Real Salt Lake, KSL Sports Zone announce radio partnership

SALT LAKE CITY – Real Salt Lake, KSL Sports Zone and KSL Newsradio announced a new radio partnership Thursday.

All Real Salt Lake English-language radio coverage for the 2023 season and beyond will be carried on various KSL radio signals beginning with Saturday’s season-opening kickoff at Vancouver.

KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM) and KSL Newsradio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) are both stations under the Bonneville International umbrella.

Find the Real Salt Lake 2023 season schedule here. The season kicks off Saturday at 8:30.

The four-hour gameday window includes one-hour pre-game and one-hour post-game shows – talent TBD – with long-time voices David James and Jay Nolly calling the action each and every RSL matchday throughout 2023.

🚨BIG NEWS🚨@KSLSportsZone is the radio home of @realsaltlake.

You’ll also be able to hear #RSL matches on https://t.co/4kU961V8lp or the KSL Sports app.

Details: https://t.co/16fcLdcdJi pic.twitter.com/6J1X22UgUx

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 23, 2023

“Bonneville has long been proud to partner with Real Salt Lake – our streaming deal from early 2018 was innovative both locally and across the soccer and digital television industries,” said Tanya Vea, Executive Vice President, Content and Media Operations, as well as General Manager for KSL Sports. “Our two companies are and have been uniquely aligned, sharing deep roots in Utah and now expanding our focus to serve not just local audiences but RSL fans around the world with both gameday and ancillary content featuring David James, Jay Nolly, the RSL Show personalities and the entire KSL Sports ecosystem.”

Long-time #RSL voices @DavidDJJames @JayNolly on game calls, w/ @TomCantHackett @lars_mm Spencer Warne the Guv & @JacobCHatch on pre/post #DaleReal #BELIEVE …

starting 7:30p MT SATURDAY https://t.co/Mn6mfbkwIj

— Trey Fitz-Gerald (@3FitzSLC) February 23, 2023

Where To Listen: Real Salt Lake Games

For RSL home games from America First Field in Sandy the game call will be available as an audio option through the Apple/MLS Season Pass subscription option, as well as live on terrestrial radio and the KSL NewsRadio and KSL Sports apps and websites. The duo will call all road, Open Cup, Leagues Cup and postseason games as well, either live in-stadium or from the KSL Sports Zone studios in downtown Salt Lake City. 

Download the KSL Sports app and be ready for game day.

“Our radio presence on various Bonneville platforms for Real Salt Lake games is a tremendous opportunity to bring our Club to a greater audience of both current and potential fans across an incredible broadcast footprint,” said John Kimball, Real Salt Lake President. “The Bonneville radio group – especially KSL NewsRadio and the KSL Sports Zone – boast strong reach and omnipresent signals across the InterMountain West, and the addition of RSL radio carriage to our existing partnership with KSL’s digital side will only further enhance the overall experience for all RSL fans – existing and new, casual and hard-core.”

An exclusive first look at @realsaltlake‘s 2023 Beehive State kit, brought to you by the @rslshow. #RSL @MLS pic.twitter.com/v5yhKpBO2q

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 16, 2023

Read more about Real Salt Lake news, insights and analysis from KSLSports.com here.

About David James & James Nolly

James – a perennial Utah Sportscaster of the Year nominee for his award-winning radio and television work – has called Real Salt Lake games on TV or via simulcast in 10 previous RSL seasons dating back to 2010, while Nolly – a former MLS goalkeeper with RSL, D.C. United and Vancouver – has served as RSL’s radio/TV color analyst and co-host of various pre-/half/post-game shows since 2015. Both David and Jay have established relationships within the League and throughout the Club and Utah’s sporting community. 

“I am looking forward to a new opportunity this season calling RSL on radio, and am quite excited to see Pablo Mastroeni’s vision for the Club continue to evolve this season,” said James, the long-time Zone Sports Radio host from 7a-10a MT each morning. I’m very happy to remain involved in bringing RSL soccer to the fans all over Utah and beyond, with the radio call requiring me to be more descriptive so that listeners can picture what is happening. This will certainly be a season worth following for the Claret-and-Cobalt.” 

Both James and Nolly – as well as numerous KSL Sports personalities on both KSL Sports Zone radio and digital properties – will deliver featured RSL content involving Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni, Captain Damir Kreilach and the entire locker room, front office, executive staff and fan base for 2023 and beyond, in live radio, podcast and digital forms. 

“I’m extremely excited to remain a part of the club and make the transition to KSL Radio,” said Nolly, now in his ninth season calling RSL games for various broadcast mediums. “RSL was the team that drafted me, this club is very close to my heart; it’s home for my family and I am honored to stay close to the club. I couldn’t be more excited for the season to kick off, especially in Vancouver, my second home. Every year I’ve been lucky to spend some time filling in on TV with David James – he is a gracious Play-by-Play partner – and I know we are going to have fun with the fans this year. RSL is a playoff contender, the team has been methodical with its additions, the growth of the core, and getting Damir back from injury will be critical to our attack.”