USL United Soccer League Championship

United Soccer League to be Featured in 35 National Broadcast Games in 2024

Published on February 27, 2024 under United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release


TAMPA, Fla. - The United Soccer League released today the national television broadcast schedule for the 2024 USL Championship and USL League One seasons. This season sees a record number of national broadcasts for the USL, with 35 combined regular season and playoff matches to be televised across the league's two national media rights partners: CBS Sports and ESPN.

This year's record national broadcast package includes two regular season matches and the USL Championship Final on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+, 18 regular season matches airing on CBS Sports Network and 10 regular season matches on ESPN platforms.

Louisville City FC-Indy Eleven Rivalry to Feature in USL's First Network Television Broadcast

One of the most passionate rivalries in the USL will take centerstage on the CBS Television Network and streaming live on Paramount+, as Louisville City FC hosts Indy Eleven in the Louisville-Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest (LIPAFC) on Saturday, April 6. LouCity holds the edge in the series with 10 wins to Indy's five, with the clubs finishing even six times across 21 prior meetings across all competitions. For hosts Louisville, 24-year-old Wilson Harris is tracking to become the youngest-ever player to record 50 goals in USL Championship history after recently signing a new multi-year deal with LouCity. Indy, meanwhile, will arrive with a new head coach in Sean McAuley and with new striker and Sierra Leone international Augustine Williams front and center after he scored 31 goals over the past two seasons. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.

2023 USL Championship Final Rematch on ESPN2

Defending title-winners Phoenix Rising FC will host the Charleston Battery in a rematch of the 2023 USL Championship Final on ESPN2 on Saturday, June 22. A lot has changed since that match last November, with both undergoing impactful roster and coaching changes. Each side has reinforced during the offseason, including the Battery adding two-time Championship All-League selection Aaron Molloy in midfield and Phoenix bringing aboard 19-year-old Italian youth international Guilio Dorattioto from Juventus' Academy, as both teams takes aim at a similar charge back to the USL Championship Final this November. Kickoff is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET.

Western Conference Classic on CBS; Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. Phoenix Rising FC

Two Western Conference heavyweights go head-to-head as Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC hosts Phoenix Rising FC on the CBS Television Network and Paramount+ on Saturday, August 3. Fans can expect beauty on and off the pitch at the recently built Weidner Field with downtown Colorado Springs as the backdrop to two of the top attacking sides in the league. The Switchbacks recently added a major piece to their frontline with the acquisition of 2021 USL Championship Final MVP Ronaldo Damus, while Rising FC will look to keep the attack quiet with Argentina U-23 international goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo minding the net after earning USL Championship Final MVP honors last season. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.

USL League One Standouts on CBS Sports Network

A pair of enticing USL League One matchups will be on display during the first year of the league's partnership with CBS Sports. On Wednesday, July 3, one of the two longest continually operating professional clubs in the United States, the Richmond Kickers, are set to host League One original Forward Madison FC at a raucous City Stadium on CBS Sports Network. The Kickers - who led League One in average attendance in 2023 - will make their first national broadcast appearance since 2018, while the 'Mingos will be making their national television debut in one of the league's most exciting and significant rivalries: the Henny Derby. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

On Wednesday, Sept. 4, this season's League One expansion side Spokane Velocity FC hosts two-time Players' Shield winners Union Omaha on CBS Sports Network. Velocity's momentum has been building for years; Spokane leads the league in season ticket membership heading into 2024, and the club's new home, ONE Spokane Stadium, is set to welcome more than 5,000 fans to downtown Spokane after opening in Sept. 2023. After setting league records in points (65), goals (61) and goals per match (1.91) in 2023, defending USL League One Coach of the Year Dominic Casciato and Los Búhos will make their first national television appearance since the 2021 regular season. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET.

USL Championship and USL League One Finals on CBS Sports Platforms

The USL Championship and USL League One seasons will culminate with each league's Final airing on CBS Sports platforms. During the postseason, one game per weekend will air on CBS Sports Network throughout the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. The USL Championship Final will then make its network television debut on Saturday, November 23 on the CBS Television Network and Paramount+. The USL League One Final will be televised on CBS Sports Network, date and kickoff time TBD.

