Sporting KC hosts Real Salt Lake in Kansas City on Saturday
ESPN’s 18
th season of televising Major League Soccer will conclude with the live presentation of MLS Cup 2013 on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 4 p.m. ET, when Sporting KC hosts Real Salt Lake at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. Commentator
Adrian Healey, analyst
Taylor Twellman and reporter
Mónica Gónzalez will call the action with host
Max Bretos,
Alexi Lalas,
Kasey Keller and
Alejandro Moreno providing studio coverage from site. Additionally, the match will be available on WatchESPN and ESPN Deportes Radio.
On Friday, Dec. 6, ESPN will provide live reports on editions of SportsCenter and ESPN FCand feature analysis from Twellman, Lalas and Keller, who will be pulling double-duty with MLS Cup and the FIFA World Cup Draw show (airing at 11:30 a.m.).
MLS Cup will feature players in contention for FIFA World Cup spots including Sporting KC’s Matt Besler and Graham Zusi and Real Salt Lake’s Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando. The two teams have made a combined five MLS Cup appearances (SKC 3, RSL 2), with Real Salt Lake having won its first – and only — title in 2009. Each club boasts finalists for MLS’ end-of-year awards including: Besler (defender), Rimando (goalkeeper) and Jason Kreis (Real Salt Lake, coach).
MLS Cup 2013 TV highlights:
- On-site studio set with Bretos, Lalas, Keller and Moreno;
- A Don Garber conversation – MLS commissioner Don Garber will be interviewed on the ESPN set at halftime;
- 12 commentators – In all, ESPN will have 12 commentators at MLS Cup: Bretos, Gonzalez, Healey, Keller, Lalas, Moreno and Twellman (English); and Kenneth Garay, Elmer Polanco, Diego Cora, Richard Mendez and Giovanni Savarese (Spanish) .
ESPN Deportes Radio
ESPN Deportes Radio will provide live coverage of MLS Cup 2013 on Saturday, Dec. 7, beginning at 3 p.m. ET with a one-hour pre-match program, followed by the game at 4 p.m. Soccer experts
Kenneth Garay (play-by-play) and Elmer Polanco (analysis) will call the match from Sporting Park. Diego Cora will report pitch-side.
ESPN FC
- Wednesday, Dec. 4 (5:30 p.m., ESPN2) — Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy, USMNT) will be in the Bristol studios to discuss MLS Cup and the USMNT, and Alexi Lalas will be on set;
- Thursday, Dec. 5 (5:30 p.m., ESPN2) – The MLS MVP will be announced; Lalas on set, and Taylor Twellman joins from Kansas City;
- Friday, Dec. 6 (5:30 p.m, ESPN2) — Twellman and Keller join from Kansas City to discuss the FIFA World Cup Draw and MLS Cup.
SportsCenter
Beginning Friday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m., through kickoff on Saturday, Dec. 1, all editions of ESPN’s flagship news program SportsCenter (ESPN and ESPNEWS) will feature MLS Cup 2013 segments including reports and analysis from Kansas City.
ESPNFC.com
- Jeff Carlisle will report from Kansas City on Wednesday, Dec. 4, through game day. His work will include an interview with MLS commissioner Don Garber, player-focused pieces and a preview of the match;
- Week-long ‘State of MLS’ analysis, taking deep dives each day into issues of: expansion, designated players, league format / schedule;
- Boot Room chat during match;
- Boot Room Extra post-match show exclusive for ESPNFC.com;
- Clips from ESPN FC.
ESPN International
ESPN International will televise MLS Cup 2013 on ESPN networks in 59 countries and territories covering more than 22 million television homes, including coverage in Australia, Brazil, the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, New Zealand and South America.
Richard Mendez and Giovanni Savarese will call the game for ESPN International networks in Spanish.
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FIRST-PLACE ARSENAL HOST EVERTON SUNDAY AT 11 A.M. ET ON NBCSN
Manchester United Face Newcastle United Saturday at 7:45 a.m. ET on NBCSN & mun2
First Mid-Week Match Days Tomorrow and Wednesday
All Matches Available on NBC Sports Live Extra
Stamford, Conn. – December 2, 2013 – NBC Sports Group’s Premier League coverage this week is highlighted by first-place Arsenal hosting Everton, one of the league’s hottest clubs. In addition, Manchester United face Newcastle United on Saturday at 7:45 a.m. ET, followed by Southampton hosting Manchester City at 10 a.m. ET on NBCSN. Coverage begins Saturday at 7 a.m. ET with Premier League Live on NBCSN.
The four additional matches on Saturday in the 10 a.m. ET slot will be available on Premier League Extra Time, a bonus television package available to MVPDs at no extra cost for customers who receive NBCSN.
Also this week, NBC Sports Group presents the first mid-week match days tomorrow and Wednesday (see table below for full details). The action kicks off tomorrow afternoon with Crystal Palace v. West Ham United. Coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
The interactive Premier League Game Finder can be accessed at http://www.nbcsports.com/ExtraTime.
mun2 will also telecast three matches in Spanish this week (listed in table below).
Lead play-by-play voice Arlo White joins former Chelsea defender Graeme Le Saux to call Southampton v. Manchester City on Saturday at 10 a.m. ET on NBCSN. White and Le Saux will also call Arsenal v. Everton on Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN.
All matches will be preceded and followed by Premier League Live pre- and post-match shows from the NBC Sports Group International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn. Rebecca Lowe hosts Premier League Live alongside former English footballer Robbie Mustoe, former Jamaican National Team player Robbie Earle and former U.S. Men’s National midfielder Kyle Martino.
