FRISCO, Texas - FC Dallas today announced that the team has finalized its local television and radio broadcast schedule for the 2008 Major League Soccer season. For the first time in team history, each of the 30 regular season games will be available locally on English language television, including all 15 home matches. Local broadcast partners KFWD-52 and FSN Southwest will air 19 games, with national outlets ESPN2, Fox Soccer Channel, and HDNet combining to show 11 matches. Fifteen of the games will also be available through national Spanish-language channels Telefutura (Ch. 49) and Fox Sports en Español.
The team also announced that all regular season and playoff games will continue to air live on KZMP 1540 AM La Ranchera (Spanish).
"We're excited to provide our fans with our best TV broadcast schedule in franchise history," said FC Dallas General Manager Michael Hitchcock. "We feel this is a great step forward for FC Dallas and our rapidly growing fan base."
FC Dallas opens the 2008 season on March 30 against Chivas USA at Pizza Hut Park, live at 2 p.m. CT on TeleFutura, and airing on KFWD-52 at 4 p.m. CT on tape delay.
Season ticket packages and individual game tickets are currently available for all 15 regular season home games. For more information visit www.fcdallas.com or call 888-FCD-GOAL (888-323-4625).
NOTES ON LOCAL BROADCAST SCHEDULE:
• KFWD-52 will air 14 games, and FSN Southwest will air five games.
KFWD-52 will televise seven home and seven road games.
FSN Southwest will televise two home games and three road games.
• Brad Sham and Dave Dir will return as the FC Dallas television broadcast team.
• Veteran announcer Carlos Alvarado, who has been the play-by-play Spanish voice of the team for each of the first 12 seasons, returns to call every regular season game on KZMP 1540 AM La Ranchera. Each game will include a 30-minute pre and post game show.
• Alvarado will also continue to host a weekly show every Tuesday from 7-8 pm CT, covering FC Dallas, Major League Soccer, the United States National Team, the Mexican National Team, Tigres UANL, Atletico Paranaense and other soccer related news and updates from around the globe.
• Twenty of FC Dallas' 30 regular season games will be available on national TV.
9 games on TeleFutura on Sunday afternoons.
4 games on ESPN2 in the "MLS Primetime Thursdays" slot (all offered in high definition).
6 games on Fox Soccer Channel / Fox Sports en Español: "MLS Saturday on FSC" slot.
1 game on HDnet on Friday, July 4.
• The start time for the August 30 home game versus the Columbus Crew has been moved to 8 p.m. CT.
2008 FC DALLAS SEASON SCHEDULE
National and local broadcasts are noted. All times are Central and subject to change.
Home games in Bold
Sun. March 30 vs. Chivas USA 2:00 p.m. TeleFutura / KFWD-52*
Sun. April 6 at Houston Dynamo 2:00 p.m. TeleFutura / KFWD-52
Sat. April 12 vs. New York Red Bulls 7:30 p.m. KFWD-52
Sun. April 20 at Chivas USA 7:00 p.m. KFWD-52
Thur. April 24 vs. New England Revolution 7:30 p.m. ESPN2
Sat. May 3 at San Jose Earthquakes 9:00 p.m. KFWD-52
Sat. May 10 at Real Salt Lake 8:00 p.m. KFWD-52
Sun. May 18 vs. Los Angeles Galaxy 2:00 p.m. TeleFutura / KFWD-52
Sat. May 24 vs. Real Salt Lake 7:30 p.m. KFWD-52
Sun. June 1 at Colorado Rapids 2:00 p.m. TeleFutura / FSN SW
Sun. June 8 at New England Revolution 2:00 p.m. TeleFutura / FSN SW
Sun. June 15 vs. Chicago Fire 2:00 p.m. TeleFutura / FSN SW
Sat. June 21 at New York Red Bulls 6:30 p.m. FSC / FSE
Thur. June 26 at Houston Dynamo 8:00 p.m. ESPN2
Fri. July 4 vs. Kansas City Wizards 6:00 p.m. HDNet
Sat. July 19 vs. Colorado Rapids 7:30 p.m. KFWD-52
Thur. July 24 MLS All-Star Game vs. International Opponent TBA:
From BMO Field in Toronto, 6:00 p.m. on ESPN2 / TeleFutura
Sun. July 27 vs. Los Angeles Galaxy 6:00 p.m. FSN SW
Sun. Aug. 3 at Toronto FC 6:00 p.m. KFWD-52
Sat. Aug. 9 vs. Houston Dynamo 7:30 p.m. FSC / FSE
Sat. Aug. 16 at Columbus Crew 6:30 p.m. FSC / FSE
Sat. Aug. 23 at Kansas City Wizards 7:00 p.m. KFWD-52
Sat. Aug. 30 vs. Columbus Crew 8:00 p.m. KFWD-52
Thur. Sept. 4 vs. Colorado Rapids 7:30 p.m. ESPN2
Sat. Sept. 13 at D.C. United 6:30 p.m. FSC / FSE
Sun. Sept. 21 at Chicago Fire 2:00 p.m. TeleFutura / FSN SW
Sun. Sept. 28 vs. D.C. United 2:00 p.m. TeleFutura / KFWD-52
Thur. Oct. 2 vs. San Jose 7:30 p.m. ESPN2
Sat. Oct. 11 vs. Toronto FC 7:30 p.m. FSC / FSE
Sat. Oct. 18 at Real Salt Lake 8:00 p.m. FSC / FSE
Sun. Oct. 26 at Los Angeles Galaxy 2:00 p.m. TeleFutura / KFWD-52
Oct. 30-Nov. 2 MLS Cup Playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Game 1, TBD
Nov. 6-9 MLS Cup Playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Game 2, TBD
Nov. 13-16 MLS Cup Playoffs, Conference Championships, TBD
Sun. Nov. 23 MLS Cup 2008 from The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA; 2:30 p.m. on ABC / TeleFutura
*The March 30 game vs. Chivas USA at Pizza Hut Park will air live on TeleFutura at 2 p.m. CT. KFWD-52 will broadcast the game at 4 p.m. CT on a tape delay.
FSC / FSE - Fox Soccer Channel / Fox Sports en Español
Telefutura - KSTR ch. 49 (in Dallas)
KFWD-52 - ch. 52 (in Dallas)
FSN SW - FSN Southwest
REGULAR SEASON GAMES: In the League's 13th season, each of the 14 clubs will play 30 Regular Season games over 31 weeks, for a total of 210 matches from March 29 - Oct. 26. Each team will play each other twice (home and away), for 26 games. The remaining four games will be played against different intra-conference teams (two home and two away), with consideration given to rivalries.
