ST. PETERSBURG, Fla (March 4, 2025) – The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced today the club has extended its partnership with Tampa Bay 44 to include local broadcasts of home and away matches for the upcoming 2025 USL Championship season.
Tampa Bay 44 became the Rowdies exclusive local broadcast partner last season, bringing live action of home matches from Al Lang Stadium into supporters’ homes across the region. This year, as the Rowdies celebrate the 50th anniversary of the club’s inaugural season, supporters will be able to tune in to Tampa Bay 44 for matches played at Al Lang and on the road.
Under the expanded broadcast partnership, a total of 32 of 34 Rowdies matches this year are set to air on Tampa Bay 44, including matches from the USL Championship regular season and the newly expanded USL Jägermeister Cup. The Rowdies matches versus Indy Eleven on Wednesday, June 25 and Saturday, August 16 will air exclusively on ESPN2 as part of the league’s national broadcast schedule. Additionally, kickoff times for the Indy and Phoenix matches have been adjusted to 7 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET respectively.
“As we near the start of a historic season, we’re excited to continue building on our excellent partnership with Tampa Bay 44,” said Tampa Bay Rowdies President Ryan Helfrick. “Having both home and road matches accessible on local television for the first time in our club’s modern era will bring our fans closer to the action than ever before. We’re grateful for the commitment and enthusiasm Tampa Bay 44 has shown to help us continue strengthening our relationship with our fans and the community.”
TampaBay44, which is owned and operated by Paramount Global, first began broadcasting out of St. Petersburg in 1968. Today, the station’s reach is among the largest in the region, with a broadcast signal reaching from Brooksville to Port Charlotte, Kissimmee to the Gulf of Mexico, and everything in between. The station was also a broadcast home for the Rowdies in the club’s original era of the 1970s and 80s, airing select indoor and outdoor matches.
“Our partnership extension with The Tampa Bay Rowdies is another example of our ongoing mission to provide the best content to the community we serve,” said Tom Canedo, president, CBS Independent Stations in Tampa, Atlanta, and Seattle. “We are excited to extend this multiyear agreement with the Rowdies as the exclusive broadcast home of one of soccer’s most recognizable and well-loved brands.
All matches not included in the league’s national broadcast schedule will continue to be available to stream through ESPN+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network.
The Rowdies season opener against Las Vegas Lights FC on Saturday, March 8 is set to air on Tampa Bay 44, CBS Sports Golazo Network, and TUDN at 10:30 p.m. ET.
