Chile-Ecuador To Open 2015 Copa America Tourney

The 44th edition of the Copa America tournament kicks off in June from Chile, and the host nation has received a favorable draw.

beIN Sports and beIN SPORTS en Español on Monday night provided live coverage of the draw for the 2015 Copa América from Viña del Mar, with Chile, ranked 13th in the FIFA world rankings, heading Group A, where it will square off against México (17), Ecuador (27) and Bolivia (103). The tourney begins with Chile batttling Ecuador in Santiago on Thursday, June 11.

The networks hold the U.S. rights to the competition, featuring the 10 CONMEBOL South American teams, plus El Tri and Jamaica.

Group B comprises Argentina (2), Uruguay (8), Paraguay (76) and Jamaica (113), while Group C houses Colombia (3), Brazil (6), Peru (54) and Venezuela (85).

The top two sides from each group, and the two best third-place finishers, advance to the quarterfinals and the event’s knockout stage.

 “We are thrilled to be the exclusive provider of the 2015 Copa América tournament in both English and Spanish, across all platforms and devices,” said Yousef Al-Obaidliy, deputy CEO of beIN Media Group. “Copa América is among the most-viewed and popular soccer events for fans worldwide. In the U.S. specifically, we will provide original content and coverage showcasing the best selected teams for true soccer fans in their preferred language and anywhere they would like to watch it.”

The final group matches are scheduled for Sunday, June 21. The knockout round begins on Wednesday, June 24 ahead of the final on Saturday, July 4.