2012 MLS TV schedule on NBC, ESPN and Univision

The 2012 MLS regular season kicks off on March 10 and ends October 28. Playoffs conclude with the MLS Cup Championship Game on Dec. 1, at the home field of one of the two finalists.

Television coverage of MLS games will be carried on three network families – NBC, ESPN and Univision. In August 2011, MLS announced a 3-year deal with NBC Sports Group, replacing an expired contract with Fox Sports. The partnership calls for 45 MLS games and four USMNT contests to be televised live across both NBC and NBC Sports Network each season.

The 2012 MLS season is the longest it’s ever been, in part to accommodate FIFA fixture dates. The conflicts of previous years meant MLS players had to choose between club duties and the opportunity for national team experience. Last fall, FIFA President Sepp Blatter renewed calls on the MLS to adopt the international calendar, which typically runs August to May.

However, reasons for a March to November season remain. If the schedule shifted to the international calendar, soccer would have to compete directly against mainstream US sports, including professional and college football. Games would also be played over the winter months, a near impossibility for northern cities like Toronto.

The 2012 MLS TV Schedule:
 

Date Time (ET) Teams Network
Sun, March 11 3:00 pm FC Dallas vs. New York Red Bulls NBC Sports Network
Sun, March 11 7:00 pm Chivas USA vs. Houston Dynamo Galavision
Mon, March 12 9:30 pm Portland Timbers vs. Philadelphia Union ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
Sun, March 18 4:00 pm Philadelphia Union vs. Colorado Rapids NBC Sports Network
Sat, March 18 7:00 pm LA Galaxy vs. D.C. United Galavision
Fri, March 23 10:00 pm Seattle Sounders vs. Houston Dynamo NBC Sports Network
Sun, March 25 4:00 pm New York Red Bulls vs. Colorado Rapids ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, March 25 7:00 pm Sporting Kansas City vs. FC Dallas Galavision
Fri, March 30 7:30 pm D.C. United vs. FC Dallas NBC Sports Network
Sat, March 31 11:00 pm LA Galaxy vs. New England Revolution NBC Sports Network
Sat, April 7 5:00 pm Sporting Kansas City vs. LA Galaxy ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
Sun, April 1 7:00 pm Colorado Rapids vs. Chicago Fire Galavision
Sat, April 7 3:00 pm Columbus Crew vs. New York Red Bulls Galavision
Sat, April 14 3:30 pm Philadelphia Union vs. Columbus Crew NBC Sports Network
Sun, April 15 7:00 pm Chicago Fire vs. Houston Dynamo Galavision
Sat, April 21 3:30 pm Toronto FC vs. Chicago Fire NBC Sports Network
Sun, April 22 6:00 pm D.C. United vs. New York Red Bulls ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
Sat, April 28 3:30 pm New York Red Bulls vs. New England Revolution NBC Sports Network
Fri, May 4 11:00 pm Chivas USA vs. Chicago Fire ESPN Deportes
Sat, May 5 4:00 pm Seattle Sounders vs. Philadelphia Union NBC Sports Network
Sat, May 5 8:00 pm LA Galaxy vs. New York Red Bulls ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, May 6 7:00 pm FC Dallas vs. Colorado Rapids Galavision
Sat, May 12 4:30 pm Houston Dynamo vs. D.C. United NBC Sports Network
Sun, May 13 1:30 pm Philadelphia Union vs. New York Red Bulls ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
Sun, May 13 7:00 pm San Jose Earthquakes vs. Chivas USA Galavision
Sun, May 20 7:00 pm Portland Timbers vs. Chicago Fire Galavision
Weds, May 23 7:00 pm New York Red Bulls vs. Chivas USA Galavision
Sat, May 26 2:30 pm Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy NBC Sports Network
Sat, May 26 7:00 pm Columbus Crew vs. Chicago Fire Galavision
Sun, May 27 4:30 pm Sporting Kansas City vs. San Jose Earthquakes NBC Sports Network
Sat, May 19 10:30 pm Chivas USA vs. LA Galaxy ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
Sat, June 16 5:00 pm Houston Dynamo vs. FC Dallas ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
Sat, June 16 7:00 pm Philadelphia Union vs. D.C. United Galavision
Sun, June 17 5:00 pm Chicago Fire vs. New York Red Bulls NBC Sports Network
Sat, June 23 9:00 pm FC Dallas vs. Chivas USA Galavision
Sun, June 24 5:00 pm Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, June 24 7:00 pm New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United NBC Sports Network