Mike Watts and Devon Kerr Return as the Voices of the USL

Returning for their seventh season as the national broadcast voices of the USL are Mike Watts and Devon Kerr, having both signed multi-year contracts with the USL. A broadcasting duo since 2018, both Watts and Kerr bring several years of broadcasting experience in domestic and international soccer. As the play-by-play voice of the USL since the 2015 USL Championship Final, Watts brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the airwaves. In addition to his broadcast work in the USL Championship, Watts has covered prominent domestic and international competitions in the region including the U.S Men's National Team's recent triumphs at Gold Cup and the Nations League Finals, and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Watts also works on ESPN's soccer portfolio, Cincinnati Bengals television broadcasts, Westwood One's College Football and NFL coverage, and is a public address announcer at Madison Square Garden.

As the USL's lead analyst since 2018, Devon Kerr has quickly become one of the most respected soccer analysts in the country. He remains the only lead analyst across three entities - the USL Championship, the NCAA Men's College Cup, and the Concacaf Champions Cup. In addition, Kerr is currently an analyst for MLS matches and is a regular voice in coverage of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. He played collegiately at Stetson University and competed in the Germany's Regionalliga with Altona 93.

2024 USL Championship and League One National Broadcast Schedule*

Below is the currently confirmed schedule of broadcasts for the USL Championship and the USL League One regular season. Three additional ESPN broadcasts and matches streaming on CBS Sports Golazo Network will be announced at a future date. The 2024 USL Playoffs broadcast schedule will be announced following the conclusion of the regular season.

DATE HOME AWAY TIME (ET) NETWORK

Sat. 4/6 Louisville City FC Indy Eleven 4:00 p.m. CBS Television Network / Paramount+

Tues. 4/9 Charleston Battery Louisville City FC 7:00 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Sat. 4/27 Tampa Bay Rowdies New Mexico United 7:30 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Sat. 5/11 Detroit City FC Phoenix Rising FC 5:00 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Wed. 5/29 Monterey Bay F.C. Charleston Battery 10:00 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Wed. 6/5 San Antonio FC El Paso Locomotive FC 9:00 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Wed. 6/19 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Louisville City FC 7:30 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Sat. 6/22 Phoenix Rising FC Charleston Battery 10:30 p.m. ESPN2

Wed. 6/26 Detroit City FC Birmingham Legion FC 7:00 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Wed. 7/3 Sacramento Republic FC Las Vegas Lights FC 10:30 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Wed. 7/3 Richmond Kickers Forward Madison FC 8:00 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Thurs. 7/4 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC FC Tulsa 9:00 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Fri. 7/5 Charleston Battery Birmingham Legion FC 7:00 p.m. ESPN2

Wed. 7/17 Birmingham Legion FC Rhode Island FC 8:00 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Fri. 7/19 Phoenix Rising FC El Paso Locomotive FC 10:30 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Sat. 7/20 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Hartford Athletic 8:00 p.m. ESPN2

Fri. 7/26 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Las Vegas Lights FC 9:00 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Wed. 7/31 Hartford Athletic Detroit City FC 7:30 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Sat. 8/3 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Phoenix Rising FC 4:00 p.m. CBS Television Network / Paramount+

Sat. 8/3 Sacramento Republic FC Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 10:00 p.m. ESPN2

Wed. 8/7 Detroit City FC Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 7:00 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Sat. 8/10 Louisville City FC Sacramento Republic FC 9:00 p.m. ESPN2

Wed. 8/14 Sacramento Republic FC El Paso Locomotive FC 10:30 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Wed. 9/4 Spokane Velocity FC Union Omaha 9:00 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Fri. 9/6 Phoenix Rising FC FC Tulsa 11:00 p.m. ESPN2

Wed. 9/11 Birmingham Legion FC Tampa Bay Rowdies 8:00 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Sun. 9/22 Detroit City FC Louisville City FC 3:00 p.m. ESPN2

*schedule subject to change

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from February 27, 2024


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