Sports media and marketing company Relevent announced Tuesday that it has acquired the rights to distribute English Football League (EFL) matches throughout the Americas, starting this summer and running through the 2027-28 season.
The EFL, the oldest football league in the world and England’s top competition before the foundation of the Premier League, is divided into the Championship, League One and League Two, with 24 clubs in each division. Wrexham AFC, which currently sits third in League Two, has brought an unprecedented level of interest to the competition stateside through its FX/Hulu series, Welcome to Wrexham. The 2016 Premier League winner Leicester City currently sits atop the Championship as it attempts to return to first-tier play.
“We are thrilled to partner with the EFL to bring the excitement and drama of one of the most watched global football leagues to fans throughout the Americas,” Relevent CEO Daniel Sillman said in a statement.
Pitch International, which had reportedly been on a shortlist this time around, set up the EFL’s last deal, putting games—including playoff and Carabao Cup matches—on ESPN’s platform. Pitch will continue to steward EFL rights in other territories, while the EFL and Premier League have reportedly agreed to package their international media rights starting in 2028.
Relevent has experience growing international soccer properties in the U.S., having worked on International Championship Cup, UEFA club competitions and summer tour events. LaLiga North America is a joint venture between the league and Relevent, which was co-founded by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.
As part of the agreement, Relevent will establish an EFL content studio creating localized digital videos for both English and Spanish speaking audiences. It plans to create experiences that appeal both to dedicated EFL fans as well as more casual sports viewers.
“We’ll definitely continue to leverage the Wrexham story,” Relevent Sports president Boris Gartner said in an interview. “You also have amazingly historic English clubs that have been Premier League clubs for a very long time and happen to be in the EFL now that we will leverage as well.”
It’s not just Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney investing in the lower-level English sides. According to The Athletic’s math, 22 clubs have received American dollars as of the end of last year.
Meanwhile, a number of streaming services have embraced soccer strategies. Outside of ESPN, Apple has an MLS deal, Peacock airs the Premier League, Paramount+ shows Champions League and Serie A matches, and this year, Amazon’s Prime Video is adding NWSL games to its offering.
