FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 29th, 2016

COMCAST SPORTSNET ANNOUNCES ITS 2016 CHICAGO FIRE ON-AIR/DIGITAL SEASON COVERAGE DETAILS

CSN’s 28 regular season game schedule – featuring announcers Dan Kelly and Fire legend Frank Klopas – begins with the HOME/SEASON OPENER on Sunday, March 6 vs. New York City FC at 12:30 PM CT;

“Chicago Fire All-Access” behind-the-scenes special to debut Wed, March 2 at 9:00 PM CT

Network to also carry five Spanish-language simulcasts on CSN+ in 2016; plus – Live Pre-Game Shows all season long and comprehensive coverage on ‘SportsNet Central’ highlight 2016 Schedule

CSNChicago.com to feature 24/7 reporting from Fire “Insider” Dan Santaromita; website to also feature bi-monthly Fire players interviews in the AT&T U-verse Lounge, Daily Player/Coaches Interviews, Game Highlights, and much more!

Chicago, IL (February 29, 2016) – Comcast SportsNet, the regional television home of the Chicago Fire, is once again ready to deliver another action-packed Major League Soccer (MLS) season with 28 live regular season Fire games (14 home, 14 away), along with five Spanish-language simulcasts, in-depth pre-game shows, the return of Fire All-Access, extensive nightly coverage on SportsNet Central and the most thorough 24/7 digital “Men in Red” coverage to date on CSNChicago.com!

The 2016 Chicago Fire regular season on Comcast SportsNet gets underway with the HOME/SEASON OPENER against New York City FC on Sunday, March 6 beginning at 12:30 PM CT with Fire Pregame Live.  The opening kick-off will take place at 1:00 PM featuring veteran Fire play-by-play announcer Dan Kelly and first-year Fire game analyst, Chicago Fire/U.S. National Team legend Frank Klopas.  In addition, veteran soccer journalist Paul Tenorio will be a part of every Fire telecast on CSN handling sideline reporting duties.  A special edition of Fire Postgame Live immediately follows the home/season opener featuring live post-game press conferences, live locker room player interviews, full highlights and complete post-game analysis.

In addition to 28 regular season games (14 on the main CSN channel location and 14 airing on CSN+), five telecasts will be Spanish-language simulcasts that will air on CSN+.  The announcing tandem for the Spanish-language telecasts will feature Telemundo Chicago sports anchor Rodrigo Arana handling play-by-play and MLSSoccer.com columnist Raquel Ortiz providing game analysis.  IMPORTANT NOTE: For the 14 games airing on CSN+, along with the five Spanish-language telecasts, fans are urged to visit CSNChicago.com’s channel finder section (csnchicago.com/channel-finder) for a complete listing of CSN+ and CSN+HD channel locations in their area.

Prior to the start of the MLS regular season, fans can look forward to the season debut of Fire All-Access on Wednesday, March 2 at 9:00 PM on CSN.  The season’s first edition of this unique behind-the-scenes series, co-produced by CSNChicago.com and the Fire, will include features on new Fire GM Nelson Rodriguez and new Fire head coach Veljko Paunovic at last month’s 2016 MLS SuperDraft that was held in Baltimore, MD, along with a feature on the opening of this year’s training camp sessions as both Fire veteran and newcomers come together for the first time, along with additional season preview segments.  NOTES: Comcast SportsNet will re-air this edition of Fire All-Access on Sunday, March 6 at 12 NOON prior to the network’s live coverage of the home/season opener. Comcast SportsNet’s complete 2016 regular season Fire schedule appears at the end of this release.

Throughout the season, Fire fans are also to tune into SportsNet Central presented by Comcast Business at 6:30 PM, GMC SportsNet Central 10:00 & 10:30 PM and the midnight edition of SportsNet Central presented by CLR for the very latest team/player news, interviews, specials features, and much more.

From a digital/online perspective, Comcast SportsNet’s website, CSNChicago.com, delivers comprehensive 24/7 Blackhawks coverage all season long, including the following highlights:

  • Fire “Insider” Dan Santaromita joins CSNChicago.com for his first season on the beat.  Follow him on Twitter @TheDanSanto and CSNChicago.com for the latest team/player news and inside access 24/7, which will include daily content featuring match previews, game stories, player interviews, in-depth/long-form features, along with national MLS and U.S. Soccer coverage throughout the year.
  • CSNChicago.com’s FIRE section – csnchicago.com/firefeaturing numerous videos with players and soccer operations staff, along with comprehensive game previews/recaps and the up-to-the-minute team/player is sponsored by Al Piemonte Ford.
  • Digital video content this season will include bi-monthly Fire player interviews in CSN’s state-of-the-art “AT&T U-verse Lounge,” along with a massive video-on-demand library that will be distributed on CSNChicago.com  and Chicago-Fire.com.

 

COMCAST SPORTSNET CHICAGO
2016 Chicago Fire Schedule

  1. Sun, Mar 6       1:00 pm        vs. New York City FC                     (2016 HOME/SEASON OPENER!)
  2. Sat, Mar 19      4:00 pm        vs. Columbus Crew SC                  CSN+
  3. Sat, Apr 2         4:00 pm        vs. Philadelphia                              (Spanish on CSN+)
  4. Sat, Apr 16       4:00 pm        vs. Montreal                                  CSN+
  5. Sat, Apr 30       4:00 pm        vs. D.C. United                              (Spanish on CSN+)
  6. Wed, May 11    9:00 pm        @ Vancouver Whitecaps FC           CSN+
  7. Sat, May 14      6:30 pm        @ New England
  8. Wed, May 18    6:30 pm        @ New York                                  CSN+
  9. Sat, May 21      4:00 pm        vs. Houston                                   CSN+ (in progress – CSN 4:30p)
  10. Sat, May 28      7:30 pm        vs. Portland                                   (Spanish on CSN+)
  11. Sat, June 18     8:00 pm        @ Colorado                                   CSN+ (in progress – CSN 9:30p)
  12. Wed, June 22   6:00 pm        @ Philadelphia                               CSN+
  13. Sat, July 9        6:30 pm        @ Toronto FC
  14. Wed, July 13     7:30 pm        vs. Sporting Kansas City                (Spanish on CSN+)
  15. Sat, July 16      8:00 pm        @ FC Dallas                                  CSN+
  16. Sat, July 23      6:30 pm        @ New England                             CSN+
  17. Sun, July 31      6:00 pm        vs. New York                                 (Spanish on CSN+)
  18. Sat, Aug 6        9:00 pm        @ Real Salt Lake
  19. Sat, Aug 20      6:30 pm        @ Montreal                                   CSN+
  20. Wed, Aug 24     7:30 pm        vs. Los Angeles                             CSN+
  21. Sat, Aug 27      6:00 pm        @ D.C. United                               CSN+
  22. Sat, Sept 3       7:30 pm        vs. Philadelphia                              CSN+
  23. Sat, Sept 10     7:30 pm        vs Toronto FC                               CSN+
  24. Wed, Sept 28    9:30 pm        @ Seattle Sounders FC
  25. Sat, Oct 1         6:30 pm        @ Columbus Crew SC
  26. Thu, Oct 13      7:30 pm        vs. Columbus Crew SC
  27. Sun, Oct 16      4:00 pm        vs. New England
  28. Sun, Oct 23      3:00 pm        @ Toronto FC

 

NOTE: Majority of Chicago Fire telecasts on CSN/CSN+ will be preceded by a half-hour edition of Fire Pregame Live

28 games – 14 CSN & 14 CSN+
14 Home, 14 Road

Schedule subject to change
All times are Central Time

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