NBC Sports Group Kicks Off 2013 MLS Season

Coverage will include 41 regular-season games, with 38 on NBC Sports Network and three on NBC.

The NBC Sports Group begins its second season of MLS coverage with a rematch of the 2012 Eastern Conference Championship when D.C. United faces off against Houston Dynamo Saturday, March 2 at 8 p.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network. D.C. United will travel to BBVA Compass Stadium to square off against the Dynamo who is currently riding a 25-game regular-season home unbeaten streak.

Additionally, D.C. captain Dwayne De Rosario will return to Houston after missing United’s 3-1 Conference Final (first leg) loss due to injury last season. A two time MLS Cup champion with Houston (2006, 2007), De Rosario and D.C. hope to stop Houston’s dynamic attack led by veteran Brad Davis.

Commentators: NBC Sports Group’s broadcast team of Arlo White (@ArloWhite, play-by-play), and Kyle Martino (@kylemartino, "Between the Benches" analyst) will call the game from BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas. Russ Thaler (@RussThayler) will host the pre-game, halftime and post-game segments live from the game site, with contributions from White and Martino.

White on the season opener: "We kick off 2013 on NBC Sports Network with the same exciting match-up that ended our 2012 coverage in the Eastern Conference Final. In November, Houston’s quality and experience was too much in for an exciting but tiring D.C. United. Ben Olsen’s team is brimming with youthful attacking talent like Chris Pontius and Nick DeLeon, but can also call upon the experience and quality of Dwayne De Rosario and new signing Carlos Ruiz. Will Bruin has taken over the goal scoring mantle from Houston club legend Brian Ching, and in Brad Davis, Boniek Garcia and Ricardo Clark they have a hard working and very creative midfield."

Rivalry weekend: NBC and NBC Sports Network will present unprecedented wall-to-wall coverage on during "Rivalry Weekend" on Saturday, March 16, during which the networks will cover all MLS games that day.

NBC begins the day with the New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United at 12:30 p.m. ET, from Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. NBC Sports Network will air two more games that day, beginning with Sporting KC vs. Chicago Fire at 3 p.m. ET, and the Seattle Sounders host the Portland Timbers later that night.

After calling the New York Red Bulls-D.C. United match, NBC Sports Group’s MLS announce team of White (play-by-play) and Martino ("Between-the-Benches" analyst) and Thaler (host), will travel to the new NBC Sports Group studios in Stamford, Conn., to host a studio "whip around" showcasing coverage of the rest of that day’s MLS games.

NBC Sports Group’s 2013 MLS Schedule:

Date Away Home Times ET Network

Sat. Mar. 2 D.C. United Houston 8 PM NBCSN

Sun. Mar. 9 New England Chicago 7:30 PM NBCSN

Sat. Mar. 16 D.C. United New York 12:30 PM NBC

Sat. Mar. 16 Chicago Kansas City 3 PM NBCSN

Sat. Mar. 16 Portland Seattle TBD NBCSN

Sat. Mar. 23 Columbus D.C. United 3:30 PM NBCSN

Sat. Mar. 30 Philadelphia New York 3:30 PM NBCSN

Sat. Apr. 6 Real Salt Lake Colorado 3:30 PM NBCSN

Sat. Apr. 13 LA Galaxy Dallas 3:30 PM NBCSN

Sun. Apr. 14 San Jose Portland 10:30 PM NBCSN

Sat. Apr. 20 Kansas City LA Galaxy 10:30 PM NBCSN

Sat. Apr. 27 Chicago Montreal 4 PM NBCSN

Sat. May 4 New York Columbus 4 PM NBCSN

Sat. May 11 Philadelphia Chicago 1:30 PM NBCSN

Sun. May 26 Houston Kansas City 3:30 PM NBCSN

Sun. June 2 LA Galaxy New England 4 PM NBCSN

Sun. June 23 Colorado Portland 7 PM NBCSN

Sat. June 29 Dallas Philadelphia 5:30 PM NBCSN

Sat. July 6 Seattle Vancouver 11 PM NBCSN

Sat. July 13 LA Galaxy Portland 11 PM NBCSN

Sat. July 20 Colorado Seattle 11 PM NBCSN

Sat. July 27 Chicago Houston 8 PM NBCSN

Sat. Aug. 3 New York Kansas City 8 PM NBCSN

Sat. Aug. 10 D.C. United Philadelphia 8 PM NBCSN

Sat. Aug. 17 Philadelphia New York 8 PM NBCSN

Fri. Aug. 23 Kansas City Chicago 8:30 PM NBCSN

Fri. Aug. 30 Portland Real Salt Lake 10 PM NBCSN

Sat. Aug. 31 D.C. United New York 8 PM NBCSN

Sat. Sept. 7 Chicago Seattle 10 PM NBCSN

Fri. Sept. 13 Real Salt Lake Seattle 10 PM NBCSN

Fri. Sept. 20 Colorado Portland 10 PM NBCSN

Sat. Sept. 21 Seattle LA Galaxy 10:30 PM NBCSN

Fri. Sept. 27 Philadelphia Kansas City 8 PM NBCSN

Sun. Sept. 29 LA Galaxy Portland 3:30 PM NBC

Fri. Oct. 4 Chicago D.C. United 8 PM NBCSN

Sat. Oct. 5 Seattle Colorado 10 PM NBCSN

Fri. Oct. 18 D.C. United Kansas City 8 PM NBCSN

Sat. Oct. 19 Seattle Dallas 4 PM NBCSN

Sat. Oct. 26 Kansas City Philadelphia 3 PM NBCSN

Sat. Oct. 26 Dallas San Jose 5:30 PM NBCSN

Sun. Oct. 27 Houston D.C. United 1:30 PM NBC

All games on NBC and NBC Sports Network will consist of on-site pre-game and post-game coverage.

For the full NBC Sports Group 2013 MLS Schedule visit www.NBCSports.com.

Along with already-established MLS partnerships with five NBC Sports Regional Networks (California, Chicago, Mid-Atlantic, New England and Philadelphia), the league will have coverage across the NBC Sports Group’s unique four-tier portfolio of assets: broadcast network, national cable, regional sports networks and digital. This includes ProSoccerTalk on NBCSports.com, a blog featuring articles from respected soccer journalist Steve Davis (@SteveDavis90). Davis, who has covered Major League Soccer, since its inception in 1996 contributes regular posts and provides video reports to NBCSports.com.

About NBC Sports Group’s Soccer Coverage

The NBC Sports Group’s networks and platforms are leading destinations for soccer fans in the U.S. Its soccer portfolio includes Major League Soccer (MLS), U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team matches, the men’s and women’s Olympic soccer tournaments, and, beginning in August 2013, the Premier League. NBCUniversal, via the NBC Sports Group, will be the home for all 380 Premier League matches, as well comprehensive shoulder programming. NBCUniversal’s Telemundo and mun2 also provide comprehensive Spanish-language soccer coverage. Both channels will air Premier League matches, as well as serve as the U.S. Spanish-language home for the FIFA World Cup from 2015 through 2022. Online, ProSoccerTalk on NBCSports.com provides comprehensive coverage of the sport, from the Premier League to MLS to the U.S. National Team and other key international soccer stories.