The Washington Spirit and ESPN 630, DC’s premier live and local
sports radio station, will team up to broadcast 13 regular season
matches in the Spirit’s first-ever radio partnership, the club
announced today. The partnership will begin on Saturday, May 18
when the Washington Spirit faces Angel City FC and will extend
throughout the 2024 season. Match audiocasts will stream live
directly to WashingtonSpirit.com, as well as the ESPN 630 app and
website.
“There is a demand for Washington Spirit matches and partnering
with a renowned brand such as ESPN 630 was a great partnership
decision to ensure the Spirit is as accessible as possible for our
fans,” said Kim Stone, Washington Spirit CEO. “Like our brand, this
partnership is inclusive, providing matches for fans who are
on-the-go to those with vision impairments. We want to make tuning
into Spirit matches the best possible experience for everyone
outside of attending a match in person.”
Helming the broadcast in the play-by-play role is Bram
Weinstein, while former Spirit player Gaby Vincent will act as the
color commentator. Michael Minnich will provide additional
commentary during broadcasts and serve as an alternate for both
Weinstein and Vincent.
Weinstein, lauded in his role as the radio Voice of the
Washington Commanders since 2020, is a native of the DMV with
decades of experience as a trusted sports media personality. As the
host of the Bram Weinstein Show, airing weekdays on ESPN 630,
Weinstein is leading voice on all things sports in the Washington
area. Previously, he worked at ESPN from 2008 to 2015, where he was
an anchor for SportsCenter. His other experience includes time at
CNN’s Washington Bureau and WTEM.
Vincent, who played in the NWSL for four seasons, retired after
playing for the Washington Spirit in 2022. In four years at the
University of Louisville, she started in every match that she
appeared in, earning honors such as All-ACC Third Team and ACC
Honor Roll. Following her professional soccer career, Vincent
served as an intern in the Spirit’s Community Impact department
where her work in the advocacy realm earned her a position at the
DC Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs.
As one of the world’s foremost authorities on Washington Spirit
and NWSL history, Minnich brings a wealth of experience and
intimate knowledge of the team to the broadcast. Minnich
broadcasted Washington Freedom (WPS) matches in 2010 and acted as
the first-ever television broadcaster for the Washington Spirit in
2013. He has experience in both play-by-play and color commentary
roles at the collegiate and professional level.
“We are incredibly excited to join forces with the Washington
Spirit and bring the excitement of women's soccer to our
listeners," said Bill Hess, Program Director at ESPN 630 AM. "At
ESPN 630 AM, we are dedicated to showcasing the best in sports, and
partnering with the Spirit aligns perfectly with our values. We
look forward to providing comprehensive coverage of the Washington
Spirit and amplifying their impact both on and off the field."
Along with match audiocasts, this historic partnership will
offer fans a dedicated podcast channel, “Spirit Spotlight,”
available on WashingtonSpirit.com and coming soon wherever you get
your podcasts. The show, paying homage to the Spirit’s “Spotlight”
kits, will be fans’ go-to spot for exclusive Spirit content,
including postgame analysis, as well as weekly interviews with
special Spirit guests.
Dropping every Friday night, fans can hear an exclusive
interview with Bram Weinstein and a surprise Spirit guest. This
interview will also air live every Friday at 3:40 p.m. ET on ESPN
630 AM during a weekly and dedicated Washington Spirit segment on
The Bram Weinstein Show. Following every match, fans can listen to
Spirit Spotlight for a Spirit postgame show, recapping each match
with postgame press conference availability from a Spirit coach and
two players, as well as analysis and commentary.
In conjunction with this announcement, the podcast channel will
feature archived interviews from throughout the 2024 season ahead
of the first official Spirit Spotlight episode airing on Friday,
May 17 with an exclusive guest, as well as an interview with the
Washington Spirit Radio Network team – Bram, Gaby and Mike.
Additionally, ESPN 630 will feature prominently on the concourse
at select Washington Spirit home matches throughout the season,
offering unique activations and hosting a can’t-miss custom Spirit
jersey giveaway.
Throughout the season, fans can hear the radio broadcast
throughout the concourse and in select spaces at Audi Field, so you
don’t miss a moment of the action. Fans are also encouraged to
bring a headset while following the action on the pitch or on
television.
Any additional Spirit matches added to the ESPN 630 AM broadcast
schedule, including potential 2024 NWSL Playoffs contests, will be
announced at a later date.
To learn more about the Washington Spirit radio audiocasts and
for a comprehensive list of ways to tune, visit
washingtonspirit.com/matchdayguide/how-to-listen/.
ESPN 630 x SPIRIT MATCH SCHEDULE
DATE |
FIXTURE |
TIME |
Saturday, May 18th |
Washington Spirit v. Angel City FC |
7:30 p.m. EDT |
Friday, May 24th |
Washington Spirit v. Seattle Reign FC |
7:30 p.m. EDT |
Saturday, June 8th |
Washington Spirit at Utah Royals FC |
7:30 p.m. EDT |
Saturday, June 15th |
Washington Spirit v. San Diego Wave FC |
7:30 p.m. EDT |
Sunday, June 23rd |
Washington Spirit at NJ/NY Gotham FC |
12:30 p.m. EDT |
Saturday, June 29th |
Washington Spirit v. North Carolina Courage |
7:30 p.m. EDT |
Saturday, July 6th |
Washington Spirit at Bay FC |
10:00 p.m. EDT |
Sunday, August 25th |
Washington Spirit v. KC Current |
12:00 p.m. EDT |
Saturday, September 7th |
Washington Spirit v. Portland Thorns FC |
12:30 p.m. EDT |
Friday, September 20th |
Washington Spirit at KC Current |
8:00 p.m. EDT |
Sunday, October 13th |
Washington Spirit v. Racing Louisville FC |
5:00 p.m. EDT |
Sunday, October 20th |
Washington Spirit v. Chicago Red Stars |
5:00 p.m. EDT |
Saturday, November 2nd |
Washington Spirit at North Carolina Courage |
7:30 p.m. EDT |
*Fans can expect Spirit broadcasts with ESPN 630 to begin at the
listed times above. Tune-in information will be made public on
Washington Spirit channels prior to these games as well.
About The Washington Spirit The
Washington Spirit is the professional women’s soccer team based in
Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The
Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012, and is an inaugural member
of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the premier women’s
soccer league in North America. For more information about the
Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the
club
on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About ESPN 630 AM ESPN 630 AM is Cumulus
Media’s (NASDAQ: CMLS) Washington, DC-based sports station, and is
the home to high-quality local programming including The Andy
Pollin Show, The Tony Kornheiser Show, The Bram Weinstein Show, and
The Line Change with Mike Callow. The station also features the
live play-by-play broadcasts of the Washington Spirit, Baltimore
Orioles, Baltimore Ravens, University of Virginia Sports Radio
Network and Motor Racing Network - while also syndicating ESPN’s
National Programming broadcasts of Football Sunday, NBA Radio,
College Basketball, College Football, and MLB Radio. ESPN 630 AM
provides advertisers with personal connections and local reach
through on-air and on-demand digital, mobile, social, and
voice-activated platforms, as well as integrated digital marketing
services, full-service audio solutions, industry-leading research
and insights, and live event experiences. For more information,
please visit www.ESPN630DC.com or find us on social media
@ESPN630DC and the ESPN 630 App.
- Washington Spirit x ESPN 630 AM Announcement Graphic
Theresa McDonnell
Washington Spirit
917-439-4271
tmcdonnell@washspirit.com