Sporting Kansas City announced Thursday that KSMO-TV will return as the team’s local broadcast partner for the 2012 and 2013 Major League Soccer seasons. As part of the agreement, all 28 of Sporting Kansas City’s regular season MLS matches not being nationally televised will be carried live and in high-definition over-the-air on KSMO-TV.
KSMO-TV will also air a 30-minute pre-game show prior to each Sporting Kansas City telecast on the network (note: the pre-game shows for Wed., July 4 and Wed., Sept. 19 will stream live on SportingKC.com) and the station will continue its 30-minute weekly soccer show, Off the Pitch, broadcast every Sunday at 9:30 p.m. CT during the MLS season.
Additionally, as part of the agreement, Sporting Kansas City’s Eastern Conference Championship rematch with the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, July 7 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park (note: kick-off moved to 7:00 p.m. CT, 30 minutes earlier than originally scheduled) and the team’s trip to face the Montreal Impact on Saturday, Sept. 22 at Stade Saputo will be simulcast on sister station and local CBS affiliate KCTV5.
“We’re pleased to continue our partnership with KSMO-TV to provide high-quality broadcasts that will showcase our club, our stadium and Major League Soccer,” Sporting Club CEO Robb Heineman said. “We place a high value on ensuring all our matches are available across the Kansas City viewing area and KSMO-TV has shown a commitment to delivering the coverage that our passionate fanbase deserves.”
“We are very excited to continue to grow our partnership with Sporting KC by airing their games on KSMO-TV,” said Bobby Tostch, vice president and general manager of KCTV5 and KSMO. “This two-year extension will help Sporting KC maintain a high level of on-air consistency that will allow the team to continue to grow their fan base. This extension will also feature some content opportunities on KSMO-TV and KCTV5 that will only benefit the fans and our viewers.”
KSMO-TV, operating since 1983, is shown on satellite television and broadcast over-the-air on Channel 62, and is available as Channel 10 on cable systems.
“We continue our commitment to the viewers of Kansas City to grow KSMO as the local sports station, and Sporting KC is a focal point of that commitment,” Totsch said.
One of 12 television stations owned by the Midwest-based Meredith Corporation, KSMO-TV broadcast 30 Sporting KC matches in 2011. Play-by-play announcer Callum Williams and color commentator Jacob Yadrich will return to the broadcast booth as the on-air talent for all Sporting Kansas City local broadcasts in 2012.
Sporting Kansas City begins the 2012 season on Saturday, March 10 at D.C. United in advance of the club’s home opener on Saturday, March 17 against the New England Revolution. Full-season and half-season ticket packages are currently available for the 2012 season at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
Visit SportingKC.com to see Sporting Kansas City's full 2012 MLS schedule, including game-by-game broadcast coverage.
KSMO-TV Channel Lineup
Broadcast: 62 (analog), 62.1 (digital)
Time Warner Cable: 10, 1010 (HD)
Comcast: 10, 237 (HD), 810 (HD)
AT&T U-Verse: 62, 1062 (HD)
DirecTV: 62, 951 (HD)
Dish Network: 62, 6382 (HD), 8434
Surewest: 10, 619 (HD)
FAST FACTS:
- For the second season in a row, every Sporting Kansas City regular season MLS match will be shown live and in high definition.
- Seven of Sporting Kansas City’s 17 home matches in 2012 will be nationally televised at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
- All non-nationally televised Sporting Kansas City matches will be shown live over-the-air on KSMO-TV, including a 30-minute pre-game show for each of the 28 regular season matches.
- After showing Sporting Kansas City’s dramatic 1-1 draw against Chivas USA at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park last season, KCTV5 will simulcast two matches during the 2012 regular season, including the club’s Eastern Conference rematch with the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, July 7 at LSP.
- “Off the Pitch,” a thirty-minute weekly show dedicated to Sporting Kansas City coverage, will again air every Sunday during the Major League Soccer season at 9:30 p.m. CT on KSMO-TV.
- Play-by-play announcer Callum Williams and color commentator Jacob Yadrich return as the voices of Sporting Kansas City for all local broadcasts in 2012.
