最新杏吧原创

最新杏吧原创 City SC is set to splash into Major League Soccer this weekend, and will do so by diving into a stream.

Its opener, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Austin, Texas, will be televised exclusively on the Apple TV+ streaming platform. And City won鈥檛 be alone. The vast majority of MLS games all season will be shown there rather than on a conventional television outlet. In the rare cases when there are traditional network telecasts, they will be simulcasts of the Apple productions. Fox (KTVI, Channel 2 locally) has the lone over-the-air MLS telecast on opening week, the New York City-Nashville match at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Three of City鈥檚 34 matches are set for such simulcasts, all home contests 鈥� on May 20 against Kansas City (on FS1), on June 11 against LA (on Channel 2) and on Aug. 20 against Austin (on FS1).

The league previously had local telecasts to augment the national schedule but those are gone as MLS is about to kick off its first season of a 10-year deal with Apple that reportedly is worth $250 million annually.

Apple TV鈥檚 MLS package will be free to its subscribers for the first week of the season, as well as all year for fans who have purchased a full-season ticket to an MLS club. It also is being offered free to T-Mobile customers through the app.

Otherwise, it costs an additional $12.99 per month or $79 for the season to those who already subscribe to Apple TV+. For others, the charge is $14.99/$99.

This is the latest instance of the mass migration of live sporting events from regular TV to streaming, the biggest example being the NFL placing 鈥淭hursday Night Football鈥� exclusively on Amazon in a deal that began last season.

The league is giving up widespread availability of the telecasts to cater to a younger demographic, albeit more of a niche. MLS officials have said that 83% of their fans use streaming devices or recorded TV to watch sports.

鈥淭he original idea was to create what is primarily a streaming package and also add to that great linear agreements with partners that we know well. We鈥檙e very happy with what we鈥檙e going to be able to offer,鈥� MLS deputy commissioner Gary Stevenson told The Associated Press. 鈥淲e think it鈥檚 going to be a great fan experience.鈥�

Twellman time

Taylor Twellman was a standout at 最新杏吧原创 University High before having stellar soccer runs at the University of Maryland, with the U.S. national team and the New England Revolution in MLS. Then he became a star broadcaster while covering the sport for ESPN. Now he has made the move to Apple and is extolling that company鈥檚 commitment.

鈥淭he pictures look insane, as clear as any league in the world,鈥� he said this week. 鈥淰iewers should now expect their game to be covered鈥� wall-to-wall.

He added that Apple has the same vision as the league office does to showcasing the matches.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e they want it to grow. ... Right away the resources are better, the cameras are better.鈥�

Twellman is one of Apple鈥檚 game analysts and had been set to work Saturday with play-by-play announcer Jake Zivin for the marquee match in the Rose Bowl between the two Los Angeles clubs. But that game was postponed until July because of severe weather conditions.

Then next week ...

鈥淚 will 100% be home in 最新杏吧原创 for the home opener against Charlotte,鈥� he emphatically said.

Twellman never shies away from a high-octane opinions on the air and has that same attitude about the MLS-Apple relationship.

鈥淎pple now is a partner that has the same ambition and energy the league has for growth,鈥� he said.

And he says it is a good fit personally.

鈥淭he cool part for me is this ... new endeavor for me is exciting on multiple levels 鈥� but mainly I don鈥檛 know my schedule other than the first seven (weeks),鈥� he said.

He talked about the travails of covering an injury-riddled Atlanta team last season and how now having a less rigid schedule will be advantageous.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to send me to the big games, the big storylines,鈥� he said. ... 鈥淭hat鈥檚 exciting, it gives us flexibility.鈥�

Local broadcasts

City SC finally announced its radio broadcast lineup this week, with KYKY (98.1 FM) set to air the games.

Joey Zanaboni, who has called Ambush indoor soccer matches locally and minor-league baseball games for a team in Fredericksburg, Va., will do the play-by-play. He brings a high-energy delivery that likely will shock some listeners accustomed to traditional announcers in the market.

Zanaboni, 31, like Twellman is a 最新杏吧原创 University High graduate.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if I ever have been more thrilled in my life,鈥� he said. 鈥淐ertainly not in my career. It鈥檚 extremely special to me, it鈥檚 extremely special to my family to be moving back to my hometown and be with an organization that is as vibrant and as inspiring as 最新杏吧原创 SC.鈥�

His broadcasts are fully of pep and one-liners. When calling a minor-league rehab start for Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg, he said a curveball thrown was 鈥渇reezin 鈥檈m like pay raises at a poorly run cryogenics laboratory.鈥�

Zanaboni posted a Wednesday on Facebook in which he called his new job 鈥渢he greatest honor of my professional career鈥� and concluded by saying it should be a rollicking season behind the microphone:

鈥淚 promise you this, 最新杏吧原创. I will do everything in my power for the opportunity, at season鈥檚 end, to look myself in the mirror and every fan in the eye and say truthfully: We had the most entertaining broadcast in Major League Soccer.鈥�

The analyst working alongside Zanaboni will be Dale Schilly, who is director of the team鈥檚 academy and has a long history in local soccer and has done some broadcasting in recent years.

The team also will have broadcasts in Spanish on KXOK (102.9 FM). Santiago Beltran, who has done soccer play-by-play in 最新杏吧原创, will be in that role. He will work with commentator Hector Vega, who has played and coached in Mexico and has worked in broadcasting for Univision, Televisa and Multimedios as well as locally.

More soccer

KYKY and KXOK are part of the Audacy chain and its most high-profile station in the market, KMOX (1120 AM) will join in the coverage of the team.

The team鈥檚 director, Lutz Pfannenstiel, is to appear on Sunday mornings and coach Bradley Carnell is to be on Monday mornings. In addition, soccer talk will be included on other shows throughout the week.

KYKY will have 30-minute pre- and postgame programs, plus promote fan events.

Competing station KTRS (550 AM) has a long history of extensive soccer coverage and plans to continue that even though it doesn鈥檛 have the game broadcasts.

It has a show about City and MLS in general at 7 p.m. Mondays, a look at the international game at 7 p.m. on Thursdays, a program covering all levels of the sport at 7 p.m. Fridays, plus City-specific talk at 6 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. Sundays.

鈥淜TRS might not be carrying the games but we鈥檒l have more soccer programming then anyone in town,鈥� station president and general manager Mark Dorsey said.