USL Championship

The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional soccer league based in the United States. It ranks behind Major League Soccer on the North American soccer pyramid. Founded in September 2010 and owned by the United States Soccer League, it began play in 2011 and has been designated as a Division II League by the United States Soccer Federation since 2017.

The USLC was formed following a merger between the USL First Division and USL Second Division (which were the second and third levels of United States soccer). Teams competing in the USL Championship are eligible to participate in the annual US Open Cup each season.

Unlike other leagues in Europe and elsewhere, the USL Championship does not operate on a relegation-promotion format. That means that regardless of a team winning the USLC, it will not receive promotion to MLS, nor will poorly performing teams be demoted.

Media coverage of the USL Championship in the USA has been largely under the auspices of ESPN+ since the latter part of the 2010s. The network provides live-streaming of matches throughout the season on its streaming platform, and in 2023, successfully renewed its broadcast rights to live-stream matches. Additional live-streaming options also include YouTube (as of 2023), while TUDN provides select TV and live-streaming coverage for Spanish-speakers.