Timbers announce broadcast details for 2019 season

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today unveiled their complete broadcast schedule for the 2019 Major League Soccer season.

Including at least 13 nationally televised matches, all 34 of the Timbers’ regular-season matches will be broadcast live both on television and radio for a ninth consecutive season in 2019. Once again this season, play-by-play announcer Jake Zivin, color analyst Ross Smith and on-field analyst Nat Borchers will call the action on the television broadcast as the club’s broadcast partners ROOT SPORTS and KPTV FOX 12 will air the club’s regional television broadcasts, as they have each season since the Timbers’ inaugural MLS campaign in 2011.

In 2019, ROOT SPORTS will deliver 11 matches across the Northwest region to cable and satellite homes in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. Ten matches will be featured over the air on FOX 12 (KPTV) or sister-station FOX 12 PLUS (KPDX). KFBI in Medford and KEVU in Eugene will continue to televise all games also airing on FOX 12 and FOX 12 PLUS. Additionally, ROOT SPORTS also will re-air completed Timbers matches throughout the season.

FOX 12 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, 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 13 games on national television include broadcasts on ESPN, ESPN2, FOX, FS1 and Univision.

On the radio side, 102.9 and 750 The Game (KXTG) and La GranD (KGDD 93.5 FM, 1150 AM) will serve as the team’s flagship stations once again in 2019. Play-by-play announcer Keith Bleyer returns for his eighth season as part of the Timbers broadcast team along with Joe Sleven, who played collegiate soccer at the University of Portland, in his second season on KXTG. Fletcher Johnson returns for his ninth season as host of the pregame, halftime and postgame radio shows. For the Spanish radio broadcasts, 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, 102.9 and 750 The Game, which has served as a flagship station of the club for each of its first 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.

2019 Portland Timbers Schedule (home matches in bold, CAPS)