Chelsea Football Club has signed an international agreement with SIRIUS Satellite Radio to broadcast live commentary of the club's matches across the United States and Canada. The coverage starts this Saturday, September 23 with the Chelsea v. Fulham match.
Prior to every Chelsea match on SIRIUS, legendary soccer star Giorgio Chinaglia, former New York Cosmos and Italian national team striker, and Charlie Stillitano, former general manager of the New York/New Jersey Metrostars and U.S. Soccer Foundation founding board member, will give fans from coast to coast an expert view of the Club on the Chelsea True Blue show, a 60-minute pre-game show dedicated to all things Chelsea. The program, airing exclusively on SIRIUS channel 125, will include interviews with players and key Chelsea personnel, full match commentary, live feeds from post-match press conferences, listener call-ins and various guests.
"More and more people in the U.S. are paying attention to professional soccer after such a fantastic World Cup," said Chinaglia, who played for Italy in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. "With World Cup stars like Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack joining John Terry and Frank Lampard on the Chelsea roster this season, now is the perfect time for soccer fans to follow one of the best teams in the world. And for the fans already enjoying the EPL matches on SIRIUS, I'm excited to bring an extra layer of passion for the sport with our new show."
"The launch of the new Chelsea show on SIRIUS demonstrates our long-term commitment to the U.S. market. During our recent trip to the U.S., we experienced a massive wave of support with thousands of fans showing up at Chelsea practices and appearances. As our recognition in the United States continues to increase, we want to give our growing fan base greater access to Chelsea news, interviews and exclusive content," said Chelsea Business Affairs Director Paul Smith.
In addition to SIRIUS’ expansive radio coverage of Chelsea, Chinaglia and Stillitano will host a weekly soccer talk show exclusively on SIRIUS that will cover the best teams and leagues from around the globe with expert analysis and interviews with the sport’s most intriguing personalities.