Seattle Sounders FC today announced its regional broadcast details for the 2018 Major League Soccer season, spearheaded by a renewed multiyear agreement with Q13 FOX (KCPQ-Channel 13) and JOEtv (KZJO-Channel 22). The renewed partnership continues the tenure of Q13 FOX and JOEtv as the regional television home of the Rave Green throughout Western Washington. New in 2018, JOEtv is set to become the dedicated home of Sounders FC for all regional broadcasts following another successful campaign of league-leading television ratings.
“Since 2014, our relationship with Q13 FOX and JOEtv has been a rewarding one, providing exciting and creative programming for our fans, in addition to some of the strongest regional ratings in Major League Soccer over the past several years,” said Sounders FC Chief Operating Officer Bart Wiley. “In JOEtv, we’re excited about having a singular, dedicated over-the-air television platform for our fans to enjoy Sounders FC soccer. We’re thrilled to renew this agreement and continue working with a partner that is fully committed to growing our game throughout the region.”
In addition to televising all home and away Sounders FC matches to in-market fans, JOEtv continues to provide both a 30-minute pre-match show and 30-minute post-match wrap-up following each contest. Q13 FOX is also airing two feature-length Sounders FC specials during the 2018 season, in addition to profiling the team during the weekly “Q It Up” sportscast each Friday throughout the year, shown on both Q13 FOX and JOE TV. Of the club’s 34 MLS regular season matches, 21 are being carried on JOEtv throughout Western Washington, with 13 of Seattle’s games airing on national television via FOX, FOX Sports 1 and ESPN.
“We are thrilled to continue our official partnership with Seattle Sounders FC and for the opportunity to provide the most passionate supporters in MLS the coverage they deserve,” said Pam Pearson, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Q13 FOX and JOEtv.
Returning to the booth in 2018 are Keith Costigan, Kasey Keller and Steve Zakuani, who all reprise their roles from the 2017 season. In his third year with Sounders FC, Costigan is once again set to call regional matches for the Rave Green, while maintaining his national duties with FOX Sports in advance of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, which is live on FOX’s platforms this summer. Former MLS Sounders Keller and Zakuani return in their analyst duties, with the former United States Men’s National Team goalkeeper and 2009 first overall SuperDraft selection working alongside a stable of rotating pre-match, halftime and post-match talent. Included within this group is Q13 FOX sports reporter and anchor Michelle Ludtka, in addition to former Sounder goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann. New in 2018, former Seattle fullback James Riley is joining the broadcast team, returning to the Rave Green following a robust playing career and recent role at MLS headquarters in New York as the league’s Director of Player Relations. Riley previously played for Sounders FC for three campaigns from 2009 to 2011.
As announced last week, 950 KJR AM is serving as the club’s English-language radio broadcast home beginning in 2018. Matt Johnson continues to serve as the club’s play-by-play voice on all Sounders FC radio broadcasts. Seattle University Head Coach and longtime Sounders FC broadcast analyst Pete Fewing and former Sounders Danny Jackson and Wade Webber round out the analyst roles for the club’s English-language radio coverage. Finally, KJR 950’s Jackson Felts is serving as host for the station’s new, hour-long Sounders FC weekly show each Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., debuting tonight on 950 KJR AM.
The home of Sounders FC’s Spanish-language television programming remains Sinclair Broadcast Group, which is set to air 10 MLS match telecasts on Univision-Seattle (KUNS-TV). Sounders FC Fútbol en Vivo is again hosted by Univision-Seattle’s play-by-play voice Jaime Mendez with analysts Diego Arrioja and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado. Sinclair is also scheduled to air 15 episodes of Sounders FC en Acción, a 30-minute recap show on Univision-Seattle hosted by Mendez and Arrioja. The show is slated to air throughout the season and fans should check their Univision schedule via their respective broadcast providers for additional details.
“We are pleased to once again be carrying Sounders FC in Spanish and to bring this sport directly to our vibrant and vital local Hispanic community. And soccer is always more fun in Spanish,” said Janene Drafts, General Manager of KUNS-Univision Seattle.
Finally, additional Pacific Northwest regional broadcast details for Sounders FC matches throughout the club’s usual five-state territory of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska are forthcoming. Those specifics are to be announced in the coming days.
