MLS Primetime Thursday on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes

ABC to broadcast MLS Cup; ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes Radio to air Thursday night matches; 16 ESPN Soccernet.com Pre-Game Shows; Simulcasts on ESPN360.com

March 24, 2008 -- ESPN’s high definition coverage of the 13th Major League Soccer season will kickoff with a rare doubleheader Thursday, April 3 – New England Revolution, 2007 MLS Cup finalist, visiting Mexican National Team striker Cuauhtémoc Blanco and the Chicago Fire at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the return of the new San Jose Earthquakes (making their season debut) at the David Beckham-led Los Angeles Galaxy at 10:30 p.m. – on ESPN2. The MLS doubleheader will mark the return of ESPN2’s MLS Primetime Thursday, the exclusive primetime window featuring the only live MLS match in the country.

Highlights:

* ESPN2 will air 26 MLS Primetime Thursday regular season matches, three playoff games and the MLS All-Star Game Thursday, July 24 at 7 p.m. from the BMO Field in Toronto, all exclusive on Thursdays;
* For the first time, ESPN Deportes – ESPN’s domestic Spanish-language network – will feature a companion, but distinct, telecast of all MLS Primetime Thursday matches with separate booth commentators. The MLS series will be branded “Jueves Por La Noche” for the network’s core, Hispanic soccer audience;
* ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPN’s 24-hour, national Hispanic sports radio service, will broadcast all MLS Primetime Thursday matches (save the April 3 New England at Chicago match) – the first time MLS matches will be broadcast live on a national radio network. In addition, ESPN Deportes Radio will offer coverage of the MLS All-Star Game and MLS Cup;
* ESPN360.com, ESPN’s signature broadband platform, will simulcast all English and Spanish language telecasts of MLS Primetime Thursday matches, all Playoff Games and the MLS All-Star Game (English only);
* The first U.S. over-the-air television network soccer doubleheader on ABC and ABC HD, Sunday, June 29, will feature Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy visiting DC United at noon, followed by the network’s presentation of the UEFA European Football Championship 2008 (EURO 2008) title match from Vienna, Austria, at 2:30 p.m.;
* ABC and ABC HD will broadcast MLS Cup 2008 on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 3:30 p.m. from The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.;
* All MLS Primetime Thursday telecasts on ESPN2 and matches on ABC will be available in high definition;
* “ESPN Soccernet.com Pre-Game Show” – 16 MLS telecasts will receive expanded programming windows for pre- and post-game reports. The pre-game programming, originating from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., studios, will include news, highlights and analysis from MLS and other soccer leagues around the world;

ESPN MLS Matches in HD

2008 MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER SCHEDULE ON ESPN2, ESPN DEPORTES, ESPN DEPORTES RADIO, ESPN360.COM AND ABC

F All Times Eastern F Schedule Subject To Change

Date Air (ET) Networks Match

Thu 4/3 8 p.m. ESPN2/ED/SPN360.com New England Revolution at Chicago Fire***

Thu 4/3 10:30 p.m. ESPN2/ED/SPN360EDR/360.com San Jose Earthquakes at Los Angeles Galaxy

Thu 4/17 8 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com Columbus Crew at DC United

Thu 4/24 8:30 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com New England Revolution at FC Dallas

Thu 5/1 7 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com New York Red Bulls at Toronto FC

Thu 5/8 7:30 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com Chicago Fire at DC United***

Thu 5/15 9:30 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com Real Salt Lake at Colorado Rapids

Thu 5/22 10:30 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com Houston Dynamo at San Jose Earthquakes

Thu 5/29 7:30 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com DC United at New England Revolution

Thu 6/5 7:30 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com Chivas USA at New York Red Bulls

Thu 6/12 9 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com New England Revolution at Houston Dynamo**

Thu 6/19 10 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com Chicago Fire at Chivas USA**

Thu 6/26 9 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com Dallas FC at Houston Dynamo

Sun 6/29 12 p.m. ABC/ABC HD Los Angeles Galaxy at DC United***

Thu 7/3 10 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com Houston Dynamo at Real Salt Lake

Thu 7/10 11 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com Chivas USA at Los Angeles Galaxy***

Thu 7/17 8 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com Kansas City Wizards at Columbus Crew

Thu 7/24 7 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN360EDR/360.com MLS ALL-STAR GAME – TORONTO***

Thu 8/14 10:30 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com Los Angeles Galaxy at Chivas USA***

Thu 8/21 10 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com Chicago Fire at Los Angeles Galaxy***

Thu 9/4 8:30 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com Colorado Rapids at Dallas FC

Thu 9/11 7 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com Chivas USA at New England Revolution

Thu 9/18 7 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com New York Red Bulls at Columbus Crew

Thu 9/25 9 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com Los Angeles Galaxy at Chicago Fire***

Thu 10/2 9 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com San Jose Earthquakes at Dallas FC

Thu 10/9 10 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com New York Red Bulls at Real Salt Lake

Thu 10/16 7:30 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com New England Revolution at DC United***

Thu 10/23 9 p.m. E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com New York Red Bulls at Chicago Fire***

Thu 10/30 TBD E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com MLS Playoffs***

Thu 11/6 TBD E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com MLS Playoffs***

Thu 11/13 TBD E2/ED/EDR/360ESPN2/ESPN360.com MLS Playoffs***

Sun 11/23 3:30 p.m. ABC/ABC HD/EDR MLS Cup in Carson, Calif.***

All ESPN2 matches available on ESPN2 HD

*** –“ESPN Soccernet.com Pre-Game Show”

ED – ESPN Deportes^ Games also broadcast on ESPN Deportes

EDR – * Games also broadcast on ESPN Deportes Radio

360 – ESPN360.com

Source: ESPN

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