Skip to content
Union
Link copied to clipboard

How to watch the 2016 MLS Cup playoffs on TV and online

Here's this year's schedule for the 2016 Major League Soccer playoffs. The big news is that the title game on December 10 kicks off not only in prime time at 8 p.m. Eastern, but on Fox's broadcast network.

The Twitter handle above is for my general news reporting. My soccer handle is @thegoalkeeper. Contact me there for any questions about this post.

Here's this year's schedule for the 2016 Major League Soccer playoffs. The big news is that the title game on December 10 kicks off not only in prime time at 8 p.m. Eastern, but on Fox's broadcast network. It is the first time since ABC's last MLS game in 2008 that the final airs on an English-language over-the-air channel.

Also of consequence: three of the four conference final games are on weekdays. The only one that isn't is the second leg of the Western Conference final.

In addition to the listed TV coverage below, all of MLS' national TV partners offer online streaming. Click the links below for more information.

ESPN: WatchESPN
Fox: Fox Sports Go and Fox Soccer 2 Go
UniMás: Univision.com/Deportes
TSN: TSN Go
RDS: RDS Go

Here is the schedule of 2016 MLS Cup playoff TV broadcasts, including commentator assignments and exact kickoff times. All times are Eastern.

Wednesday, October 26: E3. Toronto FC vs. E6. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m.

Kickoff time is 7:38 p.m.

- ESPN2 (Adrian Healey, Taylor Twellman and Katie Witham)
- UniMás (José Luis López Salido, Diego Balado and Ana Caty Hernández)
- TSN2 (Luke Wileman, Steven Caldwell and Kristian Jack)

Wednesday, October 26: W3. Los Angeles Galaxy vs. W6. Real Salt Lake, 10:30 p.m.

Kickoff time is 10:38 p.m.

- UniMás (Raúl Guzmán, Marcelo Balboa and Xavi Sol in Spanish; Ramses Sandoval, Keith Costigan and Alejandro Berry in English)
- KMYU in Salt Lake City (David James and Brian Dunseth)
- Spectrum SportsNet in Los Angeles (Joe Tutino and Cobi Jones)
- TSN2 (will simulcast one of the above)

Thursday, October 27: E4. D.C. United vs. E5. Montréal Impact, 7:30 p.m.

Kickoff time is 7:38 p.m.

- UniMás (José Luis López Salido, Diego Balado and Ana Caty Hernández in Spanish; Ramses Sandoval and Keith Costigan in English)
- TSN1/5 (Vic Rauter, Greg Sutton and Kristian Jack)
- RDS2 (Claudine Douville, Jean Gounelle, Patrick Friolet, Olivier Brett and Patrick Leduc)

Thursday, October 27: W4. Seattle Sounders vs. W5. Sporting Kansas City, 10:00 p.m.

Kickoff time is 10:25 p.m.

- Fox Sports 1 and TSN 1/5 (John Strong, Alexi Lalas and Julie Stewart-Binks)
- UniMás (Raúl Guzmán, Marcelo Balboa and Xavi Sol)

First legs

Sunday, October 30: E5. Montréal Impact vs. E1. New York Red Bulls, 3:00 p.m.

Kickoff time is 3:08 p.m.

- ESPN (Glenn Davis and Alejandro Moreno)
- ESPN Deportes (Richard Méndez and Robert Sierra)
- RDS (Claudine Douville, Jean Gounelle and Patrick Friolet; Olivier Brett hosts studio segments with and Patrick Leduc)
- TSN1/4 (Luke Wileman, Steven Caldwell and Kristian Jack), joined in progress after the Calgary-Montreal CFL game ends, which is supposed to be at around 4 p.m. (kickoff is at 1)
- TSN Go carries the full game broadcast

Sunday, October 30: W3. Los Angeles Galaxy vs. W2. Colorado Rapids, 5:00 p.m.

Kickoff time is 5:23 p.m.

- ESPN and TSN 1/4 (Adrian Healey, Taylor Twellman and Katie Witham)
- ESPN Deportes (Richard Méndez and Robert Sierra)

Sunday, October 30: E3. Toronto FC vs. E2. New York City FC 7:00 p.m.

Kickoff time is 7:21 p.m.

- Fox Sports 1 (J.P. Dellacamera, Stuart Holden and Danielle Slaton in English; Troy Santiago and Alvaro Izquierdo in Spanish via SAP)
- TSN1/4 (Luke Wileman, Steven Caldwell and Kristian Jack)

Sunday, October 30: W4. Seattle Sounders vs. W1. FC Dallas, 9:30 p.m.

Kickoff time is 9:40 p.m.

- Fox Sports 1 and TSN2 (John Strong, Brad Friedel and Julie Stewart-Binks; Samuel Jacobo and Martin Zuñiga in Spanish on FS1 via SAP)

Fox's studio segments are live from Seattle for its entire broadcast window. Rob Stone hosts with Alexi Lalas.

Second legs

Sunday, November 6: W2. Colorado Rapids vs. W3. Los Angeles Galaxy, 2:00 p.m.

Kickoff time is 2:08 p.m.

- ESPN and TSN5 (Jon Champion and Alejandro Moreno)
- ESPN Deportes (Richard Méndez and Giovanni Savarese)

Sunday, November 6: E1. New York Red Bulls vs. E5. Montréal Impact, 4:00 p.m.

Kickoff time is 4:23 p.m.

