in the United States (most of their away matches will be shown on beIN Sports).
In the last World Cup cycle, ESPN made a groundbreaking move by having the rights to show all of Mexico’s home matches and friendlies on their network, the first time El Tri had their matches broadcast in English at a consistent basis. Recently though, ESPN had pushed back El Tri’s matches including their friendly against Trinidad and Tobago and their first home match in World Cup qualifying against El Salvador to their network of ESPN 3 instead of having them on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNEWS.
The move shows the ambition Fox Sports has when it comes to trying to reach out to the soccer community and their ambition to try and reach the Mexican-American community by getting the English rights. It also again shows the weight Mexico carries on this side of the border, as when they come to the United States they’re the highest attended soccer matches year in and year out. During last fall’s CONCACAF Cup held in Pasadena between the United States and Mexico, the crowd was overwhelmingly a pro Mexican side. Showing the popularity Mexico has even against the host nation.
Fox Sports first Mexican broadcasting will be next Wednesday as Mexico host Senegal from Miami, Florida in a non FIFA date international Friendly.