Fox Sports has unveiled its schedule of live MLS matches in a press release. The channel acquired rights for the 2015 season in a landmark deal last season.
It opens on March 8 with a double header. 2013 MLS Champions Sporting KC host that year’s Supporters Shield winners New York Red Bulls before 2014 Supporters Shield winners Sounders FC host MLS Cup Finalists of 2014 New England Revolution.
The following Sunday Portland host 2014 MLS Cup winners LA Galaxy.
Here is the release:
FOX SPORTS 1 UNVEILS INAUGURAL MLS TELEVISION SCHEDULE
America’s Fastest-Growing Sports Channel Gives MLS Sunday Prime-Time Home
34-Match Schedule Highlighted by First Battle Between Expansion NYCFC and Rival New York Red Bulls;
Five Appearances by Star-Studded Defending Champion Los Angeles Galaxy;
Plus Unveiling of New, Highly-Anticipated, San Jose stadium
Los Angeles – FOX Sports 1 today unveils its inaugural regular-season Major League Soccer (MLS) television schedule with coverage beginning Sunday, March 8 with the first of three doubleheaders, this one featuring Sporting Kansas City at home against the New York Red Bulls (7:00 PM ET) followed by the Seattle Sounders facing Eastern Conference Champion New England Revolution (9:30 PM ET). In all, the schedule, which runs from March through October, consists of 34 matches, with 33 games scheduled for FOX Sports 1, one on FOX Sports 2, and most matches kicking-off in prime time at 7:00 PM ET Sundays.
Last May, FOX Sports 1 reached an eight-year, multi-platform media rights agreement with Major League Soccer (MLS) marking the league’s return to FOX Sports in 2015 after a four-year absence.
Nine of the MLS’ 15 US-based teams appear on FOX Sports 1 in the season’s first four weeks. The Red Bulls, Sounders and Orlando City FC, one of two new MLS teams this season, boasting Brazilian superstar Kaka, lead all clubs with six appearances, followed by the defending MLS Cup Champion and star-studded LA Galaxy with English superstar Steven Gerrard, first-year entrant New York City FC featuring Spain’s all-time leading scorer David Villa, Philadelphia and Portland, who each appear five times.
Orlando City FC makes their first FOX Sports 1 appearance on April 26 against Toronto FC (7:00 PM ET) in the season’s second doubleheader. The nightcap boasts the Pacific Northwest rivalry between Clint Dempsey’s Sounders and the Portland Timbers and (9:30 PM ET). These two teams have at each other again on June 28 in front of the Portland faithful. The channel’s final doubleheader on May 24 features Philadelphia Union-Red Bulls (5:00 PM ET) and Orlando City-San Jose Earthquakes at Levi’s Stadium (7:00 PM ET).
As for notable fixtures, FOX Sports carries a rematch of the championship game between the Galaxy and Revolution at Gillette Stadium on May 31 (7:00 PM ET). Other fixtures to flag include two of the three newly-minted rivalry games between the Red Bulls and New York City FC, the first of which comes May 10 (7:00 PM ET), and two of the three Seattle – LA Galaxy matchups, April 12 (7:00 PM ET) and October 4 (9:30 PM ET). The Earthquakes make their highly-anticipated debut in their state-of-the-art new home, Avaya Stadium, on March 22 against the Chicago Fire (7:00 PM ET). The lone match scheduled for FOX Sports 2 comes July 12, when the Colorado Rapids host Real Salt Lake (7:00 PM ET). See below for complete telecast schedule.
This season, MLS and its broadcast partners, including FOX Sports 1, introduce flex scheduling on the penultimate weekend of the regular season which allows the league and its media partners to decide the most impactful matches to telecast as the season draws to a close.
In addition to the flex scheduling, MLS also unveils its new “Decision Day” scheduling format on the last day of the regular season. On Sunday, Oct. 25, all five games in each conference are scheduled to be played at the same time, with Eastern Conference matches kicking-off at 5:00 PM ET and Western Conference games beginning at 7:00 PM ET. FOX Sports 1 is slated to televise an Eastern Conference match.
FOX Sports 1 and ESPN divide MLS CUP PLAYOFFS matches (outside of two games televised by Univision), and alternate televising the MLS CUP and AT&T MLS ALL-STAR GAME. Television plans for 2015 are expected at a later date.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Network |
| Sunday, March 8 | 7:00 PM | Kansas City vs. New York Red Bulls | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, March 8 | 9:30 PM | Seattle Sounders vs. New England Revolution | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, March 15 | 7:00 PM | Portland Timbers vs. LA Galaxy | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, March 22 | 7:00 PM | San Jose Earthquakes vs. Chicago Fire | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, April 5 | 7:00 PM | Sporting Kansas City vs. Philadelphia Union | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, April 12 | 7:00 PM | LA Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, April 19 | 7:00 PM | New York City FC vs. Portland Timbers | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, April 26 | 7:00 PM | Orlando City FC vs. Toronto FC | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, April 26 | 9:30 PM | Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, May 3 | 7:00 PM | New York City FC vs. Seattle Sounders | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, May 10 | 7:00 PM | New York Red Bulls vs. New York City FC | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, May 17 | 7:00 PM | Philadelphia Union vs. DC United | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, May 24 | 5:00 PM | New York Red Bulls vs. Philadelphia Union | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, May 24 | 7:00 PM | San Jose Earthquakes vs. Orlando City FC | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, May 31 | 7:00 PM | New England Revolution vs. LA Galaxy | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, June 7 | 7:00 PM | San Jose Earthquakes vs. FC Dallas | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, June 14 | 7:00 PM | Orlando City FC vs. DC United | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, June 21 | 10:00 PM | Real Salt Lake vs. Sporting Kansas City | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, June 28 | 7:00 PM | Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, July 12 | 7:00 PM | Colorado Rapids vs. Real Salt Lake | FOX Sports 2 |
| Sunday, July 19 | 7:00 PM | Orlando City FC vs. New York Red Bulls | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, July 26 | 2:30 PM | New York City FC vs. Orlando City FC | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, August 2 | 7:00 PM | Chicago Fire vs. FC Dallas | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, August 9 | 7:00 PM | New York Red Bulls vs. New York City FC | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, August 16 | 7:00 PM | Philadelphia Union vs. Chicago Fire | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, August 30 | 7:00 PM | New York Red Bulls vs. DC United | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, September 6 | 7:00 PM | Columbus Crew vs. FC Dallas | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, September 13 | 7:00 PM | Orlando City FC vs. Sporting Kansas City | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, September 20 | 7:00 PM | Philadelphia Union vs. Houston Dynamo | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, September 27 | 7:00 PM | San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, October 4 | 9:30 PM | Seattle Sounders vs. LA Galaxy | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, October 18 | 7:00 PM | LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers | FOX Sports 1 |
| Sunday, October 25 | 5:00 PM | TBD | FOX Sports 1 |
