FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 24th, 2013

NBC SPORTS GROUP PRESENTS MORE THAN 20 HOURS OF LIVE SOCCER COVERAGE THIS WEEKEND

NBCSN Coverage Highlighted by Premier League-MLS Quintupleheader on Saturday Featuring Philadelphia Union Hosting Sporting Kansas City Followed by San Jose Earthquakes Facing FC Dallas

Houston Dynamo Take On D.C. United Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC, Following Premier League

Stamford, Conn. – October 24, 2013 – NBC Sports Group presents more than 20 hours of live soccer coverage this weekend highlighted by a Premier League-Major League Soccer quintupleheader on NBCSN Saturday and a doubleheader on NBC Sunday.

NBCSN presents more than 12 hours of live soccer coverage on Saturday beginning at 7 a.m. ET with Premier League Live. Live MLS coverage on NBCSN begins at 3 p.m. ET when playoff contender Philadelphia Union faces 2013 Supporters’ Shield candidate Sporting Kansas City following the Fulham-Southampton Premier League match. At 5:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, the San Jose Earthquakes host FC Dallas.

NBC’s MLS coverage on Sunday is highlighted by the Houston Dynamo taking on D.C. United at 1:30 p.m. ET, following live Premier League coverage (Chelsea v. Manchester City). MLS coverage begins Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET with the finale of MLS Insider on NBCSN. Earlier Saturday on NBCSN, Crystal Palace host Arsenal at 7:45 a.m. ET and Manchester United host Stoke City at 10 a.m. ET.

The Philadelphia Union, San Jose Earthquakes and Houston Dynamo still have a chance at making the MLS Cup Playoffs.

Date Coverage Time (ET) Network
Friday, Oct. 25 MLS Insider 7:30 p.m. NBCSN
Saturday, Oct. 26 Philadelphia Union v. Sporting Kansas City 3 p.m. NBCSN
San Jose Earthquakes v. FC Dallas 5:30 p.m. NBCSN
Sunday, Oct. 27 D.C. United v. Houston Dynamo 1:30 p.m. NBC

COMMENTATORS: NBC Sports Group’s lead MLS play-by-play announcer John Strong will call NBCSN’s Philadelphia Union-Sporting Kansas City coverage on Saturday as well as NBC’s D.C. United-Houston Dynamo match on Sunday. Strong will be joined by analyst and former English footballer Robbie Mustoe and host Russ Thaler.

Strong on the importance of this weekend’s matches: “This has been an amazing fall in MLS, and it’s all built up perfectly to this final weekend. Every match has some kind of meaning, whether for the Supporters’ Shield, playoff positioning, or just getting into the postseason. I love that we have the earliest game on Saturday and Sunday: both have the potential to set up a chain reaction throughout the day that can completely change the playoff picture. The desperation and urgency on display throughout both days will make for incredible viewing.”

Mustoe: “This is an exciting time to watch MLS as this weekend sets the stage for what will be an exciting MLS Cup Playoffs. Both the Philadelphia Union and Houston Dynamo cling to the hope of playoff spots. But Sporting Kansas City, who have clinched a berth in the playoffs, need to beat the Union in order to keep alive their chances of winning the coveted 2013 Supporters’ Shield.”

Announcer JP Dellacamera will handle play-by-play for Saturday’s San Jose Earthquakes-FC Dallas match alongside analyst Brian Dunseth and host Sebastian Salazar.

MLS INSIDER: This week’s season finale of MLS Insider airs Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The show looks at the New York Red Bulls’ past woes as they aim to break an alleged curse and capture the club’s first major trophy — the 2013 Supporters’ Shield. In addition, the episode looks at Toronto FC’s new regime and attitude and shares a poetic perspective on the greatness of LA Galaxy striker and Irish national team footballer Robbie Keane.

NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA

NBC Sports Live Extra — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets — will stream NBC and NBCSN’s MLS game coverage. NBCSN coverage will be available via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

Coverage airing on NBC will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra. NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

About NBC Sports Group’s Soccer Coverage

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 the Premier League. NBCUniversal, via the NBC Sports Group, is the home for all 380 Premier League matches, as well as 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.

For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit www.NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.

NBC SPORTS GROUP