FC Dallas inks landmark television deal with Time Warner Cable

FRISCO – FC Dallas and Time Warner Cable have agreed to the most extensive television broadcast deal in the club’s 18-year history in advance of the 2013 season.

This season Time Warner Cable SportsChannel will air 22 FC Dallas regular-season games. In Dallas, Time Warner Cable SportsChannel is available on channel 185 (SD) and channel 148 (HD). Check local listings for areas outside of Dallas.

“We are excited to have a television partner who believes in soccer and shares our passion and commitment for growing the FCD brand and our sport,” said Hunt Sports Group Vice President Dan Hunt. “We believe Time Warner Cable is the right partner for us and have signed a deal with the intent on growing this into a long-term partnership.”

The new partnership will not only provide a higher broadcast production quality with all games in HD, it will also allow FC Dallas to travel its broadcast team to all 17 road games and provide fans with additional in-depth programming about FC Dallas. Among the extended FC Dallas programming available this season and in the future will be pre- and post-game shows, dedicated programming about FC Dallas, and FC Dallas programming within other Time Warner Cable SportsChannel shows.

“FC Dallas games are an outstanding addition to Time Warner Cable SportsChannel’s expanding local sports offering and we’re excited to partner with them to televise games this season,” said Mark Shuken, Senior Vice President and General Manager, TWC Sports Regional Networks. “FC Dallas fans are very passionate and Time Warner Cable SportsChannel will be able to give them more access to their favorite team.”

Last season’s popular play-by-play man Mark Followill will return to call most of the games, with 1310 The Ticket’s Bob Sturm joining the broadcast team to handle play-by-play duties for the others. National analyst and former MLS star Brian Dunseth will also return to provide color analysis, along with Dante Washington and Steve Jolley.

Direct Kick will still be available for fans in non-Time Warner Cable service areas and MLS Live will be available market-wide.  KTXA 21 will air five games, while the remaining seven games will be nationally televised on either ESPN, ESPN2, or NBC Sports Network.  Azteca America will also continue to air tape-delayed Spanish broadcasts of games.

All games are broadcast on Spanish radio La Voz del Pueblo 1270 AM.

Time Warner Cable and FC Dallas are working together to unveil a special TWC offer for FC Dallas fans in the coming weeks.

FC Dallas opens the 2013 season at home on March 2 versus the Colorado Rapids. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT. For more information on single-game, group or season tickets, contact the FC Dallas Front Office at (888) 323-4625 or go to www.fcdallas.com/getinandwin.