Fire Ink New Spanish-Language Radio Deal With Univision

The Fire penned a two-year deal with Univision Chicago on Thursday to broadcast all regular season games in Spanish on Univision Deportes Radio, which airs on WRTO 1200AM in the Chicagoland area.

The deal will result in matchday radio coverage featuring Univision play-by-play broadcaster Hector Lozan and analyst Raquel Ortiz.

“Our Spanish-language broadcast is an important part of our media mix and we are excited to fully unify the sports landscape by bringing the Chicago Fire to Univision Deportes Radio in Chicago,” Fire Chief Operating Officer Atul Khosla said in a club release. “This as a great opportunity to ensure we reach the core of Spanish-speaking sports fans in Chicago by aligning with the station that carries each professional team in our market.”

Univision Deportes Radio, which made its debut on April 19, is Univision Deportes’ national sports radio network. It will function as a holistic sports network, broadcasting daily talk shows, highlights and results. The network currently airs in 10 cities across the United States.

The announcement of the deal should be recognized as an encouraging sign from the club, who in the past have failed to properly embrace their fan base. It’s also nice to see another MLS franchise offer Spanish-language coverage, with an eye toward broadening the club’s marketability and reach.