PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — When soccer fans tune into televised Major League Soccer matches this coming season, Portland Timbers fans are going to see a couple of familiar faces and hear a couple of familiar voices.
AppleTV announced Tuesday morning that Jake Zivin, who spent seven years and won three Emmy Awards as the play-by-play voice for the Timbers, will serve in a similar role with the new MLS Season Pass. The streaming service is the exclusive broadcast partner for MLS in 2023 and there will be no way of seeing MLS broadcasts without subscribing.
Also joining the new MLS Season Pass broadcast team is Portland Timbers legend Diego Valeri. The 2015 league MVP and all-time Timbers’ leading goal scorer will be serving as a Spanish-language, studio analyst when the season starts. MLS Season Pass will be broadcasting all matches featuring commentary in both English and Spanish and matches with Canadian teams will be available in French.
For the season, MLS Season Pass will feature live broadcasts and replays of all regular season, playoff and Leagues Cup matches. There will be no local blackouts. AppleTV’s 10-year deal with the league also includes pregame and postgame shows, and whip-around live coverage of every match.
MLS Season Pass officially launches officially launches on February 1. It will cost $14.99 per month or $99 for the season to subscribe. Current AppleTV+ users will get a discounted rate.
The Timbers open the season February 25 hosting Sporting Kansas City at Providence Park.