ESPN secures FA Cup rights

ESPN has secured the rights to broadcast live FA Cup matches in the UK from next season.

The Football Association and the Disney-backed company are expected to make an announcement about the deal later today.

However, ESPN has already said: “We continue to be interested in rights where they are available and where they make business sense.

“Our approach is to grow globally and we will achieve that by being as locally relevant as possible.”

ESPN is keen to build its sports portfolio in the UK having already acquired live English Premier League TV rights, Scottish Premier League rights as well as a number of European football league rights.

The FA has been selling the rights to FA Cup games on a round-by-round basis since the collapse of Setanta earlier this year.

Setanta and ITV had paid £425 million for the rights over the coming four seasons back in 2007. Before that, the rights were split between the BBC and Sky.