For the first time ever, SportsMax will be airing Major League Soccer (MLS) matches exclusively to its 25 Caribbean markets, starting this weekend, in a deal signed with MP & Silva, a leading international media rights agency.

The matches to be broadcast by SportsMax will showcase the 25 Caribbean players plying their trade in the MLS.

The regional sports channel will be showing 16 exclusive regular season games live from September 22 to October 28, six exclusive play-off games from November 3 to December 21 and the MLS Cup on a non-exclusive basis in December.

SportsMax marketing manager Tanya Lee believes that "with 25 Caribbean players spread across 12 teams in the MLS plus a myriad of other international stars, this is the right time for us to bring US and Canadian Soccer to Caribbean viewers."

The MLS, which was started in 1993, now boasts some top footballers, such as David Beckham and Thierry Henry, along with Reggae Boyz Omar Cummings, Ryan Johnson, Tyrone Marshall, Lovel Palmer, Dane Richards, Donovan Ricketts, Darren Mattocks, Jermaine Taylor, Shavar Thomas, Je-Vaughn Watson, Khari Stephenson and Dicoy Williams, among others, as well as Soca Warriors Cordell Cato, Kevan George, Julius James, Carlyle Mitchell and Scott Sealy.

Eduardo Borges, of MP & Silva, stated that "with the MLS continuing its significant growth across the globe, it is only fitting that the MLS be broadcast by a Caribbean-wide channel such as SportsMax".

SportsMax's live airing of the MLS will start this weekend with the New England Revolution vs Thierry Henry's New York Red Bulls at 6:30 pm Jamaica time and David Beckham's LA Galaxy vs Ryan Johnson's Toronto FC at 9:30 pm.