All Premier League games will be streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra, NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices and tablets. Games airing on NBC Sports Network will be live streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.
To date, AT&T U-verse®, Bright House Networks, Cablevision’s Optimum, Comcast’s Xfinity TV, Cox, DIRECTV, Mediacom, Suddenlink, and Time Warner Cable have opted to carry the additional Premier League matches via the Premier League Extra Time package, and AT&T U-verse, Cablevision’s Optimum, Charter, Comcast’s Xfinity TV, Cox, DIRECTV, DISH, Suddenlink and Verizon FiOS will make all Premier League games available through TV Everywhere. Additionally, over 100 NCTC partners have either signed-on to the Premier League Extra Time package or have opted-in via TV Everywhere, including Blue Ridge Communications, Buckeye CableSystem, CenturyLink Prism, and RCN. In some cases, the Premier League Extra Time package will be available in select markets.
Below is the NBCUniversal schedule for the 14th and 15th weeks of the Premier League season:
(For Tuesday & Wednesday announcing assignments, see the earlier Premier League press release. Weekend announcing assignments will be added on Friday.)
Date Time Home v. Away Network
Mon., Dec. 2 11 p.m. Barclays Premier League Review NBCSN
Tues., Dec. 3 12 a.m. Premier League Encore: Manchester Monday NBCSN
Tues., Dec. 3 2:30 p.m. Premier League Live NBCSN
Tues., Dec. 3 3 p.m. Crystal Palace v. West Ham United NBCSN
Tues., Dec. 3 12 a.m. Premier League Encore NBCSN
Wed., Dec. 4 2 p.m. Premier League Live NBCSN
Wed., Dec. 4 2:45 p.m. Manchester United v. Everton NBCSN, mun2
Wed., Dec. 4 2:45 p.m. Arsenal v. Hull City Extra Time
Wed., Dec. 4 2:45 p.m. Stoke City v. Cardiff City Extra Time
Wed., Dec. 4 2:45 p.m. Sunderland v. Chelsea Extra Time
Wed., Dec. 4 2:45 p.m. Liverpool v. Norwich City Extra Time
Wed., Dec. 4 2:45 p.m. Swansea City v. Newcastle United Extra Time
Wed., Dec. 4 2:45 p.m. Southampton v. Aston Villa Extra Time
Wed., Dec. 4 3 p.m. Fulham v. Tottenham Hotspur Extra Time
Wed., Dec. 4 3 p.m. West Bromwich Albion v. Manchester City Extra Time
Thurs., Dec. 5 7 p.m. Barclays Premier League Review NBCSN
Fri., Dec. 6 7 a.m. Barclays Premier League News NBCSN
Fri., Dec. 6 7:30 a.m. Barclays Premier League World NBCSN
Fri., Dec. 6 8 a.m. Barclays Premier League Match Pack NBCSN
Fri., Dec. 6 11 p.m. Barclays Premier League Preview NBCSN
Sat., Dec. 7 7 a.m. Premier League Live NBCSN
Sat., Dec. 7 7:45 a.m. Manchester United v. Newcastle United NBCSN, mun2
Steve Banyard, Jim Beglin
Sat., Dec. 7 9:45 a.m. Premier League Live NBCSN
Sat., Dec. 7 10 a.m. Southampton v. Manchester City NBCSN, mun2
Gary Weaver, Tony Gale
Sat., Dec. 7 10 a.m. Stoke City v. Chelsea Extra Time
Ian Crocker, Trevor Francis
Sat., Dec. 7 10 a.m. Liverpool v. West Ham United Extra Time
Joe Speight, Neil Mellor
Sat., Dec. 7 10 a.m. West Bromwich Albion v. Norwich City Extra Time
Tony Jones, Dean Sturridge
Sat., Dec. 7 10 a.m. Crystal Palace v. Cardiff City Extra Time
Gary Taphouse, Alan Curbishley
Sat., Dec. 7 12:30 p.m. Sunderland v. Tottenham Hotspur NBCSN
Arlo White, Graeme Le Saux
Sat., Dec. 7 2:30 p.m. Premier League Goal Zone NBCSN
Sat., Dec. 7 11 p.m. NBCSN’s Match of the Day NBCSN
Sun., Dec. 8 8 a.m. Premier League Live NBCSN
Sun., Dec. 8 8:30 a.m. Fulham v. Aston Villa NBCSN
Jon Champion, Dean Sturridge
Sun., Dec. 8 10:30 a.m. Premier League Live NBCSN
Sun., Dec. 8 11 a.m. Arsenal v. Everton NBCSN, mun2
Arlo White, Graeme Le Saux
Sun., Dec. 8 11 p.m. NBCSN’s Match of the Day II NBCSN
Mon., Dec. 9 2:30 p.m. Premier League Live NBCSN
Mon., Dec. 9 3 p.m. Swansea City v. Hull City NBCSN
Mon., Dec. 9 5 p.m. Premier League Goal Zone NBCSN
Mon., Dec. 9 10:30 p.m. Barclays Premier League Review NBCSN
Mon., Dec. 9 11:30 p.m. Premier League Encore: Manchester Monday NBCSN
Tues., Dec. 10 11:30 p.m. Premier League Encore NBCSN
NBC Sports Group presents the most ambitious, extensive and comprehensive coverage of the Premier League available anywhere in the world with all 380 Premier League matches available live in the United States on the networks of NBCUniversal, on the Premier League Extra Time bonus TV package, and streamed live on NBC Sports Live Extra. In total, NBC Sports Group will present more than 1,600 hours of Premier League programming.
–NBC Sports Group–
