MLS and National Broadcast Partners Open 20th Season with Six Marquee Matches
December 19, 2014 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
NEW YORK (Friday, Dec. 19, 2014) - Today Major League Soccer and its broadcast partners announced the lineup of home openers for the League's 20th season, as well as the schedule of games available nationally across the U.S. and Canada on opening week. The 2015 season is the first of eight-year landmark television and media rights partnerships with ESPN, FOX Sports and Univision networks.
All three partners will feature an exclusive MLS Match of the Week for the first time in League history. The Univision family of networks will televise a game of the week on Friday evenings - primarily on UniMás. On Sundays, ESPN and FOX Sports networks will broadcast back-to-back MLS matches at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET, respectively.
The season opener will see the record five-time MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy host the Chicago Fire on Friday, March 6, live on UniMás at 10:00 p.m. ET.
ESPN will kick off the first Sunday of the 2015 season with the highly-anticipated, first-time meeting of MLS' two new expansion clubs as Brazilian star Kaká and Orlando City SC will welcome David Villa and New York City FC at 5:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
FOX Sports, the League's newest broadcast partner, will start their MLS coverage with a blockbuster double-header on Sunday. First up, 2013 MLS Cup champions Sporting Kansas City will look for a bit of payback as New York Red Bulls, led by 2014 Budweiser Golden Boot winner Bradley Wright-Phillips, visit Sporting Park (FOX Sports 1, 7:00 p.m. ET). To cap off the weekend, Clint Dempsey and Seattle Sounders FC, winners of the 2014 Supporters' Shield and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, will host American international Jermaine Jones and MLS Cup runners-up New England Revolution at CenturyLink Field (FOX Sports 1, 9:30 p.m. ET).
On Saturday, March 7, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Philadelphia Union, Portland Timbers, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC will all play their respective home openers. Canadian broadcast partners, TSN and RDS, will carry rivalry match Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Toronto FC (TSN1 and RDS2, 6:00 p.m. ET) and Montreal's visit to RFK Stadium when the Impact take on D.C. United (RDS1, 3:00 p.m. ET).
MLS will welcome the 15th soccer-specific stadium in League history when the San Jose Earthquakes inaugurate their new home, Avaya Stadium, on Sunday, March 22 against the Chicago Fire.
Additional information on times and broadcast details for these games and others will be revealed in the coming weeks as part of the complete 2015 regular season schedule announcement.
Dates and matchups for the 2015 home openers are below (home teams listed first).
All matches subject to change
WEEK 1
Friday, March 6
LA Galaxy vs. Chicago Fire (StubHub Center)
Saturday, March 7
D.C. United vs. Montreal Impact (RFK Stadium)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Toronto FC (BC Place)
Houston Dynamo vs. Columbus Crew SC (BBVA Compass Stadium)
Philadelphia Union vs. Colorado Rapids (PPL Park)
Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake (Providence Park)
FC Dallas vs. San Jose Earthquakes (Toyota Stadium)
Sunday, March 8
Orlando City SC vs. New York City FC (Orlando Citrus Bowl)
Sporting Kansas City vs. New York Red Bulls (Sporting Park)
Seattle Sounders FC vs. New England Revolution (CenturyLink Field)
WEEK 2
Saturday, March 14
Chicago Fire vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Toyota Park)
Real Salt Lake vs. Philadelphia Union (Rio Tinto Stadium)
Columbus Crew SC vs. Toronto FC (Crew Stadium)
Sunday, March 15
New York City FC vs. New England Revolution (Yankee Stadium)
WEEK 3
Saturday, March 21
New England Revolution vs. Montreal Impact (Gillette Stadium)
Colorado Rapids vs. New York City FC (Dick's Sporting Goods Park)
Sunday, March 22
New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United (Red Bull Arena)
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Chicago Fire (Avaya Stadium)
WEEK 4
Saturday, March 28
Montreal Impact vs. Orlando City SC (Olympic Stadium)
WEEK 10
Sunday, May 10
Toronto FC vs. Houston Dynamo (BMO Field)
*Home opener to follow BMO Field renovations
Major League Soccer Stories from December 19, 2014
- Houston Dynamo to Open 2015 Season on March 7 at BBVA Compass Stadium vs. Columbus Crew SC - Houston Dynamo FC
- Chicago Fire Sign David Accam - Chicago Fire FC
- Landon Donovan Receives Lifetime Achievement Award - LA Galaxy
- Claudio Lopez Returns to Rapids as Director of Soccer - Colorado Rapids
- Marco Pappa and Landon Donovan Take Home Awards at Inaugural Premios Univision Deportes - MLS
- Marco Pappa Wins MLS Player of the Year Honor at Premios Univision - Seattle Sounders FC
- Brek Shea Signs with Orlando City SC - Orlando City SC
- Sounders FC to Open 2015 Season at Home on March 8 - Seattle Sounders FC
- New York Red Bulls to Open Franchise's 20th Season at Sporting KC - New York Red Bulls
- LA Galaxy to Open 2015 MLS Season March 6 at StubHub Center - LA Galaxy
- Whitecaps FC to Host Toronto FC in 2015 MLS Season Opener - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- New England Revolution to Open 20th Season of MLS on Sunday, March 8 - New England Revolution
- Rapids to Take on NYC FC in 2015 Home Opener - Colorado Rapids
- Real Salt Lake to Host 2015 Home Opener on Saturday, March 14 - Real Salt Lake
- Chicago Fire Host Opening Day at Toyota Park on March 14 - Chicago Fire FC
- Montreal Impact to Play 2015 Home Opener on March 28 - Club de Foot Montreal
- MLS and National Broadcast Partners Open 20th Season with Six Marquee Matches - MLS
- MLS Announces Home Opening Dates for 2015 Season - Toronto FC
- D.C. United Announces 2015 MLS Home Opener - D.C. United
- Philadelphia Union to Host Colorado for 2015 Season Opener - Philadelphia Union
- Orlando City Will Face New York City FC in MLS Home Opener at Citrus Bowl - Orlando City SC
- Timbers to Face Western Conference Foe Real Salt Lake in Home Opener - Portland Timbers
- Columbus Crew SC to Open Home Schedule on March 14 - Columbus Crew SC
- Sporting KC to Open 2015 Season at Home on March 8 - Sporting Kansas City
- Earthquakes to Open Avaya Stadium on Sunday, March 22 against Chicago Fire on National Television - San Jose Earthquakes
- Real Salt Lake Trades Sebastian Velasquez to New York City FC - Real Salt Lake
- San Jose Earthquakes Select Marvell Wynne in 2nd Stage of MLS Re-Entry Draft - Colorado Rapids
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
