FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 3rd, 2013

NBC SPORTS GROUP ANNOUNCES MLS COVERAGE PLANS FOR THE 2013 REGULAR SEASON

41 Regular-Season Games; 38 on NBC Sports Network and 3 on NBC

Coverage Kicks-off Season on March 2 with Houston Dynamo vs. D.C. United at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network

Wall-to-Wall Soccer Coverage During “Rivalry Weekend” on Saturday, March 16, with Two Games on NBC Sports Network, One on NBC and Studio Coverage of that Day’s Entire Schedule of MLS Games

6 Games Featuring Defending MLS Champion LA Galaxy

NEW YORK – January 9, 2013 –NBC Sports Group, in the second season of its partnership with Major League Soccer, will air 41 regular season games across NBC and NBC Sports Network in the 2013 season. Three MLS regular-season games will air on NBC, with 38 on NBC Sports Network, beginning with a rematch of the 2012 Eastern Conference Championship between the Houston Dynamo and D.C. United on Saturday, March 2 – the first nationally televised game of the 2013 season.

Highlights of NBC Sports Group’s 2013 MLS Season:

 

  • The first nationally televised MLS match of the season Houston Dynamo vs. D.C. United on Saturday, March 2, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network, a rematch of the 2012 Eastern Conference Championship.

 

  • “Rivalry Weekend” – Unprecedented wall-to-wall coverage on NBC and NBC Sports Network during “Rivalry Weekend” on Saturday, March 16, during which the networks will cover all MLS games that day.

 

NBC begins the day with the New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United at 12:30 p.m. ET, from Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. NBC Sports Network will air two more games that day, beginning with Sporting KC vs. Chicago Fire at 3 p.m. ET, and the Seattle Sounders host the Portland Timbers later that night.

 

After calling the New York Red Bulls-D.C. United match, NBC Sports Group’s MLS announce team of Arlo White (play-by-play) and Kyle Martino (“Between-the-Benches” analyst) and Russ Thaler (host), will travel to the new NBC Sports Group studios in Stamford, Conn., to host a studio “whip around” showcasing coverage of the rest of that day’s MLS games.

 

 

  • Three nationally televised games on NBC:  New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United on Mar. 16 at 12:30 p.m. ET, LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers on Sept. 29 at 3:30 p.m. ET, and Houston Dynamo vs. D.C. United on Sun., Oct. 27 at 1:30 p.m. ET.

 

  • Six games featuring MLS Cup Champion LA Galaxy, including Sun., September 29, on NBC at Portland.

 

  • All new episodes of MLS 36, the original series that follows a player for 36 hours prior to game time.

 

Ratings Success:

 

NBC Sports Group, in its first season in partnership with Major League Soccer, experienced tremendous growth among viewers and across key male demos. For the 2012 MLS season, NBC Sports Group presented 41 regular season games – three on NBC and 38 on NBC Sports Network. Viewership was up 122% over the 2011 regular season of Fox Soccer Channel (151,000 vs. 68,000). Viewership was also up among male demos Men 18-34 by 63% and Men 18-49 by 50%.

 

  • The 2012 MLS season on NBC Sports Network (38 games) was up 79% compared to the similar schedule in 2011 (122,000 vs. 68,000). Additionally, NBC Sports Network saw a rise in the key male demographics. Viewership was up 47% among Men 18-34 and up 29% among Men 18-49.

 

  • In all, NBC Sports Group’s MLS coverage reached more than 13.2 million total viewers during the 2012 Season, nearly five times Fox Soccer’s total audience for the 2011 season (2.7 million).

 

NBC SPORTS GROUP 2013 MLS SCHEDULE:

Date                                      Away                                     Home                                   Times ET              Network

Sat. Mar. 2                          D.C. United                         Houston                               8 PM                      NBCSN

Sun. Mar. 9                         New England                     Chicago                                7:30 PM                NBCSN

Sat. Mar. 16                        D.C. United                         New York                            12:30 PM             NBC

Sat. Mar. 16                        Chicago                                Kansas City                         3 PM                      NBCSN

Sat. Mar. 16                        Portland                               Seattle                                  TBD                        NBCSN

Sat. Mar. 23                        Columbus                            D.C. United                         3:30 PM                NBCSN

Sat. Mar. 30                        Philadelphia                       New York                            3:30 PM                NBCSN

Sat. Apr. 6                           Real Salt Lake                     Colorado                              3:30 PM                NBCSN

