Timbers announce broadcast details for 2018 season

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today unveiled their complete broadcast schedule for the 2018 Major League Soccer season.

Including at least 12 nationally televised matches, all 34 of the Timbers’ regular-season matches will be broadcast live both on television and radio for an eighth consecutive season in 2018. Returning for a third season working together as a pair on the television broadcast, Jake Zivin and Ross Smith will call the action for the Timbers as the play-by-play announcer and color analyst, respectively, as the Timbers’ broadcast partners ROOT SPORTS and FOX 12 Oregon (KPTV) will again air the club’s regional television broadcasts, as they have each season since the Timbers’ inaugural MLS campaign in 2011.

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Zivin and Smith will work alongside former Timbers defender Nat Borchers, who will serve as the field analyst during the Timbers’ games on ROOT SPORTS and FOX 12 Oregon (KPTV) in his second season as a member of the broadcast team.

In 2018, ROOT SPORTS will deliver nine matches across the Northwest region to cable and satellite homes in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. Thirteen matches will be featured over the air on FOX 12 Oregon (KPTV) or sister-station FOX 12 PLUS (KPDX). ROOT SPORTS will also re-air completed Timbers matches throughout the season.

FOX 12 Oregon (KPTV) is the home of the Timbers’ weekly program, “Timbers in 30,” which airs each Friday during the season at 6:30 p.m. (Pacific), with subsequent airings each week on ROOT SPORTS. Hosted by Zivin and Smith with contributing segments from Timbers reporter Samantha Yarock, the show features exclusive, inside access to the team, while also providing team and game analysis with in-studio appearances from Timbers coaches and players each week. 

Portland’s 12 games on national television include broadcasts on ESPN, ESPN2, FOX, FS1 and Univision.

On the radio side, 750 AM/102.9 FM The Game (KXTG) and La GranD (KGDD 93.5 FM, 1150 AM) will serve as the team’s flagship stations once again in 2018. Play-by-play announcer Keith Bleyer will be paired with analyst and former MLS assistant coach Brett Jacobs on KXTG, while Fletcher Johnson returns for his eighth season as host of the pregame, halftime and postgame radio shows. For the radio broadcasts in Spanish, Josue del Castillo returns as the play-by-play announcer, working alongside Oscar Ramos, who will serve as the analyst.

In addition to match broadcasts, 750 AM/102.9 FM The Game, which has served as a flagship station of the club for each of its eight MLS seasons, airs the Timbers’ weekly program, “Talk Timbers,” each Wednesday night from 6-8 p.m. (Pacific). “Talk Timbers” features interviews with coaches, players and club representatives and covers both Timbers and MLS news.

2018 Portland Timbers Schedule (home matches in bold, CAPS)