December 23 – MLS expansion team newcomers, New York City FC and Orlando City SC, have secured official local television partners to showcase their inaugural seasons in the league.
NYCFC has partnered with YES (Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network). YES, which is primarily owned by 21st Century Fox, is a satellite television regional sports network based in New York City.
The network is strongly entwined with the New York Yankees baseball team, who will share a stadium with NYCFC and are minority owners. YES has dipped into the soccer market previously, though, embarrassingly, on the other side of Manchester.
YES had a marketing agreement with Manchester United, allowing them to air tape-delayed and classic matches produced by MUTV, but that is a deal long dead as they align interests with Manchester City owned NYCFC.
The agreement supplements NYCFC’s existing partnership with WFAN, its local radio rights holder.
All televised NYCFC matches will be streamed live by YES via the FOX Sports GO app for YES subscribers. Furthermore, they will broadcast behind the scenes footage, documenting the team’s inception in the MLS.
Tim Pernett, NYCFC Chief Business Officer, said: “We are delighted to partner with the YES Network and WFAN, two dominant sports media platforms in New York City. They are the most trusted and engaging outlets in New York City sports today. We look forward to working with them to broadcast our matches, shoulder programming and most of all, to earning the support of their loyal viewers and listeners throughout the region.”
Orlando’s local broadcast partner will be WOFL-TV FOX 35/WRBW MY65, which operates out of Orlando and is also owned by 21st Century Fox. FOX 35 has telecast rights to all of the team’s regular-season and playoff matches not aired by MLS’s national television partners.
Orlando is seeking a Spanish-language broadcaster so as to tap into the large Hispanic viewership in the US.
Orlando City has shown avid support of soccer before the team has even started playing. They consistently provide one of the top ten markets for soccer games in the US.
Phils Rawlins, the President and Founder of the club: said: “We look forward to working closely with our partners at FOX 35 to create not only a first class broadcast for our fans, but additional in-market promotions and opportunities to bring them closer to their Club and the players on the field.”
WOFL/WRBW Vice President and General Manager, Allyson Meyers, added: “We look forward to be working in partnership with the Orlando City Soccer Club. Together, we will create the ultimate fan experience across multiple platforms in Orlando.”
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