ESPN is preparing to showcase six European preseason soccer matches on U.S. soil, featuring clubs such as Liverpool FC, Wrexham AFC, Leeds United and Sunderland AFC. The fixtures will be spread across several American cities, giving fans in Nashville, New York City, Chicago, Tampa and Philadelphia a chance to see top‑flight European teams in action.
The broadcast plan calls for three of the games to be shown on the main ESPN channel or its sister network ESPN2, while the remaining matches will stream on the newly launched ESPN Unlimited service. A handful of the contests will also be available in Spanish on ESPN Deportes, catering to the growing bilingual audience.
This schedule arrives at a time when ESPN has trimmed its overall soccer portfolio, yet it still retains rights to flagship competitions like La Liga, the FA Cup, the USL and the NWSL. The network’s reduced coverage of European leagues such as the Bundesliga, Serie A and the UEFA Champions League has opened space for other outlets to fill the gap.
Commentators and Analysts Lead the Coverage
To call the action, ESPN has assembled a team of play‑by‑play announcers Adrian Healey and Mark Donaldson, complemented by analysts Alejandro Moreno, Janusz Michallik and Rodrigo Fáez. Their presence is intended to provide a fresh, knowledgeable voice for American viewers.
Beyond the immediate broadcast, the schedule is seen as a chance to sustain interest in soccer across the United States, capitalizing on the momentum generated by recent MLS growth and the popularity of European clubs among U.S. fans.