FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, July 6th, 2015

COMCAST SPORTSNET TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE SPANISH-LANGUAGE TELECASTS FOR THREE UPCOMING MLS/CHICAGO FIRE GAMES IN JULY

First Chicago Fire Spanish-language telecast to take place Saturday, July 11 on CSN+ (Fire vs. Seattle Sounders FC)

 

Chicago, IL (July 6, 2015) For the first time in network history, Comcast SportsNet, the regional television home of Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire, will be providing an alternative Spanish-language telecast for three upcoming Fire games in July that will air exclusively on CSN+ (NOTE: CSN+ is available in high-definition on Comcast/Xfinity ch. 201 in the Chicago area/South Bend, IN & on Comcast/Xfinity ch. 285 in the Peoria, Springfield, Rockford and Champaign markets, along with being made available in DIRECTV, DISH Network, AT&T U-verse, RCN, and WOW! homes among others; viewers are urged to visit CSNChicago.com’s CHANNEL FINDER for complete channel location details).

The first alternative Spanish-language telecast, featuring the Fire’s 97.5 FM ESPN Deportes announcing tandem of Rodrigo Arana and Raquel Ortiz, will take place on Saturday, July 11 at 7:30 PM CT, as the Fire host the Seattle Sounders FC.  CSN’s primary Fire announcers Dan Kelly and Kevin Egan will provide the call of the game on the main Comcast SportsNet channel location.

“With such a wide, diverse, and dedicated fan base throughout numerous areas of the Chicago market, we are truly excited to provide these alternative Fire telecasts to the Latin community, showcasing the standout play-by-play and in-depth analysis from Rodrigo and Raquel,” said Greg Bowman, VP/Programming for Comcast SportsNet Chicago.

“We’re excited to work with our partners at Comcast SportsNet to televise our matches to a broader market,” said Fire COO Atul Khosla. “As Hispanics represent nearly a third of our fan base, this is a tremendous opportunity worth exploring.”

In addition to the July 11 game vs. Seattle, two additional Spanish-language games will air on the following dates in July on CSN+: Wed, July 15 (7:30 PM vs. Columbus) and Sat, July 25 (7:30 PM vs. New England).

Comcast SportsNet’s match day coverage for all Fire games includes a live, 30-minute pre-game show, along with enhanced coverage on the network’s nightly sports news desk, SportsNet Central, which will include post-game reaction from Fire players and head coach Frank Yallop.

From a digital standpoint, the Fire and Comcast SportsNet provide fans with enhanced platform content sharing on CSNChicago.com and Chicago-Fire.com, showcasing original video features, game highlights, special behind-the-scenes access, and numerous editorial pieces.  Plus, CSNChicago.com will also feature MLS and international soccer coverage via NBCSports.com’s “ProSoccerTalk” page.

Additional Bio Information:

Rodrigo Arana — A native of Mexico City, Arana has been working eight years covering and broadcasting sporting events.  He spent seven years at Fox Sports Latin America, as play-by-play and color analyst for various soccer leagues, NFL, MLB, UFC, and Bellator, including events such as the Super Bowl, World Series and MX League Final.  He currently serves as the primary sports anchor for Noticiero Telemundo Chicago at 5:00 & 10:00 PM each weekday.

Raquel Ortiz — Ortiz began as a Spanish-language columnist for mlssoccer.com, covering the Chicago Fire, in June of 2005. Since then, she has extensively covered the Fire, contributing to its website and other media radio and television outlets.  She debuted with the radio broadcast team in 2006 and has served the past five seasons as the color commentator.  Prior to her work covering the Fire, Ortiz hosted and produced a sports-only radio show on Radio Arte 90.5 FM, managing the on-air website content for three years.