Extensive cross-platform coverage of MLS Heineken Rivalry Week on ESPN; New York rivalry is one of seven regular season MLS matches moving to ESPN
ESPN will present Major League Soccer’s only intra-city rivalry match on Sunday, June 28, when New York City FC, led by 2010 FIFA World Cup champion and former Barcelona striker David Villa, hosts 2014 MLS Golden Boot winner Bradley Wright-Phillips and the New York Red Bulls at Yankee Stadium – one of the topline matchups in the “MLS Heineken Rivalry Week.” The match telecast, initially scheduled on ESPN2, moves to ESPN and will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET with a 30-minute pregame show. ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes Radio will also carry the match live; radio coverage begins at 4 p.m.
Adrian Healey and Taylor Twellman will call the match in English on ESPN, joined by college sports reporter Allison Williams, in her first assignment as a Major League Soccer sideline reporter. Robert Sierra and Manu Martin will handle Spanish-language commentary on ESPN Deportes. The match will be available on WatchESPN.
Highlights of MLS Rivalry Weekend content on ESPN:
NYC FC-NY Red Bulls Match Production:
- 30-minute pregame show with Healey, Twellman and Williams focusing on the budding NYC FC/NYRB rivalry;
- A camera will be embedded with the supporter groups of each club – NYC FC’s Third Rail and NYRB’s Empire Sport Club and Viking Army – leading-up to the match to capture pregame festivities, transportation to the Bronx, and the march to Yankee Stadium. Footage will be featured in pre-match segments and highlighted throughout the telecast;
- Mike Petke, former New York Red Bulls head coach and player, will be a guest at halftime;
- ESPN FC Boot Room Extra – Live, digital post-match program with Healey, Twellman and Petke on ESPN3 immediately following the match.
SportsCenter:
- On Friday, June 26, the 3 p.m. ET edition of SportsCenter on ESPNEWS will feature a live, in-studio interview with New York City FC midfielder and U.S. National Team player Mix Diskerud;
- Preview segments with Twellman on Sunday morning SportsCenter editions (ESPN, 10 a.m.);
- Post-match highlights and commentary from Yankee Stadium on Sunday night shows.
ESPN FC on TV:
- Diskerud will be a guest on ESPNEWS, Friday, June 26, at 11 p.m. (re-airs on ESPN2, 1 a.m.);
- Preview segments and guest (TBD) interview on Saturday, June 27 (ESPN2, 11 p.m.);
- Extended post-match coverage Sunday (ESPN2, 12 a.m.) with commentary from the match site by Healey and Twellman, as well as fan-generated content captured during the match.
ESPNFC.com:
- The digital soccer news and information hub will feature a primer on each matchup of MLS Rivalry Weekend;
- David Hirshey essay about the big NY-NY match from the New York City FC point-of-view;
- “Insider” video segments leading-up to the NYC FC/NYRB match including game-day coverage from Yankee Stadium (analysis, interviews and more).
Seven MLS Matches Moved to ESPN
Beginning this week with MLS Rivalry Weekend, seven Major League Soccer matches initially scheduled for ESPN2 will now air on ESPN. In addition to the network change, two of the seven match windows – both during MLS Heineken Rivalry Weeks – have been expanded to include 30-minute pre-game shows (June 28 and August 30). The start times for two matches (July 12 and August 23) have been moved to 3 p.m. MLS matches now scheduled for ESPN:
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Platform(s) |
| Sun, Jun 28 | 4:30 p.m. | MLS Sunday Pre-game Show – #RivalryWeek | ESPN |
| 5 p.m. | New York City FC vs. New York Red Bulls | ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio*** | |
| Sun, Jul 12 | 3 p.m. | New York City FC vs. Toronto FC | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| Sun, Aug 23 | 3 p.m. | Los Angeles Galaxy vs. New York City FC | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| Sun, Aug 30 | 4:30 p.m. | MLS Sunday Pre-game Show – #RivalryWeek | ESPN |
| 5 p.m. | Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers | ESPN, ESPN Deportes | |
| Sun, Sep 20 | 5 p.m. | Portland Timbers vs. New York red Bulls | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| Sun, Sep 27 | 5 p.m. | Sporting Kansas City vs. Seattle Sounders | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| Sun, Oct 18 | 5 p.m. | TBD – MLS Flex Schedule | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
*** – ESPN Deportes Radio starts at 4 p.m.
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