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Executive Voice: EVP Magnus Heralds MLB extension and New LaLiga Agreement

Always a focus in Disney's earnings webcast, ESPN announces two major content agreements

Today is an exciting day for ESPN, ESPN+ and the entire Walt Disney Company. CEO Bob Chapek’s remarks on Disney’s quarterly earnings call this afternoon included an announcement of two new sports rights deals – the latest in a hugely impactful few months of sports deal-making that have further set Disney and ESPN apart as the industry continues to rapidly evolve.

The first is a seven-year extension of our agreement with Major League Baseball through the 2028 season – a relationship that began in 1990. MLB is part of the fabric of ESPN, and our commitment to showcasing the highest profile events in the sport is evident in this new deal.

We are more committed than ever to showcasing marquee MLB events.

The agreement is fully exclusive – a rarity amongst the biggest sports properties – allowing ESPN to continue to serve as the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball – the prestigious, national game of the week. In addition to the 25-game Sunday Night Baseball package, which features the MLB Little League Classic, we will exclusively televise five additional regular-season games, including the national Opening Night telecast.

This package also includes exclusive rights to the annual Home Run Derby and the MLB Wild Card Series, if MLB expands its postseason in 2022. We’re also adding live simulcast rights for every live event on ESPN+ as well as alternate presentation rights across all Disney platforms (including ESPN+). We’ve also gained rights to expand MLB studio content on ESPN+, which adds tremendous value to our existing ESPN+ game-a-day package. We are more committed than ever to showcasing marquee MLB events.

The second piece of news today is a new eight-year agreement that will make ESPN+ the new U.S. home for Spain’s LaLiga, one of the top soccer leagues in the world. Beginning in August, ESPN+ will stream live and on-demand replay coverage of all 380 LaLiga Santander matches and select matches from LaLiga’s second division, LaLiga SmartBank, per season in both English and Spanish.

LaLiga cements ESPN+ as a must-have platform for fans of world class soccer in the U.S., with the industry’s most comprehensive lineup of international and domestic leagues.

This agreement brings U.S. fans the excitement of powerful Spanish teams like Real Madrid, FC Barelona, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla FC, along with some of the most recognizable names in global soccer, such as Lionel Messi, Gerard Piqué, Sergio Ramos, Luis Suarez, Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard and U.S. and Mexican National Team stars like Sergiño Dest, Yunus Musah, Diego Lainez, Andrés Guardado and ogthers. In addition to ESPN+, select LaLiga matches will also air on ESPN networks each season.

LaLiga surround programming – including match previews, highlights and magazine shows – will be featured year-round on ESPN+, including a special section of curated content that launches this Saturday. In addition, highlights, news and analysis will fuel our English and Spanish-language platforms and popular shows like ESPN FC, SportsCenter on both ESPN and ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+’s Jorge Ramos y su Banda and Fuera de Juego.

LaLiga cements ESPN+ as a must-have platform for fans of world class soccer in the U.S., with the industry’s most comprehensive lineup of international and domestic leagues.

From the diamond to the pitch, we are thrilled about these new agreements and for the opportunity to serve baseball and soccer fans in the years ahead.

SPANISH

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