For First Time Ever, Chicago Fire Bring Soccer in High
Definition to Millions of Homes through Launch of 2010 Broadcast Partnerships:
Fire Games Available in High Definition as Comcast SportsNet
Chicago Named the Fire’s Official Cable TV Broadcast Partner, Partnership
Includes First-Ever Fire Post-Game Show and First-Ever Live Audio Webcasts on
Chicago-Fire.com
“La Tremenda” WRTO-AM 1200 Returns as Spanish-Language Radio
Partner
The Chicago Fire Soccer Club formally unveiled today its most
expansive broadcast effort to date with the naming of Comcast SportsNet
Chicago (CSN) and Univision Radio as the club’s official broadcast partners for
the 2010 MLS season. Additional broadcast announcements are forthcoming. For
the first time in Fire history, all locally-produced matches will be broadcast
in high definition (HD). Fire matches will be produced and made available via
audio webcast in both English and Spanish on the Fire’s revamped website, www.Chicago-Fire.com.
Comcast SportsNet telecasts in HD began with the Fire’s Opening Night at TOYOTA
PARK against the San Jose Earthquakes before a record Opening Night crowd of
20,276.
New to the Fire’s broadcast platform is that a Cable and to-be-named-later TV
station will combine to air the most locally-produced matches in club history.
Comcast SportsNet will take the lead role as the club's production partner for
all Fire matches.
“These unique and highly integrated broadcast partnerships for
the Chicago Fire expand our reach to unprecedented heights and across multiple
platforms in both English and Spanish. Fire games will reach millions of
viewers in the Chicagoland and Midwest region, allowing more soccer fans than
ever access to the World's Game across cable, TV, radio and the web. We
are combining with leaders in sports broadcasting to bring soccer to Chicago.
Comcast SportsNet and Univision are such high-profile brands and great
businesses. We are thrilled to have them as partners,” said Fire President Dave
Greeley.
Comcast SportsNet, whose regional television base reaches 4.7
million homes, will televise nine Fire matches on the regional sports network.
Pending the completion of paperwork, another television station, to be
announced at a later date, will broadcast a minimum of eight matches, with all
of the remaining Fire matches available on the family of ESPN networks (five
dates), Fox Soccer Channel (six dates) or TeleFutura (four dates total). In
addition to play-by-play broadcasts, the Fire will work with Comcast SportsNet
to provide soccer related content for a number of other multi-platform
programs. All Fire matches appearing on Comcast SportsNet will be replayed on
the regional sports network following the live airing.
“We’re very pleased to have Fire telecasts back on our air to
further enhance our extensive line-up of local pro team coverage,” said James
J. Corno, President of Comcast SportsNet Chicago. “The Fire has arguably
the most passionate fan base in all of MLS and viewers can look forward to our
expert coverage of Fire games in HD, along with the addition of post-game
shows.”
One of the new dimensions to the Fire's 2010 broadcast package
is the addition of the club’s first-ever post game show. Dan Kelly and Chris
Doran will provide insight, analysis and a behind the scenes look at 14 Fire
matches over the course of the 2010 season. The Fire and Comcast Sportsnet will
provide additional online soccer content for fans at CSNChicago.com.
In their first year together, the broadcasting duo of Kelly
(play-by-play) and Doran (analyst) will call the action for Fire games. Kelly
and Doran will call all network TV broadcasts as "part of the home town
team" and air those matches live as audio webcasts on Chicago-Fire.com.
Kelly and Doran will play an integral part of the Fire’s television and online
presence, providing content for all Chicago Fire media platforms.
"Similar to Chicago's other major league teams, the Fire
now have a broadcast team in Dan Kelly and Chris Doran that will become the
voices of the Fire and the world’s game throughout the region, across multiple
platforms. To have a home town broadcast team is another step in the growth and
development of the Fire and will provide our rapidly expanding fan base with
more opportunities to enjoy the Beautiful Game in HD quality," said
Greeley.
