One World Renews Arsenal Rights Deal

One World Sports said it has extended its multi-year licensing deal with Arsenal FC TV, the British soccer club’s official TV channel, for multi-platform use in the U.S. and Canada.

 “The renewal of our partnership with Arsenal enables One World Sports to offer premium soccer content with full access to one of the most popular global sports brands to our North American audience,” said One World executive vice president, programming & production Joel Feld in a statement. “What sets our coverage apart from other networks is the intense match day action combined with the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Arsenal club that fans in the United States and Canada can’t find anywhere else.”

Under the agreement, with international media rights agency MP & Silva, One World Sports will deliver Arsenal’s games throughout the 10-month season, including those within the English Premier League (EPL), Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Championship and Football Association (FA) Cup.  In addition to the matches, One World Sports’ Arsenal FC programming on both its network and mobile platforms includes pre- and post-match interviews, features and analyses.  One World Sports will also provide an insider’s view of the club with exclusive player and coach profiles, historical reviews and engaging insights with top players.

“We’re delighted that One World Sports has renewed its contract to partner with Arsenal and its continued commitment to delivering Arsenal TV across North America,” said Arsenal Football Club general manager Ben Ladkin in a statement.  “It’s a great opportunity for all our fans to watch Arsenal programming and get closer to the club and we’re looking forward to working with them to deliver more great content." 

London-based Arsenal FC is among the most storied soccer clubs in the U.K, with 13 titles in the top English tiers – First Division and Premier League – and a joint record 11 Football Association (FA) Challenge Cups including its most recent 4-0 victory in 2014 over Aston Villa.  Arsenal kicks off their season against West Ham United at home on Aug. 9.

 “We have a long-term strategic media partnership with Arsenal FC with a record distribution of the Arsenal Media Channel to 130 territories, in five continents and 30 million supporters around the world,” said MP & Silva’s CEO, Marco Auletta in a statement. “The following of soccer in the United States and Canada has proven to be one of our key growing markets and we continue to build a strong reputation for Arsenal – one of the world’s most successful and best-known clubs.”