Following the club’s recent broadcast announcement with iHeartMedia that sees Sports Radio 950 KJR become the new English radio home of the Rave Green, the club is set to continue its partnership with El Rey 1360 AM as the Spanish-language home for Sounders FC matches in 2018. With play-by-play voice "Zuper" Mario Rodriguez alongside Felipe Maqueda and Carlos Tapia on the call, El Rey 1360 AM is set to carry all 34 Sounders FC matches during the regular season. El Rey 1360 AM also provides 30-minute pre-match and post-match shows as part of their matchday coverage, as well as a 30-minute weekly radio show, Somos Sounders FC. The latter is hosted by Felipe Maqueda, and he is joined by Carolina Antipolo, Hugo M. López and Marco Canseco, airing Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m. PT.
Prior to the MLS regular season starting on March 4, Sounders FC is set to face Salvadoran club Santa Tecla FC in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League second leg at CenturyLink Field on March 1. The Rave Green need to overturn a 2-1 loss on the road in El Salvador on February 22 to advance in the regional competition. Sounders FC season tickets are still available, including new 2018 seating options in the 300-level, as well single-match tickets for each of Seattle's home matches. For complete information, details and pricing on 2018 Sounders FC season tickets, fans should visit SoundersFC.com/Tickets, call 877-MLS-GOAL or email Sales@SoundersFC.com.
ABOUT SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
Winner of the 2016 MLS Cup, 2014 MLS Supporters' Shield and four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championships (2009, 2010, 2011, 2014), Sounders FC is Seattle's Major League Soccer franchise. With an ownership group led by Seattle-based entrepreneur Adrian Hanauer, Hollywood executive Joe Roth, Seattle Seahawks Chairman Paul G. Allen and entertainer Drew Carey, the club received an MLS charter on November 13, 2007 and has qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs in every year of its existence. Sounders FC reached a milestone in 2016, as the franchise claimed its first MLS Cup championship with a road victory over Toronto FC, which was followed up by a second-consecutive berth in the league championship in 2017. Since the club's debut MLS season in 2009, Sounders FC has set the standard for soccer support in North America, leading the league in attendance for eight consecutive seasons (2009-2016) and routinely ranking in the top 30 in attendance among all teams internationally and top three within the Americas. Prior to joining MLS, the Seattle Sounders organization has been a part of the greater Seattle community and U.S. Soccer professional scene since 1974.
ABOUT Q13 FOX AND JOETV
Q13 FOX is the Seattle / Tacoma FOX Network affiliate and the home for market-leading local news and sports. Q13 News produces news content across multiple platforms including 10 hours of local news programming each weekday. Q13 FOX is the official television partner of the Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sounders FC and the Seattle Storm. JOEtv is the Seattle / Tacoma My Network TV affiliate broadcasting on channel 22 and also available on Comcast Cable 110. JOEtv carries a variety of programming, including Sounders FC matches and entertainment programming. In addition, Q13 News at 9 airs nightly on JOEtv and is the #1 nine o'clock news program in the market. For more information visit Q13FOX.com.
ABOUT UNIVISION-SEATTLE (KUNS-TV)
Part of Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station is in its tenth year of broadcasting and is the only full power Spanish language station in the market offering locally produced news and sought after sports and prime programming. Univision Seattle is home to the most exclusive audience in the Seattle-Tacoma market as more than 40% of the station's audience cannot be found with any other English Language broadcast station. Representing more than 123,000+ homes, the Hispanic community is among the largest and fastest growing population segments in the Seattle-Tacoma DMA, and Seattle is now the 26th largest Hispanic market in the U.S.
ABOUT SEA MAR COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS
EL Rey 1360 AM and KDNA 91.9 FM in Granger, Washington are part of the Sea Mar Family, one of the largest Community Health Centers in the nation. Last year 1.2 million individual services to 244,519 people were provided in 11 counties of the state. Sea Mar was founded in 1978 offer medical, dental, behavioral health and human services to diverse communities. Its ultimate goal is precisely communities' empowerment. SeaMar and its radio stations are very proud of being the Sounders home in Spanish. Futbol is our passion.
