Sporting Kansas City has new TV broadcast home for 2022. Here’s where you can watch
After two years of frustration surrounding Sporting Kansas City regional streaming and broadcasting rights, the club has parted ways with Bally Sports.
Sporting KC has agreed to a one-year deal with 38 The Spot as the home of all 26 locally broadcast matches in 2022.
In addition to 38 The Spot, fans in Kansas and Missouri (excluding the St. Louis market) will be able to stream Sporting KC matches without a cable or streaming-service subscription through the Sporting KC website and the Sporting One app, for free.
“Broadcasts are such a critical component of our club and we’re excited to not only significantly expand their reach but also significantly enhance the viewing experience through our streams and 38 The Spot,” Sporting KC president and CEO Jake Reid said in a statement.
Here’s the full breakdown of where fans can watch locally broadcast matches:
Club website: free streams on SportingKC.com for viewers in market
Sporting One: free streams on Sporting KC’s mobile app for viewers in market
38 The Spot: linear TV broadcasts available free over-the-air or via cable and satellite providers in the Kansas City region
ESPN+: streams via subscription service for out-of-market viewers (includes additional MLS and U.S. Open Cup matches)
Sporting KC had a deal through the 2022 season with Fox Sports Kansas City. It gave them a larger reach into homes across the Midwest and outside of the Kansas City metro. But when Fox sold its regional sports networks to Sinclair late in 2019, a number of fans had trouble streaming games on Bally Sports KC.
“I think we listen to fans,” Reid told The Star. “We try to put that experience front and center. And if there are valid concerns or frustrations, how do we address those? Sometimes it’s easier than others. This was a little bit of a complicated one, but ultimately I think it’s going to land in a spot that really is going to be best for fans.”
Reid said Sporting KC went back to the drawing board with Bally Sports in summer 2021 but the two were unable to find a solution. He maintained the deal with Fox, and eventually Bally Sports, wasn’t a bad idea and called them great partners.
But it was clear, Reid said, that fewer people in the metro were able to watch Sporting’s games once the Bally and Sinclair streaming plans took effect.
“The feedback from fans was pretty consistent,” he said. “Once the streaming part went away, we lost a large portion of those that can watch our games.”
“The broadcast is the number one entry into the brand. We’ve got 18,000 seats in a stadium that we can fill, but we’ve got 2.3 million (people) in the metro. If they can’t watch our games, that’s a big problem.”
Sporting KC’s new partner is glad to have the team, and its fans, back.
“We are beyond excited to have Sporting KC back on 38 The Spot,” said Kathleen Choal, vice president and general manager of KSHB and KMCI. “It’s no secret Kansas City loves Sporting, and for us to be able to offer their matches on 38 The Spot all season long, that are free and over-the-air, will provide a great opportunity for our audience to capture every amazing moment.”
This story was originally published February 14, 2022 at 9:29 AM with the headline "Sporting Kansas City has new TV broadcast home for 2022. Here’s where you can watch."