Yahoo Finance Paramount+ is adding the AFC to its stacked soccer line-up
The streaming service wants to be a major destination for live soccer.
On the back of rights grabs for top-flight Brazilian and Italian soccer, ViacomCBS is adding even more of the beautiful game to Paramount+. Thanks to a new pact with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the streaming service is getting an extra 300 club and national team matches.
Coverage includes the World Cup 2022 qualifiers, starting in September; the remainder of the 2021 AFC Champions League, from the knockouts to the final in November; and every season of the AFC Men’s Champions League through to 2024.
The confederation consists of 47 countries including South Korea, Japan, Australia and members from the Middle East and Asia, along with US territory Guam and US Commonwealth Northern Mariana Islands. With the addition of the AFC games, Paramount+ will see its total live soccer matches per year grow to 1,600. The streamer's soccer portfolio also includes the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, top-flight US women's soccer, and leagues and competitions from Italy, Brazil, Argentina and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football.
Though the Paramount+ line-up is stacked, it's still missing a few major competitions. Rival ESPN+, for instance, recently announced a deal with Spain's La Liga for next season. While NBCUniversal’s Peacock scooped US-exclusive rights for more than 175 English Premier League matches for the recently concluded 2020-2021 season.
