ESPN

2018 US Open Cup Final to air on ESPN channel for fourth year in a row

August 20, 2018 by Josh Hakala

Houston Dynamo Cory Burke Philadelphia Union 2018 US Open Cup Semifinals — The Houston Dynamo won a dramatic penalty kick shootout with LAFC and Cory Burke scored a pair of goals in the Philadelphia Union’s 3-0 win over the Chicago Fire in the 2018 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photos: Houston Dynamo / Philadelphia Union

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced the broadcast plans for the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final.

For the fourth year in a row, the championship game for the United States’ oldest cup competition will air on the ESPN family of networks. In addition to being broadcast live on ESPN2, the game can also be seen on the Univision Deportes Network.

The 105th edition of the US Open Cup Final will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas as the hometown Houston Dynamo will host the Philadelphia Union. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

Both teams are seeking their first US Open Cup title, which will not only earn them $300,000 in prize money but will qualify them for the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League. The runner-up will receive $100,000. Both prize money amounts were increased from 2017, up from $250,000 and $60,000, respectively.

The Union are seeking to become the first Philadelphia-area team to lift the trophy since 1966, while the Dynamo are looking to become the first team from South Texas to win the tournament.

The US Open Cup Final has been broadcast on television since 1994, with the only exception being the 1996 title game. Aside from the last four years, ESPN has only held the rights to the championship game one time when the Rochester Raging Rhinos pulled off one of the tournament’s biggest surprises when they became the only lower division team to win the tournament since Major League Soccer joined the competition in 1996.

US Open Cup Championship Match Broadcast Networks
(Since 1994)

2018 – ESPN2 / Univision Deportes
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
1994 – Prime Network

2017 US Open Cup Final will be broadcast live on ESPN networks

August 15, 2017 by Riley Maleitzke

Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, KS. Photo: Sporting KC — Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, KS. Photo: Sporting KC

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