Former Union Color Commentator Kyle Martino Reportedly In Line For NBCSN Soccer Job

by Scott Kessler on Feb 6, 2012 3:43 PM EST in Offseason Content

NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) has found Arlo White's broadcast partner in Kyle Martino, according to a tweet by Grant Wahl.

The Sports Illustrated columnist reports that he is "hearing Kyle Martino to sign with @NBCSN as analyst for MLS/US broadcasts."

Wahl went on to say that it "sounds like FOX doesn't want to let Martino out of contract as Sounders did with Arlo White."

Martino was the Philadelphia Union's color commentator, alongside current FOX Soccer Channel (FSC) and Philadelphia play-by-play announcer JP Dellacamera, during the 2010 MLS season. His time with the Union was criticized for lack of commitment and mispronunciations of player names.

NBC signed a three year contract, starting in 2014, last August with MLS, moving 45 of the league's games per year to the national broadcast channel and NBCSN (former Versus). The deal also includes four broadcasts of US Men's National Team (USMNT) games as well.

The breakdown of the deal has 38 league games on Versus, plus three playoff games and two national team games. NBC's main channel will play host to broadcasts of two regular season MLS games, two playoff games and the other two national team games.

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They should let Arlo

call it on his own, no need for a broadcast partner.

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by 253Sounder on Feb 6, 2012 3:58 PM EST via Android app reply actions

Martino actually didn’t miss games in 2010 because of his FSC contract. He wasn’t with Fox Soccer at the time, and was only doing ESPN matches sporadically. He was still technically employed as a financial advisor in New York, but that still doesn’t really explain why he missed weekend afternoon matches at home. Who knows why he missed a full third of the Union’s broadcasts that year, but I suspect that’s a large reason why he wasn’t brought back.

Contributor at The Brotherly Game, SBN's Philadelphia Union blog

by Ben Feldman on Feb 6, 2012 4:08 PM EST reply actions

For some reason I remembered the reasoning as FSC.

Edited.

Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
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by Scott Kessler on Feb 6, 2012 4:31 PM EST up reply actions