Columbus Crew SC & FOX Sports Ohio | SportsTime Ohio announce 2020 television broadcast schedule & talent team
Black & Gold television schedule on FOX Sports Ohio & SportsTime Ohio unveiled for 2020 MLS regular season; Crew SC announced 2020 TV broadcast talent team.
COLUMBUS — Columbus Crew SC and FOX Sports Ohio | SportsTime Ohio today announced their 2020 regional television broadcast schedule and talent team for the 34-match campaign that begins on Sunday, March 1 (SportsTime Ohio / pre-game airs at 12:00 p.m. ET). As part of the multiyear rights agreement with the Club announced in 2019, FOX Sports Ohio and SportsTime Ohio are again set to produce all 33 of Crew SC’s scheduled regionally televised regular-season contests in 2020. Coverage will also include 30-minute pre-game and post-game shows, with the coverage also set to stream live on the FOX Sports GO app. This season, television play-by-play broadcaster Neil Sika returns to the booth and will be joined by new additions Jordan Angeli (analyst) and Brett Hiltbrand (sideline/host).
“We are excited for the 2020 season to get underway and I know that our supporters can continue to look forward to entertaining and high-quality television broadcasts via our continued partnership with FOX Sports Ohio and SportsTime Ohio,” said Crew SC President and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “Bringing viewers all the action is a group of talented broadcasters and we are pleased to not only welcome back Neil Sika, but are thrilled to introduce Jordan Angeli to the booth in the analyst role and have Brett Hiltbrand with us for the entire season on the sideline. We look forward to the analysis, expertise, access and storytelling that our TV broadcast will bring supporters, beginning with Opening Match on March 1.”
2020 CREW SC BROADCAST SCHEDULE: Please see below for a graphic featuring Crew SC’s 2020 broadcast schedule.
The continued partnership with FOX Sports Ohio and SportsTime Ohio sees the return of Neil Sika to the Crew SC broadcast booth on play-by-play duties, marking Sika’s 14th season with the Crew after joining the Club’s radio coverage full-time in 2007. Sika began calling games for the Black & Gold in 2004 and previously called games for Ohio State hockey (2003-2008) and for Ohio State baseball (2004-2005). Sika’s other work includes ESPN, Spectrum Sports, the Big Ten Network, Pac12 Network, CBS Sports Network, and Sirius XM’s coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
New to the Crew SC broadcast booth in 2020, Jordan Angeli will be joining Sika in the booth as an analyst. Angeli’s arrival also marks a historic milestone: she becomes the first female to hold the full-time TV analyst role in Crew SC history. Angeli most recently worked with the Colorado Rapids from 2016-2019, serving as the in-stadium host in 2016 before taking on the role of radio analyst for all of Colorado’s matches in 2017. Angeli also previously hosted Tailgate Live, the Colorado Rapids’ digital pregame show while filling in on Altitude TV’s Rapids’ broadcast. A former professional soccer player, Angeli played for the Boston Breakers (2010-2012) and the Washington Spirit (2014) of Women’s Professional Soccer, as well as for the Western New York Flash (2015) of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Brett Hiltbrand is set to provide sideline coverage for all of Crew SC’s regular-season matches in 2020 after working in the same capacity during select contests last season. For home matches, Hiltbrand will also host the pre-match, halftime and post-match coverage at the desk. He has regularly appeared on Spectrum News 1, providing coverage of Ohio State and high school football. His previous experience includes working as a sports anchor for WJAC-TV (2015-2017), WVVA-TV (2013-2015), WSAZ (2012-2013), as well as getting his start behind the camera for NBC4 in Columbus (2006-2012).
LIVE STREAMING ON FOX SPORTS GO
All Crew programming televised on SportsTime Ohio and FOX Sports Ohio will stream live on FOX Sports GO. FOX Sports GO is currently available on mobile and tablet devices, including iOS and Android as well as foxsportsgo.com. FOX Sports GO is also available on connected devices including, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku Players and Roku TV, and Xbox One. Fans can download the app for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store, Roku App Store, XBOX One App Store and Windows App Store.
Additionally, fans can follow the action through social media by following @FOXSportsCbus on Twitter, @foxportscbus on Instagram, or visiting the FOX Sports Columbus Facebook page.