- ESPN (Adrian HealeyTaylor Twellman and Katie Witham)
- ESPN Deportes (Richard Méndez and Giovanni Savarese)
- TSN5 (Vic RauterGreg Sutton and Andi Petrillo)
- RDS (Claudine Douville, Jean Gounelle and Patrick Friolet; Olivier Brett hosts studio coverage with Patrick Leduc)

ESPN's broadcast will begin on ESPN2 if Colorado-Los Angeles goes to extra time.

Sunday, November 6: E2. New York City FC vs. E3. Toronto FC, 6:30 p.m.

Kickoff time is 6:46 p.m., though it may move if Red Bulls-Montreal goes to penalty kicks.

- Fox Sports 1 (John Strong, Alexi Lalas and Julie Stewart-Binks)
- Fox Deportes (Jairo Moncada and Martin Zuñiga)
- TSN4/5 (Luke WilemanSteven Caldwell and Kristian Jack)
- RDS (Claudine Douville and Jean Gounelle)

Sunday, November 6: W1. FC Dallas vs. W4. Seattle Sounders, 9:00 p.m.

Kickoff time is 9:26 p.m., though it may move if NYCFC-Toronto goes to penalty kicks.

- Fox Sports 1 and TSN2 (J.P. Dellacamera, Stuart Holden and Kyndra de St. Aubin)
- Fox Deportes (Samuel Jacobo and Alvaro Izquierdo)

First legs

Tuesday, November 22: E4. Montréal Impact vs. E3. Toronto FC, 8:00 p.m.

Kickoff time was to be at 8:08 p.m., but it was delayed until 8:42 p.m. because the grounds crew at Olympic Stadium incorrectly measured the field lines, and they had to be re-painted. Yes, really.

- ESPN (Adrian Healey, Taylor Twellman and Katie Witham)
- ESPN Deportes (Jorge Pérez-Navarro and Elmer Polanco)
- TSN1/3 (Luke Wileman, Steven Caldwell and Vic RauterAndi Petrillo hosts studio segments at Olympic Stadium with Kristian Jack and Greg Sutton, starting at 7:30 p.m.)
- RDS (Claudine Douville, Jean Gounelle and Patrick Friolet; Olivier Brett hosts studio segments at Olympic Stadium with Patrick Leduc, starting at 7:00 p.m.)

Tuesday, November 22: W4. Seattle Sounders vs. W2. Colorado Rapids, 10:00 p.m.

Kickoff time was to be 10:25 p.m., but it was delayed until 10:35 p.m. because of the delay in the Eastern Conference semifinal first leg earlier in the night.

- Fox Sports 1 and TSN1/3 (John Strong, Brad Friedel and Julie Stewart-Binks; Rob Stone hosts studio segments at CenturyLink Field with Alexi Lalas)
- Fox Deportes (Jairo Moncada and Alvaro Izquierdo)
- RDS2 (Goran Bratic and Andrew Olivieri)

Second legs

Sunday, November 27: W2. Colorado Rapids vs. W4. Seattle Sounders, 4:00 p.m.

Kickoff time is 4:18 p.m.

- ESPN and TSN2 (Adrian HealeyTaylor Twellman and Katie Witham; Witham hosts studio segments at Dick's Sporting Goods Park with Kasey Keller and Alejandro Moreno)
- ESPN Deportes (Jorge Pérez-Navarro and Elmer Polanco)
- RDS Info (Claudine Douville and Jean Gounelle; Olivier Brett hosts studio segments with Patrick Leduc)

Wednesday, November 30: E3. Toronto FC vs. E4. Montréal Impact, 7:00 p.m.

Kickoff time is 7:10 p.m.

- Fox Sports 1 (John Strong, Brad Friedel and Julie Stewart-Binks; Rob Stone hosts studio segments at BMO Field with Alexi Lalas; pregame coverage starts at 6:30)
- Fox Deportes (John Laguna and Mariano Trujillo)
- TSN1/3/4/5 (Luke Wileman, Steven Caldwell and Kristian Jack; Andi Petrillo hosts; pregame coverage is part of SportsCentre beginning at 5:30)
- RDS (Claudine Douville, Jean Gounelle and Patrick Friolet; Olivier Brett hosts studio segments with Patrick Leduc; pregame coverage starts at 6:30)

Saturday, December 10: E3. Toronto FC vs. W4. Seattle Sounders, 8:00 p.m.

Kickoff time is 8:15 p.m.

- Fox (John Strong, Brad Friedel and Julie Stewart-Binks; Rob Stone hosts studio segments with Stuart Holden, Alexi Lalas and Eric Wynalda; pregame coverage starts at 7:30 p.m.)
- UniMás and Univision Deportes (Raúl Guzmán, Marcelo Balboa, Gonzalo Pineda and Ramses Sandoval; pregame coverage starts at 7 p.m.)
- TSN1/3/4/5 (Luke Wileman, Steven Caldwell, Kristian Jack and Vic Rauter; James Duthie hosts studio segments with Jack, Greg Sutton and Vancouver Whitecaps manager Carl Robinson; pregame coverage starts at 7 p.m.)
- RDS (Claudine Douville and Jean Gounelle; Olivier Brett hosts studio coverage with Patrick Leduc)

In addition to its game coverage, Fox offers online streaming of the game through its virtual reality platform. Details are here.

There's also a one-hour MLS Cup preview show on Fox Sports 1 on Friday, December 9 at 10:00 p.m. Sigi Schmid and Grant Wahl join the cast listed above. After the game, FS1 airs a half-hour postgame show at 10:30 p.m. Saturday.