Philadelphia Union games will be airing on local radio for the first time in almost a decade after the team signed a broadcast partnership with iHeartMedia’s new sports station FOX Sports Radio The Gambler.
The Philadelphia Business Journal reports the team’s season — suspended in March after only two games due to the coronavirus — resumes Thursday morning at 9 a.m. as the Union square off against New York City FC as a part of the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, Florida. The first live broadcast will feature be play-by-play announcer Dave Leno and Union alumni Sébastien Le Toux. Coverage will be led by The Gambler reporter Joe Tansey and program director Sean Brace, who have co-hosted a Union podcast for the past four years.
“Before The Gambler even went live in August 2019, the strong desire to become the Philadelphia Union’s broadcast partner was always on our mind,” Brace said in a statement. “It gives us all great joy to be able to provide one of Philly’s most passionate fanbases a place to hear every Union game this season.”
The Union’s games were last broadcast on the radio in 2012, when the team signed a radio broadcast deal with SportsRadio 610 WIP and its parent company CBS Radio, which has since been acquired by Entercom Communications Corp. The team was founded in 2010.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The partnership with The Gambler for 2020 comes a few months after the team renewed its television broadcast partnership with 6ABC and PHL17. For the first time in the team’s 11-year history, local fans will also be able to stream games on PhiladelphiaUnion.com at no cost. After being partnered for seven seasons with NBC Sports Philadelphia, the Union originally signed a deal with PHL17 and 6ABC before the 2018 season.
As for The Gambler, this is its first broadcast partnership deal with one of the professional sports teams. The Eagles and Phillies have deals with Entercom’s SportsRadio 94 WIP and the Flyers and 76ers with Beasley Media Group’s 97.5 The Fanatic (WPEN-FM).
The Gambler became the region’s third sports talk radio station last August as iHeart looked to capitalize on the fast growth of legalized sports betting in the tri-state area. It airs a mix of syndicated programming from FOX Sports Radio and local content hosted by Brace and Eytan Shander.
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