For the third year in a row, the ESPN family of networks will broadcast the championship game of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.
The United States Soccer Federation announced that the 2017 US Open Cup Final, scheduled for Sept. 20 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan. will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.
The game will feature Sporting Kansas City hosting the New York Red Bulls and kickoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. EST. The Red Bulls will be seeking the club’s first Open Cup title, while Kansas City are aiming to become just the eighth team in tournament history to lift the trophy for a fourth time.
This will be the fourth time that ESPN will air the championship game on its family of networks (1999, 2015-17). The first time, ESPN2 broadcasted the 1999 Final which featured the Rochester Raging Rhinos (A-League, Div. 2 pro) making history by upsetting the Colorado Rapids 2-0 to become the first and, to date, only lower division club to lift the trophy since MLS was founded in 1996. The championship game would not return to ESPN until 2015 when Sporting Kansas City edged the Philadelphia Union 7-6 in PKs to win the tournament for the third time. Last year, FC Dallas defeated the New England Revolution 4-2 to claim its first US Open Cup trophy since 1997.
This will be the second time ESPN2 will feature the 104th edition of the US Open Cup on its airwaves. Earlier this year, ESPN2 aired an Open Cup game prior to the Semifinals for the first time in the network’s history by broadcasting FC Cincinnati’s Round of 16 penalty kick upset of the Chicago Fire in front of a record crowd of 32,287. It was the earliest Open Cup game that a major network broadcasted since Fox Soccer Channel aired the 2012 Fourth Round match between amateur side Cal FC that was coached by US international Eric Wynalda and the Seattle Sounders FC (MLS).
US Open Cup Championship Match Broadcast Networks
(Modern Era, 1995-present)
2017 – ESPN2 / ESPN Deportes
2016 – ESPN2 / Univision Deportes
2015 – ESPN2 / Univision Deportes
2014 – GolTV
2013 – GolTV
2012 – GolTV
2011 – Fox Soccer Channel
2010 – Fox Soccer Channel
2009 – Fox Soccer Channel
2008 – Fox Soccer Channel
2007 – Fox Soccer Channel
2006 – Fox Soccer Channel
2005 – GolTV
2004 – GolTV
2003 – Fox Sports World
2002 – Fox Sports World
2001 – Fox Sports World
2000 – Fox Sports World
1999 – ESPN2
1998 – Fox Sports Net
1997 – Fox Sports Net
1996 – No broadcast
1995 – Prime network