Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC Announce Partnership with FOX 13

In a monumental day in Seattle Soccer, the Sounders and Reign have officially announced a regional partnership with FOX 13 Seattle to unite the men’s and women’s teams on the same viewership platform for the first time.

It’s a huge moment for soccer coverage in the Emerald City that will give fans the ability to consume the top level soccer clubs in the area all in one place. While the Sounders matches will continue to exclusively air on MLS Season Pass with Apple TV, fans can enjoy expanded programming “designed to deepen fan connections and build awareness of the many happenings across the Puget Sound soccer scene,” the teams released in a joint statement on Thursday morning.

Sounders FC and Reign FC President of Business Operations Hugh Weber talked about the partnership and what it means moving forward for fans:

"This partnership is a monumental moment for soccer in our city…By bringing together the world-class athletes of both Reign FC and Sounders FC under a single viewership umbrella with FOX 13, we are offering fans a comprehensive, year-round soccer experience like never before."

The big news from this release, however, is the fact that fans can find Reign FC games live on FOX 13 starting with Friday’s game against Kansas City at Lumen Field. This will be the first time that Reign FC will have on-location, local production services for their games.

In a live sports viewing world that seems to be trending towards more league-run, centralized production services (think MLB.TV and what is happening with the Mariners broadcast), it’s really cool to see a local television outlet, with local talent, and local ties to be investing in covering the local soccer teams.

While the Sounders matches will still be exclusively aired on MLS Season Pass with Apple TV, there will be expanded “shoulder programming” introduced for their coverage as well, including weekly shows, news coverage, and more.

SVP & General Manager of FOX 13 Seattle, Amber Eikel, talked about the thought behind this move from the FOX 13 perspective:

"At FOX 13, we are thrilled to become the home of women’s and men’s soccer during the most exciting time in Seattle's proud history in this sport…This partnership represents a powerful celebration of our city’s love for the sport of soccer, with the women’s game thriving like never before and a men’s World Cup coming to Seattle next year. We are proud to elevate these world-class clubs with expansive coverage, compelling storytelling and unmatched access for fans across the region. And in addition to our over-the-air coverage, we’ll be streaming Reign FC matches for free on the FOX Local TV App, giving every fan the chance to cheer on these amazing athletes."

Overall, the initial reaction from those around the scene is that there is a commitment from FOX 13 for soccer coverage on a local platform. For this storied soccer city, a major media outlet is doubling down on soccer coverage to provide for fans and in a market that is getting increasingly competitive with the PWHL team being announced this week, and rumblings of the NBA returning in the near future. For soccer fans in the area, this is a huge win.