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The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC announced this morning they have reached a broadcast deal with the local FOX and CW affiliate Fox21 and SOCO CW for the 2018 season.
The deal includes all of the team’s 17 home games, and will expand the teams presence further in Southern Colorado. The Colorado Springs/Pueblo market ranks 88th in the Nielsen DMA 2017 rankings with over 350,000 TV homes.
We are very excited to announce we've partnered with @FOX21News to have the @SOCOCW broadcast all of our @USL home matches next year! pic.twitter.com/sL0utWRgBU
— SwitchbacksFC (@SwitchbacksFC) November 20, 2017
"The Switchbacks are extremely excited to partner with FOX21 & SOCO CW to be bringing the Colorado Springs, surrounding communities and it's partners great professional soccer through TV and in-person," said Switchbacks Executive VP James Ragain. "This is a great step for Colorado Springs in that a deal like this has never been done for professional sports in Colorado Springs."
The announcement comes off the heels of the club’s highest attendance since its 2015 inaugural season, with a total of 54,222 fans attending games at Wiedner Field. With a wider potential audience, the team hopes to increase attendance and grow a stronger local following in the Southern Colorado area.
“At FOX21 and SOCO CW we are all about local and are pleased and proud to be partners with the Switchbacks FC," said Vice President/General Manager, Steve Dant of FOX21 & SOCO CW. "Nearly all the home games will air on our CW station, SOCO CW. Check your TV listing for channel location.”
FOX21 News has provided news and weather information for southern Colorado since 2001. Broadcasting over an antenna located atop Cheyenne Mountain, FOX21 reaches Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and southern Colorado on over-the air channel 21, Comcast channel 3, DirecTV channel 21, and Dish Network channel 21. FOX21 produces nearly 38 hours of local newscasts every week, in addition to showing FOX network entertainment and sports programming.
The station shares a studio in southeastern Colorado Springs with sister station SOCO CW. Broadcasting over an antenna located atop Cheyenne Mountain, SOCO CW also reaches Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and southern Colorado on over-the-air channel 57, Comcast channel 7, DirecTV channel 57 and Dish Channel 57. In 2013, the FOX21 News team won the national Edward R. Murrow Award for Continuing Coverage for its coverage of the Waldo Canyon Fire.
The Switchbacks finished a disappointing 2017 campaign in 9th place in the USL Western Conference, missing the playoffs for the first time in team history.