ESPN, CBF Launch Copa do Brasil Under-20 Tournament; ESPN To Air Exclusively
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ESPN, in alliance with the CBF (Confederação Brasileira de Futebol/Brazilian Football Confederation) andSportPromotion, has established the first ever Copa do Brasil Under-20 tournament. The inaugural edition, a 32-team knockout competition, will take place from October 2 to December 15, 2012. ESPN also has the exclusive rights to the competition in Brazil through 2016 and will air 20 live and exclusive matches of the 2012 version beginning next month with Avai vs. Corinthians from Florianopolis on October 2 at 8 p.m. ET.
“While Brazilian football has always been an important part of ESPN’s programming lineup, establishing the Copa do Brasil Under-20, and acquiring the rights for the next five years, is an opportunity for us to increase our offering to fans,” said German Hartenstein, general manager of ESPN in Brazil. “With this tournament, we take a significant step towards our goal of expanding our audience with more Brazilian content.”
The Copa do Brasil Under-20 competition includes nationwide participation and teams from eleven states, including the twenty participants of the Campeonato Brasileiro 2011 and the twelve teams with the best records from the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B 2011.
ESPN will air the Copa do Brasil Under-20 on other ESPN networks and platforms around the world and in the U.S., with specifics to be provided in the near future. ESPN in Brazil also plans to establish, in alliance with the CBF and SportPromotion, the Copa do Brasil Under-17 event in 2013. Details will be announced at a later date.
ESPN launched in Brazil in 1989 and was the first pay TV sports channel in the country. In 1995, the company launched its second TV network Brasil ESPN. In April 2009, ESPN HD launched the first HD service in the country. In 2012, ESPN HD was renamed ESPN+ and ESPN Brazil HD launched.