Sat. Apr. 13                         LA Galaxy                            Dallas                                    3:30 PM                NBCSN

Sun. Apr. 14                        San Jose                               Portland                               10:30 PM             NBCSN

Sat. Apr. 20                         Kansas City                         LA Galaxy                            10:30 PM             NBCSN

Sat. Apr. 27                         Chicago                                Montreal                             4 PM                      NBCSN

Sat. May 4                           New York                            Columbus                            4 PM                      NBCSN

Sat. May 11                         Philadelphia                       Chicago                                1:30 PM                NBCSN

Sun. May 26                       Houston                               Kansas City                         3:30 PM                NBCSN

Sun. June 2                  LA Galaxy                  New England              4 PM               NBCSN

Sun. June 23                       Colorado                              Portland                               7 PM                      NBCSN

Sat. June 29                        Dallas                                    Philadelphia                       5:30 PM                NBCSN

Sat. July 6                            Seattle                                  Vancouver                          11 PM                   NBCSN

Sat. July 13                          LA Galaxy                            Portland                               11 PM                   NBCSN

Sat. July 20                          Colorado                              Seattle                                  11 PM                   NBCSN

Sat. July 27                          Chicago                                Houston                               8 PM                      NBCSN

Sat. Aug. 3                           New York                            Kansas City                         8 PM                      NBCSN

Sat. Aug. 10                        D.C. United                         Philadelphia                       8 PM                      NBCSN

Sat. Aug. 17                        Philadelphia                       New York                            8 PM                      NBCSN

Fri. Aug. 23                          Kansas City                         Chicago                                8:30 PM                NBCSN

Fri. Aug. 30                          Portland                               Real Salt Lake                     10 PM                   NBCSN

Sat. Aug. 31                        D.C. United                         New York                            8 PM                      NBCSN

Sat. Sept. 7                         Chicago                                Seattle                                  10 PM                   NBCSN

Fri. Sept. 13                        Real Salt Lake                     Seattle                                  10 PM                   NBCSN

Fri. Sept. 20                        Colorado                              Portland                               10 PM                   NBCSN

Sat. Sept. 21                       Seattle                                  LA Galaxy                            10:30 PM             NBCSN

Fri. Sept. 27                        Philadelphia                       Kansas City                         8 PM                      NBCSN

Sun. Sept. 29                      LA Galaxy                            Portland                               3:30 PM                NBC

Fri. Oct. 4                             Chicago                                D.C. United                         8 PM                      NBCSN

Sat. Oct. 5                            Seattle                                  Colorado                              10 PM                   NBCSN

Fri. Oct. 18                           D.C. United                         Kansas City                         8 PM                      NBCSN

Sat. Oct. 19                         Seattle                                  Dallas                                    4 PM                      NBCSN

Sat. Oct. 26                         Kansas City                         Philadelphia                       3 PM                      NBCSN

Sat. Oct. 26                         Dallas                                    San Jose                               5:30 PM                NBCSN

Sun. Oct. 27                        Houston                               D.C. United                         1:30 PM                NBC

 

All games on NBC and NBC Sports Network will consist of on-site pre-game and post-game coverage.

 

Along with already-established MLS partnerships with five NBC Sports Regional Networks (California, Chicago, Mid-Atlantic, New England and Philadelphia), the league will have coverage across the NBC Sports Group’s unique four-tier portfolio of assets: broadcast network, national cable, regional sports networks and digital. This includes ProSoccerTalk on NBCSports.com, a blog featuring articles from respected soccer journalist Steve Davis (@SteveDavis90). Davis, who has covered Major League Soccer, since its inception in 1996 contributes regular posts and provides video reports to NBCSports.com.

 

About NBC Sports Group’s Soccer Coverage

 

The NBC Sports Group’s networks and platforms are leading destinations for soccer fans in the U.S. Its soccer portfolio includes Major League Soccer (MLS), U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team matches, the men’s and women’s Olympic soccer tournaments, and, beginning in August 2013, the Premier League. NBCUniversal, via the NBC Sports Group, will be the home for all 380 Premier League matches, as well comprehensive shoulder programming. NBCUniversal’s Telemundo and mun2 also provide comprehensive Spanish-language soccer coverage. Both channels will air Premier League matches, as well as serve as the U.S. Spanish-language home for the FIFA World Cup from 2015 through 2022. Online, ProSoccerTalk on NBCSports.com provides comprehensive coverage of the sport, from the Premier League to MLS to the U.S. National Team and other key international soccer stories.

 

— NBC Sports Group —