As part of its multi-cultural efforts, the Fire will once again
join forces with the nation’s leading Spanish-language network Univision Radio,
as the network’s local affiliate “La Tremenda” WRTO-AM 1200 will carry 25 of
the 30 Chicago Fire matches in 2010, with five dates unavailable due to
coverage on ESPN2/ESPN Deportes. The Fire’s Spanish-language broadcasts on “La
Tremenda” will be anchored for a sixth season by veteran play-by-play
broadcaster Oscar Guzman. The popular Chicago sports anchor will welcome back a
familiar face for his calls of the “Men in Red”, as Nilton “Batata” DaSilva
returns as color analyst for his fourth season.
“Univision Radio Chicago and WRTO Radio is looking forward to
another great season with the Chicago Fire,” said Univision Senior Vice
President Jerry Ryan. “Univision Radio and the Chicago Fire have had a long
time partnership, broadcasting games and promoting soccer in the Hispanic
Community. Chicago, being the second largest Mexican city in the United States,
is home to a rabid Hispanic soccer fan base. 2010 should be a banner year for
the Fire and the Spanish broadcast on WRTO.”
"Chicago is one of America's great multi-cultural market
places and as the local representative of the World's Game, we are honored to
bring 25 Fire games to our Spanish-speaking fans on local Chicago radio,"
added Greeley.
The Chicago Fire take on D.C. United at RFK Stadium in
Washington, D.C. on Saturday, April 17 at 6:30 PM CT. The Fire return home to
challenge the Houston Dynamo at TOYOTA PARK on Saturday, April 24. Tickets are
available by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE (657-3473) or by going to the club’s
official website at www.Chicago-Fire.com.
Day Date
OPPONENT (Location)
TIME (CT) TELEVISION
March
Sat. 27 New
York
(Away)
6:00 ESPN
April
Sat. 3
Colorado
(Away)
3:00 TeleFutura
Sat. 10
San Jose
(HOME)
7:30 CSN
Sat. 17
D.C.
United (Away)
6:30 CSN
Sat. 24
Houston (HOME)
7:30 TBA
May
Sat. 1
Chivas USA
(HOME)
7:30 CSN
Sat. 8
Toronto FC (Away)
3:00 TBA
Sat. 15
Kansas
City (Away)
7:30 FSC
Thur. 27
Dallas (HOME)
7:00 ESPN2
June
Sat. 5
Philadelphia (HOME)
7:30 TBA
Wed. 9
Colorado (HOME)
8:00# TBA
Sun. 27 New
England (Away)
6:00 CSN
July
Sat.
3 Columbus (Away)
7:00 FSC
Thur. 8
Real Salt
Lake (HOME)
8:30 ESPN2
Sat. 24
Kansas
City (HOME)
7:30 CSN
August
Sun.
1 LA
Galaxy (Away)
6:30 FSC
Sun.
8 New York (HOME)
8:00 ESPN2
Wed. 18 New
England (HOME)
7:30 TBA
Sat. 21
Houston
(Away)
7:30 CSN
Sat. 28
Seattle (Away)
9:30 CSN
September
Sat.
4 LA
Galaxy (HOME)
3:00 CSN/TeleFutura
Wed. 8
Toronto
FC (HOME)
7:30 TBA
Sat. 11
Philadelphia (Away)
5:00 FSC
Sat. 18
Real Salt
Lake (Away)
3:00 TeleFutura
Sat. 25
Seattle (HOME)
7:00 TBA
Wed. 29 San
Jose
(Away)
10:00 ESPN2
October
Sat. 2
Dallas (Away)
7:30 FSC
Fri.
8 Columbus (HOME)
8:00 CSN
Sat. 16
D.C. United
(HOME)
3:00 TBA/TeleFutura
Sat.
23 Chivas USA
(Away)
10:00 FSC
*Followed by a 30-minute Fire Post Game Show.
#Chicago Fire – Colorado Rapids match being rescheduled from May
22 to June 9.
