St. Louis CITY Announces English and Spanish radio broadcasters for 2023 MLS Season
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St. Louis CITY SC, Major League Soccer’s newest expansion team announced today is it partnering with Audacy St. Louis to broadcast all of CITY SC’s matches in English on KYKY Y98.1 FM with additional programming on its sports talk radio station KMOX 1120 AM. CITY SC matches will also be broadcast in Spanish on KXOK 102.9 FM non-profit radio. In addition, the team released the radio broadcast team for 2023: local viral play-by-play broadcaster Joey Zanaboni and St. Louis soccer coaching legend and CITY Academy Director Dale Schilly as the play-by-play broadcaster and color commentator on Y98, and Lider Sports and CITY2 Spanish broadcasting team Santiago Beltran and Hector Vega for KXOK.
“We wanted radio broadcast partners who share in our mission to elevate soccer in St. Louis and throughout our region, and we are thrilled to bring Audacy St. Louis and KXOK on board,” said Dennis Moore, Chief Revenue Officer, St. Louis CITY SC. “KMOX’s legacy of top-notch sports talk radio production combined with the high energy and fun of Y98 allows us to reach deeper into the regional St. Louis sports audience and help introduce MLS and professional soccer more widely in our market.”
Moore continued, “Reflective of St. Louis and our brand, we want our radio broadcasts to deliver a mix of fresh and unexpected with deep history and technical knowledge of the game. We think the combination of Zanaboni and Schilly will give fans a great reason to turn on the radio or choose local radio broadcast when streaming on Apple+.”
“We are beyond excited to be the official English language radio broadcast partner for St. Louis City SC,” said Senior Vice President and Market Manager of Audacy STL Becky Domyan. “Our dual purpose of serving our community will be amplified on our local brands across the diverse reach of our Audacy St. Louis portfolio. We will be providing game broadcasts, exclusive content personality experiences, and activations across the region. This will both grow the game and make a positive impact in our community.”
"KXOK 102.9FM is proud to be your home for the Spanish radio broadcast of St. Louis City SC. We are excited to share the spirit and action of the beautiful game with all listeners in our region, said Mark Langston, KXOK President and General Manager.
Joey Zanaboni’s colorful and exciting play-by-play broadcasts has generated more than 10 million views on social media in the last three years. He has served as play-by-play broadcaster for the Fredricksburg Nationals (Single-A), St. Louis Ambush (MASL), ESPN, and the MLB Network. His work has been featured by outlets as diverse as SportsCenter, NPR, CBS This Morning and MLB Network and include play-by-play for major college events like the 2022 Big 12 Conference Championship tournament presented on ESPN. St. Louis native Zanaboni was described by the Washington Post as “a broadcaster you have to hear to believe.”
Dale Schilly is one of the most revered and recognized coaches in St. Louis soccer history, serving as the head coach of St. Louis FC and AC St. Louis. Before joining St. Louis CITY as Academy Director in December 2021, he was Technical Director and Vice President of local club St. Louis Scott Gallagher, where he had helped develop young soccer talent in St. Louis since 1994. Schilly has been doing color commentary for soccer broadcasts since 2018, and most recently commentated on the 2022 CITY2 v. Bayer Leverkusen game at CITYPARK on ESPN+. When he’s not in the booth, Schilly currently serves as the St. Louis CITY Academy Director.
Santiago Beltrán is a native of Manizales, Colombia who moved to the United States in 2004 to complete his undergraduate studies in Industrial Engineering in Houston, Texas and moved to St. Louis in 2006. Over the past 6 years, Santiago has been covering St. Louis soccer. He started as a host for a Spanish sports show on La KeBuena Radio and joined the station’s broadcast of USL’s St. Louis FC as a color commentator. In 2019, Beltrán co-founded Líder Sports Media and started his journey as a Spanish play-by-play announcer for St. Louis FC, St. Louis Ambush, and St Louis CITY2. He is currently a co-host for Líder City on KXOK 102.9 FM.
Héctor Vega, Spanish color commentator, is a former youth national team and professional soccer player in Mexico with extensive experience commentating for St. Louis’ indoor and outdoor professional teams. He served as color commentator St. Louis FC, St. Louis Ambush, and St Louis CITY2. Vega is currently a co-host for Líder City, a show covering St. Louis soccer on KXOK 102.9 FM and first Spanish program on an FM station in St. Louis.
As part of the radio partnership, fans will be able to select St. Louis’ radio broadcasts as one of the audio options in Apple’s MLS streaming options, through the Apple TV app and the new MLS Season Pass. “The opportunity to listen to local radio while streaming on Apple TV makes this partnership even more important for the fan experience, as we know here in St. Louis, sports broadcasters bring a local connection that resonates deeply with fans,” said Moore.
St. Louis CITY SC’s radio broadcast for the 2023 MLS season opener against Austin FC will kick off on February 25 at 7:30 p.m. CST.