Fri, June 29 8:00 pm Sporting Kansas City vs. Chicago Fire NBC Sports Network
Sat, June 30 7:00 pm Toronto FC vs. New York Red Bulls Galavision
Sat, June 30 10:00 pm San Jose Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
Sat, July 7 11:00 pm Seattle Sounders vs. Colorado Rapids NBC Sports Network
Sun, July 8 3:00 pm Chicago Fire vs. LA Galaxy ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, July 8 7:00 pm New England Revolution vs. New York Red Bulls Galavision
Sat, July 14 11:00 pm Portland Timbers vs. LA Galaxy NBC Sports Network
Sun, July 15 4:00 pm New York Red Bulls vs. Seattle Sounders ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, July 15 9:00 pm Houston Dynamo vs. D.C. United Galavision
Wed, July 18 11:00 pm Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake NBC Sports Network
Sat, July 21 2:30 pm New York Red Bulls vs. Philadelphia Union ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sat, July 21 10:00 pm LA Galaxy vs. Chivas USA Galavision
Sat, July 28 8:00 pm FC Dallas vs. LA Galaxy NBC Sports Network
Sun, July 29 7:00 pm Philadelphia Union vs. New England Revolution NBC Sports Network
Fri, August 3 8:00 pm Houston Dynamo vs. New York Red Bulls NBC Sports Network
Sun, August 5 7:00 pm Portland Timbers vs. FC Dallas NBC Sports Network
Sun, August 5 10:00 pm Seattle Sounders vs. LA Galaxy ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
Fri, August 10 8:00 pm New York Red Bulls vs. Houston Dynamo NBC Sports Network
Sun, August 12 7:00 pm Philadelphia Union vs. Chicago Fire Galavision
Sun, August 12 11:00 pm Chivas USA vs. LA Galaxy ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
Wed, August 15 7:00 pm Columbus Crew vs. LA Galaxy NBC Sports Network
Sun, August 19 5:00 pm D.C. United vs. Philadelphia Union NBC Sports Network
Sun, August 19 7:00 pm New York Red Bulls vs. Portland Timbers Galavision
Fri, August 24 7:30 pm Philadelphia Union vs. Real Salt Lake NBC Sports Network
Sun, August 26 7:00 pm LA Galaxy vs. FC Dallas NBC Sports Network
Sun, August 26 9:00 pm Sporting Kansas City vs. New York Red Bulls ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
Wed, August 29 8:00 pm D.C. United vs. New York Red Bulls Galavision
Fri, August 31 10:30 pm Portland Timbers vs. Colorado Rapids NBC Sports Network
Sun, September 2 7:00 pm Chicago Fire vs. Houston Dynamo Galavision
Sun, September 2 9:00 pm San Jose Earthquakes vs. Chivas USA NBC Sports Network
Wed, September 5 9:00 pm Colorado Rapids vs. Portland Timbers NBC Sports Network
Fri, September 14 8:30 pm Sporting Kansas City vs. Houston Dynamo NBC Sports Network
Sat, September 15 3:30 pm Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders NBC
Sun, September 16 7:00 pm LA Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids Galavision
Thu, September 20 8:00 pm Philadelphia Union vs. D.C. United ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
Sat, September 22 8:00 pm Real Salt Lake vs. Portland Timbers NBC Sports Network
Sun, September 23 7:00 pm D.C. United vs. Chivas USA Galavision
Fri, September 28 8:30 pm Sporting Kansas City vs. Chicago Fire NBC Sports Network
Sat, September 29 9:00 pm Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Seattle Sounders NBC Sports Network
Sun, September 30 7:00 pm Colorado Rapids vs. LA Galaxy Galavision
Sat, October 6 3:30 pm New York Red Bulls vs. Chicago Fire NBC
Sat, October 6 9:00 pm LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake NBC Sports Network
Sun, October 7 7:00 pm Chivas USA vs. FC Dallas Galavision
Sun, October 7 9:00 pm Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sat, October 20 7:30 pm Houston Dynamo vs. Philadelphia Union NBC Sports Network
Sun, October 21 7:00 pm San Jose Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy Galavision
Sun, October 21 9:00 pm Seattle Sounders vs. FC Dallas ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sat, October 27 1:30 pm Philadelphia Union vs. New York Red Bulls NBC
Sat, October 27 4:00 pm Chicago Fire vs. D.C. United NBC Sports Network
Sat, October 27 6:30 pm Portland Timbers vs. San Jose Earthquakes NBC Sports Network
Sun, October 28 7:00 pm FC Dallas vs. Chivas USA Galavision
Sun, October 28 9:00 pm LA Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders ESPN, ESPN Deportes