CBS takes U.S. rights to Asian Cup and U23 Olympic path

CBS Sports has taken exclusive English-language U.S. media rights to the AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in 2027 and the AFC U23 Asian Cup in 2028. The package covers the United States and U.S. territories, including Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Every match in both tournaments is slated to stream live on Paramount+, with selected games also marked for CBS Sports Network and the free-to-air CBS Sports Golazo Network, including distribution paths such as Pluto TV.

The senior Asian Cup is a 24-team tournament with 51 matches, scheduled for January 7 to February 5, 2027. The 2028 U23 event has a second function beyond continental prestige: it is the official Asian qualification tournament for the Olympic football tournament at Los Angeles 2028. That dual use is one reason U.S. rights buyers treat the U23 competition as more than a development showcase.

AFC officials framed the deal as part of growing Asian national-team football’s visibility in the U.S. market, especially with the 2026 World Cup already placing more global football inventory in front of American audiences. Asia Football Group, the AFC’s commercial partner for the 2023–2028 rights cycle, helped broker the agreement. Public remarks from CBS Sports programming leadership emphasized Paramount+ as the primary home for the full slate rather than a linear-first package.

Additional match windows and talent assignments have not all been announced. What is locked for now is the distribution skeleton: full streaming on Paramount+, partial linear spill to CBS Sports Network and Golazo, and two AFC tentpoles that together bridge Asia’s senior championship and the Olympic under-23 pathway.