Soccer fans who follow Americans playing in the Bundesliga are about to have a much easier time watching them. The Bundesliga has signed new multi-year media rights deals that split its U.S. coverage between two major partners, according to an announcement from the league.
Versant’s USA Network and Fandango will carry English-language broadcasts, while NBCUniversal’s Telemundo takes over exclusive Spanish-language rights. It’s the first time the league has divided its U.S. rights by language rather than bundling them with a single partner, as it did with Fox and ESPN.
Versant’s 5-Year Deal Brings Free Streaming to Fandango
GettyBundesliga has a new deal with Versant to broadcast matches in the United States.
The Versant agreement runs five years and is worth $100 million, according to Barrett Media. Starting with the 2026-27 season, which kicks off August 28th, the deal covers all 306 regular-season matches plus playoffs. At least 30 games per season will air on USA Network, with the remainder — more than 275 matches — streaming free on Fandango, the movie-ticketing brand’s ad-supported streaming service, built on the former Vudu platform.
That’s a shift from the league’s previous six-year deal with ESPN, under which most matches sat behind the ESPN+ subscription wall. Financially, the new arrangement puts the Bundesliga’s combined U.S. rights fees at roughly $30 million a year — in line with what ESPN was previously paying — but with a very different distribution model, prioritizing free access over a paywall. Robin Austermann, Bundesliga Americas Executive Vice President, tied the timing to the sport’s growth in the country, saying “the 2026 World Cup has highlighted the tremendous growth potential of soccer in the U.S.,” according to the PR Newswire release.
Telemundo Adds Bundesliga to a Deep Soccer Portfolio
On the Spanish-language side, Telemundo becomes the Bundesliga’s exclusive U.S. partner under a three-year deal reportedly worth around $10 million annually, according to Sportcal. More than 100 matches per season will air across Telemundo and Universo, with every match also streaming on Peacock. That slots into a Spanish-language soccer lineup that already includes the Premier League, Liga MX, the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams, and Olympic soccer coverage.
Joaquin Duro, EVP of Sports and Head of Streaming for NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, said the Bundesliga “represents one of the premier soccer leagues in the world” and that the network is “excited to bring its clubs, players and rivalries to Hispanic audiences in the U.S.,” according to Barrett Media.
The timing lines up with a strong group of Americans currently playing in the league, including Malik Tillman at Bayer Leverkusen, Joe Scally and Gio Reyna at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Timmy Chandler at Eintracht Frankfurt, Kristoffer Lund at FC Köln, Damion Downs at Hamburg, and Noahkai Banks at Augsburg.
With the new deals in place, Bundesliga fans in the U.S. have more ways to watch than ever, and a lower barrier to entry than the ESPN+ era offered. USA Network subscribers get at least 30 marquee matches, while anyone can watch the rest free on Fandango with no sign-up cost. Spanish-speaking fans get deep linear coverage across Telemundo and Universo, plus a Peacock stream for every match. The 2026-27 season kicks off August 28, with defending champions Bayern Munich hosting last season’s 4th placed team VfB Stuttgart.
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