Globo, the Brazilian media giant, and international sports broadcaster ESPN have successfully retained the broadcasting rights to South American soccer's Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana club competitions. The new agreement with the CONMEBOL governing body extends their rights for the 2027-30 cycle.
Under this new agreement, Globo will maintain exclusive free-to-air television rights to the Copa Libertadores. Simultaneously, ESPN has secured the primary package on pay television. This arrangement ensures that fans can access these prestigious tournaments through both free-to-air and paid platforms.
In addition to traditional broadcasting channels, Globo will continue airing games on its digital channel GE TV on YouTube. This move guarantees access to these competitions both on television and online platforms. The digital broadcast of these games had already been initiated this year following GE TV's launch.
Disney-owned ESPN gets priority
Disney-owned ESPN will enjoy priority in selecting matches each round under this deal. Furthermore, Disney has also secured the main pay-TV package for another significant tournament - Copa Sudamericana.
Media heavyweight Paramount is expected to retain a secondary Libertadores package but did not manage to keep hold of its rights for broadcasting Copa Sudamericana matches. In contrast with previous cycles expiring in 2026 where Paramount+ streaming platform and Brazilian commercial network SBT also broadcasted these tournaments; SBT has now only managed to retain free-to-air television rights for Copa Sudamericana.
The Recopa Sudamericana – contested by winners of previous year's Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana – will be exclusively aired on Disney's sports channels moving forward.
Unsuccessful bids
Other companies such as CazéTV, a Brazilian sports streaming channel run by streamer Casemiro Miguel, and commercial network Xsports also submitted bids but failed to secure any packages.
The restructuring of contracts for the 2027-2030 cycle involved dividing the rights by platform type — free-to-air TV, pay channels, and streaming. This division included packages for live games across multiple platforms and highlights.
The recent 2025 Copa Libertadores was won by Brazilian giants Flamengo who triumphed over fellow Brazilian team Palmeiras in the final. With these new broadcasting agreements in place, fans can look forward to enjoying more such thrilling matches across various platforms.
