FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution and Comcast SportsNet today announced the Revs’ 2014 broadcast schedule and on-air talent that will bring the matches to life in high-definition.
Long-time play-by-play announcer Brad Feldman and new game analyst Paul Mariner will have the call from the broadcast booth for most matches this season.
Now in its fifth season as the television home of the Revolution, Comcast SportsNet will broadcast up to 31 of the team’s matches not broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network or ESPN2, beginning with the 2014 season opener on March 8 at the Houston Dynamo. Other highlights of Comcast SportsNet’s broadcast schedule include:
- Both home matches against defending MLS Cup champion Sporting Kansas City (April 26 and Sept. 3)
- U.S. National Team captain Clint Dempsey and Seattle Sounders FC (May 11)
- Thierry Henry and the New York Red Bulls (June 8 and Aug. 2)
- Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane and the LA Galaxy (July 16)
- All three matches against Toronto FC (May 3, Aug. 30 and Oct. 25) featuring U.S. National Team midfielder Michael Bradley and former Tottenham Hotspur star Jermain Defoe.
Comcast SportsNet’s 2014 coverage begins with the annual “State of the Revs Season Preview” special at 8 p.m. on March 8, immediately before the Revolution kick off against Dynamo at 8:30 p.m. The network will also televise a mid-season special, as well as a season wrap-up program, along with other Revolution features throughout the season.
Feldman, the veteran play-by-play announcer who has called more than 450 matches involving the Revolution, returns for his 14th season. The 2014 season marks his 10th as the primary play-by-play announcer for the club’s broadcasts, both on television and on radio. He is also the supervising producer for all Revolution telecasts, heading content, operations and production.
Joining Feldman in the booth as analyst this year is Mariner, the former England international striker and assistant coach of the Revolution. Now retired from coaching, Mariner is a regular analyst and contributor to ESPN’s daily soccer program, ESPN FC. He also provides analysis on various international soccer matches on ESPN. Mariner was an assistant coach with the Revolution from 2004 through 2009 before accepting the head coach position – and later manager position – at Plymouth Argyle FC in England. He returned to North America in 2011, joining Toronto FC as the club’s director of player development and later taking the head coach position for the second half of the 2012 season.
Mariner is remembered by world soccer fans as one of the top center forwards in English football in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He earned 35 international caps playing for his country, and led the England attack in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. After starting his professional club career with Plymouth Argyle, Mariner scored 97 goals in eight seasons for Ipswich Town from 1976-84, before playing three seasons with Arsenal FC in London and finishing his English Leagues career with Portsmouth. He helped Ipswich Town win the 1978 FA Cup and 1981 UEFA Cup.
For select broadcasts, Jeff Causey will return to the booth as color analyst. Causey, a former Revolution goalkeeper, was the team’s primary analyst the last two seasons.
Again this season, Kraft Sports Productions will produce all non-nationally televised Revolution games under the guidance of Executive Producer Matt Smith, KSP Director Dave Mondillo and Feldman. Producer Russ Whinnem returns for his third season, while Shawn Jensen is the television package’s regular game day producer.
